Permissibility of adopting contraceptive methods
QUESTION:
Kindly advise if using contraceptives to prevent pregnancy is permissible. If permissible, kindly advise which types .
ANSWER:
According to the Ulama, the usage of contraceptives will be permissible due to various reasons, amongst them, inter alia, are the following:
a) A woman has become so weak and ill that falling pregnant and carrying the weight of the fetus would severely and adversely affect her life and well-being.
b) A woman is far away from her permanent residence or hometown and does not intend becoming a permanent resident or staying for a lengthy duration at her current location.
c) If a woman strongly feels that her pregnancy will adversely affect the health of another child (that is being breastfed etc.)
d) The marital relationship between the spouses is of such a nature that both the spouses are seriously contemplating to terminate the marriage due to constant marital conflicts and problems.
The above-mentioned reasons are some of the reasons due to which Shariah permits the use of contraceptives. On the other hand, if a woman uses contraceptives without a valid Shari’ee reason then the usage of contraceptives will not be permissible, such as practicing birth control due to the fear of poverty, etc. Yes, some of the current day contraceptives can be similarized to Azal in the sense that contraceptives are used to avoid pregnancy. The objective of Azal (coitus-interruption) is also to avoid pregnancy.
Hadrat Abu Saeed Khudri Radiallahu Anhu narrates that we had acquired some slave-girls thus we were practising “Azal” (coitus-interruption) to avoid conception. We asked Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam regarding our practice. He said, “Verily you wish to practise Azal? (Then be aware that) every soul that is destined to be born until the day of Qiyamah will certainly be born.”
From the Hadith it is quite clear that a woman can sometimes conceive even though she may be using some form of contraceptive measure. Allamah Nawawi Rahmatullahi Alaihi has written under the above Hadith that it is disliked and abhorrent to use any form of contraception without a valid excuse. In conclusion, contraceptives should only be used in a case of dire necessity as explained above. The female may use the pill, or condoms may used by the husband.
ان خاف من الولد السوء في الحرة يسعد العزل بغير رضاها لفساد الزمان، فليعتبر مثله من الاعذار مسقطا لاذنها. (شامي ج٤ص٣٣٥)
كتاب النوازل ج٨ص٥٥١-٥٥٢
فتاوي دار العلوم زكريا ج٣ص٦٦٠
أحسن الفتاوي ج ٨ص٣٤٧
ALLAH TA’ALA ALONE IN HIS INFINITE KNOWLEDGE KNOWS BEST!
ANSWERED BY:
Maulana Ahmed Saeed
Date:- 29 Muharram 1445 / 17 August 2023
CHECKED AND APPROVED BY:
Mufti Mohammed Desai Saheb