Is Pre-Natal Genetic Testing Permissible?

Answered by Ustadh Salman Younas

Question: Assalam aleykum

During a friends pregnancy she was advised that she has a recessive gene which her kids may inherit and is common in people from the Indopak area. Its not a problem – but if her child’s spouse also has that gene, their child could have a severe illness. She is now regretting ever having children. What is islam’s view on pre-natal genetic testing? Is it like fortune telling?

Answer: assalamu alaykum

Pre-natal genetic testing is permissible. It is not analogous to fortune telling as it involves gaining information regarding an individual through means of analyzing the physical units of structures of a body. This is no different to undergoing a blood test to determine whether one potentially has cancer.

As for whether one should undergo such a test, this is ultimately the decision of a couple who must factor in the advice of medical professionals as well as their own feelings on the issue. If they decide to undergo a pre-natal test, it does not mean they lack a trust in God. Supplication and the hope for a healthy child is always needed but the true test of whether one has trust in God is the path one takes after one’s child is born regardless of their health.

[Ustadh] Salman Younas

Checked and approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Salman Younas  graduated from Stony Brook University with a degree in Political Science and Religious Studies. After studying the Islamic sciences online and with local scholars in New York, Ustadh Salman moved to Amman where he spent five years studying Islamic law, legal methodology, belief, hadith methodology, logic, Arabic, and tafsir. He is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Oxford and continues his traditional studies with scholars in the United Kingdom.