Is it permissible for a woman to abort her pregnancy in its second or third week while she is breastfeeding a four-month-old child, due to the potential harm that may result for her and her infant?

The jurists (fuqaha’) differed regarding the ruling on abortion before forty days. Some Hanafis, Shafi’is, and Hanbalis held that it is permissible, while the Malikis and some Hanafis, Shafi’is, and Hanbalis held that it is not permissible at all. There are also those who restrict permissibility to cases of valid excuse.

The Council of the Senior Scholars (Hay'at Kibar al-Ulama') and the Permanent Fatwa Committee have decided that abortion is not permissible except for a legitimate Shar’i reason and within very narrow limits. If the pregnancy is in its first stage (less than forty days) and there is a Shar’i benefit in aborting it or it repels harm, then it is permissible. However, it is not permissible to abort for fear of hardship, or inability to cover living expenses, or for the sake of the future, or to suffice with existing children.

However, if the pregnancy exceeds forty days (and becomes an alaqah - congealed blood), then abortion is forbidden unless a reliable medical committee determines that the continuation of the pregnancy poses a danger to the mother's life.

Based on this, it appears there is no objection to aborting the pregnancy in the inquired-about scenario (before forty days) if there is an anticipated harm to the mother from successive pregnancies, or an existing harm to the suckling child.