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Abortion in Indonesia, as in many other countries, constitutes a subject of controversy. It has provoked heated discussions from divergent point of views such as from ethical-religious, legal, medical and socio-political perspectives. Unfortunately, the Indonesian debates over abortion have not led to the formulation of a solution to the problem chiefly because of opposition to it on religious and moral grounds. As a result, the problem persists. The high rate of abortion in Indonesia each year continues to increase by approximately 2.3 millions, reflecting the consequence of the negligence to this complicated matter. Nevertheless, the latest Islamic legal response or fatwā(pl.fatāwā) issued by Majelis Ulama Indonesia/MUI (The Indonesian ‘Ulamā’ Council) Number 4/2005 seems to have generated a new debate intended to offer a solution for abortion from an Islamic perspective. In this fatwā, MUI not only presents Islamic legal opinions, but also addresses complicated issues regarding abortion, contending that abortion is not categorically forbidden. The fatwāattempts to mediate tensions between a strict state legal provision and the rising unsafe abortion that often claim many lives. It thus becomes a means of negotiation between moral and legal ideality and real ambiguity of abortion practices within the society.