Another motive, as the questioner herself mentioned, is the wish to free up time for work. That, however, is neither a valid nor a lawful excuse, for the pregnancy has a right to remain, to be protected and respected. The fetus is a created being entrusted to its mother; she is obliged to treat it gently and to safeguard it. Perhaps Allah will grant her this child and he will grow up righteous and prove more beneficial to her than any career. Allah, exalted is He, says, “It may be that you dislike something while it is good for you” (al-Baqarah 2:216).

What this woman has done is a crime. She must repent to Allah and never repeat such an act. The nurse who assisted her and showed her the way is also sinful, because she helped in wrongdoing; and Allah the Most High says, “Do not cooperate in sin and transgression” (al-Māʾidah 5:2). It is not far-fetched that the death of her husband was likewise a punishment for her. She must repent to Allah and refrain from such deeds—she and every other Muslim woman. A woman is obliged to respect the fetus, preserve it, and treat it kindly; she must not flee from pregnancy and childbirth, for the child may turn out to be a righteous servant through whom Allah benefits her and the whole community.

The money the nurse accepted for guiding her is also unlawful wealth, for she took it in return for a sin, and she is blameworthy for that.

It is incumbent upon the nurse and upon physicians to counsel those women who seek to terminate a pregnancy. Allah has entrusted them with the medical profession; therefore they must advise the pregnant woman to be gentle with her pregnancy and to keep it. It is impermissible for them to assist in ending it or to perform an abortion procedure,