Between Faith, Family, and Moral Reasoning
Muslim Women in Israel Navigating Pregnancy Continuation Following Severe Fetal Anomalies
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 20772124 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Mahdi Tarabeih (0000-0002-9960-5709, Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yafo, corresponding author), Ibtisam Marey-Sarwan (0000-0002-2660-0667, Hebrew University of Jerusalem) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Publication date | 2026-06-24 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Religion and Health (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0022-4197 • E-ISSN: 1573-6571 |
| Publisher | Springer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1007/s10943-026-02715-1 |
| PMID | 42340612 |
| OpenAlex | W7165810666 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 20 |
Abortion is a contested issue in Islamic societies, shaped by religious and ethical norms. Scant attention has been given to women who continue pregnancies following diagnoses of severe fetal anomalies. This qualitative interpretative phenomenological study explored, through in-depth interviews, how 33 Sunni Muslim women in Israel make sense of such decisions. Six themes emerged: sanctity of life, sociofamilial pressures, guilt and meaning-making, moral tensions in medical encounters, lineage concerns, and caregiving responsibilities. Findings show that pregnancy continuation is embedded in faith-based moral reasoning and relational obligations. The study underscores the need for culturally and religiously sensitive reproductive counseling
Abortion · Continuation · Interpretative phenomenological analysis · Islam · Pregnancy · Pregnancy termination · Qualitative research · Prenatal Screening and Diagnostics · Reproductive Health and Contraception · Reproductive Health and Technologies
Interpretative phenomenological analysis.
Thematic Analysis
Underground Gamete Donation in Sunni Muslim Patients
The Beginning of Life Issues
Prenatal Testing and Pregnancy Termination Among Muslim Women Living in Israel Who Have Given Birth to a Child with a Genetic Disease
The Ethical Standards of Sunni Muslim Physicians Regarding Fertility Technologies that are Religiously Forbidden
Prenatal Tests Undertaken by Muslim Women Who Underwent IVF Treatment, Secular Versus Religious
Prenatal Diagnosis and Pregnancy Termination in Jewish and Muslim Women with a Deaf Child in Israel
Prenatal diagnosis and pregnancy termination in Israeli-Arab women of families with a deaf child
Violating Religious Prohibitions to Preserve Family Harmony and Lineage among Sunni Muslims
| Highly cited | No |
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