Contraception: Halal or Haram?

By Shaykh Salim Ghisa

The rule for contraception is different depending on the type of contraception used.

The basic ruling for contraception identifies two types:
1) Permanent Contraception
2) Temporary Contraception

1) Permanent Contraception

Any permanent form of contraception such as permanent sterilisation, the removal of ovaries, vasectomy etc is not permissible unless there is a risk of serious illness or death if it is not performed. The reasons for this are as follows:

  1. A person is taking an unnecessary risk to their health by having such an operation or procedure.
  2. A person is permanently changing the nature of the body from what Allah has created.
  3. A person is taking away the right of any future husband or wife to have a say in whether a couple should try for children or not. Whilst the person may, in their current situation, choose not to have any more children, if their marriage were to break down or they were widowed and if they chose to remarry then their new partner has a right to a say in any future children they may or may not want.

2) Temporary/Reversible Contraception

Temporary contraception where it does not contradict the Shariah is permissible as long as both partners agree. It was a common practice of the companions of the Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) to perform ‘Coitus Interruptus’ (also know as `azl), meaning to withdraw from their partner just before ejaculation. Therefore, this was a form of temporary contraception.

Sayyiduna Jabir ibn Abd Allah (Allah be pleased with him relates that, "We used to engage in contraception (`azl) while the Qur'an was being revealed. Had it been something that was interdicted, the Qur'an would have forbidden it." [Bukhari (5209); Muslim (4220)]

There are also many other similar Ahadith allowing the permissibility of this type of contraception.

Other Types Of Temporary Contraception Allowed:

Please note permission must be obtained by both husband and wife before these are used.

Condoms – These are permissible and can be used without any problems.

Pill/Injection – The use of the contraceptive pill for the purpose of contraception is also permissible. Scholars have advised that it should not be used just to ‘delay’ the period because of Ramadhan or Hajj etc.

Coil – This should be avoided as it involves the insertion of the coil into the female private parts.

Sheath – Also should be avoided due to the same reason as the coil.

Reasons For Contraception

A person should not use contraception due to the fear of poverty because as believing Muslims our faith is that ‘Allah is the Best provider of Wealth’. Many people nowadays want to reduce children due to the fear that more children will mean more cost, hence a lower quality of life, but it is not proper for a Muslim to think in this manner due to their trust in Allah as the Provider.

A Muslim living in non-Muslim lands may use contraception to restrict the birth of children so they may concentrate on their existing children and their upbringing. Although it is also permissible to use contraception for the same reason in lands practising Islam openly. It is actually recommended by some scholars to use contraception in non-Muslim lands. The reason for this is that a person cannot depend on the environment to help their children practice Islam, for example in Muslim lands when it is the time for Salaah, the Azaan will be called loudly and all businesses will take a break and go to the Masjid etc. In non-Muslim lands this does not happen and therefore a parent needs to spend time on their children and educate them Islamically, therefore less children means more individual time for Islamic education.

Spacing children is a valid reason to use contraception. A mother has a right to look after her health and the health of her children. Therefore, she may space the time between children so she may gain her health back to full fitness and also look after her young.

A woman may also choose to use contraception to enable her to get her figure back and also to maintain her beauty (as long as both partners agree). There is no point a woman giving birth to many children one after the other if it means she will have no time to look after her physical appearance or no longer looks attractive to her partner, as this may lead to the breakdown of the marriage.

Contraception may be used if there is a high risk of an inherited disorder and that it may cause a child to be born with severe disability or harm the mother’s health.

If there is a risk of a marital breakdown then contraception may be used. If the couple are going through marital problems and the birth of a child may cause even more difficulty or there is a risk of the child being left with only one parent then the use of contraception is permissible.

Career development is not a valid reason for a woman to use contraception as it would mean that the role of a woman, as recommended by Islam, would be at risk. This would also mean obtaining financial benefit, which as discussed earlier is not a valid reason to use contraception.
Being away on a journey is a valid reason to use contraception so that a woman may not fall pregnant away from her home.

Enforced contraception through Governmental legislation is not permitted in Islam. The Muslims cannot allow in a democracy this sort of policy, which would mean people would be forced to use contraception to limit their children. If a country does force this type of law then a Muslim should seek means to leave that land. If they cannot and would be persecuted or their children would be taken away then they may use contraception.

Finally, any act of Haram would also make the use of contraception Haram i.e. illegal intercourse through fornication or intercourse when a woman is menstruating or anal intercourse, all the above are strictly prohibited and therefore the use of contraception is also strictly prohibited.

Of course Allah knows best.

Comments

TheRevivalEditor wrote:
By Shaykh Salim Ghisa

Career development is not a valid reason for a woman to use contraception as it would mean that the role of a woman, as recommended by Islam, would be at risk.

Why would it be at risk? Her role is to guard the home and help raise the children which she can do, in some situations arguably, better if she is working and knows more about the outside world. But apart from this nit picking, everything else seems fine.

“Before death takes away what you are given, give away whatever there is to give.”

Mawlana Jalal ud Din Rumi

I thought all forms of contreception was haraam in general.

*dirol*''Biggy'*dirol*

No, that's the Roman Catholic position.

“Before death takes away what you are given, give away whatever there is to give.”

Mawlana Jalal ud Din Rumi

thnx 4 that

*dirol*''Biggy'*dirol*

Apparently breast feeding is the best form of contraception
something to do with the ...oxtytoxins (maybe I made that up???)
anyhoo
that makes it almost impossible for a woman to get pregnant then

1R4M wrote:
Apparently breast feelding is the best form of contraception
something to do with the ...oxtytoxins (maybe I made that up???)
anyhoo
that makes it almost impossible for a woman to get pregnant then

Im the first to admit he knows nothing about women.

But what the hell is breast feelding?

:badgrin:

Back in BLACK

Seraphim wrote:
1R4M wrote:
Apparently breast feelding is the best form of contraception
something to do with the ...oxtytoxins (maybe I made that up???)
anyhoo
that makes it almost impossible for a woman to get pregnant then

Im the first to admit he knows nothing about women.

But what the hell is breast feelding?

:badgrin:

where does it say that....

= P

Assalamu alaikum,

I wouldn't advise sisters to try breast feeding as a form of contraception, the probability is you'll end up pregnant. Another fallacy about breast feeding makes you slimmer. May reduce weight in some women, but it won't get rid of pregnancy weight, not without a good diet and exercise routine.

“O my people! Truly, this life of the world is nothing but a (quick passing) enjoyment, and verily, the hereafter that is the home that will remain forever.” [Ghafir : 39]

Hi there

Please can you explain something to me? You say

"Any permanent form of contraception such as permanent sterilisation, the removal of ovaries, vasectomy etc is not permissible unless there is a risk of serious illness or death if it is not performed. The reasons for this are as follows:

A person is taking an unnecessary risk to their health by having such an operation or procedure.
A person is permanently changing the nature of the body from what Allah has created."

Why then is it permissable (recommended?) for men to be circumcised, as this also has health risks and is permanently changing the nature of the body?

Many thanks

B

Circumcision is prescribed as a preventative measure against infection and disease. And therefore clearly has health benefits. By removing of the skin your not changing the nature of the ding-dong it is still very much in tact and can perform its function.

Where as with permanent contraception this is not the case.

See the difference?

Back in BLACK

Yup! Thanks for that

Hmm I like this article, very informative Smile

I have a friend who told me birth control is completely haram (no matter what I said I could not change her mind) .She also mentioned that to control the birth of your first child is haram, but the second one is okay... :? Where does it say that????

Apparantly she heard it through a friend who knows Arabic and lived in Saudi therefore she interupts the Quran shareef correctly and she would have more knowledge... :doubt:
So now her first daughter is 1 years old and her second daughter is just born. She consistenly tells me how much trouble she is having look after and coping with the first child and being a working mother and now she has a second!

Your own soul is nourished when you are kind; it is destroyed when you are cruel.

Contraception is not haraam and there is hadith evidence to support its permissibility.

It can be a false trap to fall into "they are arab/know arabic, so they must know Islam better" ... it depends on if they have learnt/studied Islam or not, otherwise it can be every easy to confuse what Islam allows or does not allow with what the people around you allow or not - they two can be different.

Inshallah they will cease being a trouble to her and bring her much happiness.

"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.

That was coincidential.

I was just reading about the morning after pill.

And then come on therevival to find this thread at the top.

 

Asalamaleikum, am using IUD for c0ntraceptive purpose but iam really very confused about it is it haram to insert IUD in the utreus to not geting pregnant? your advice higly appreciated. shukran

Salam, in your article you said that to use contraception as for the fear of poverty or poorer quality of life is wrong as to the fact that Allah provides us sustainance! In Quran it's stated as follows:

"O you who belive make not unlawful the good things which Allah hath made lawful for you but commit no excess: For Allah love not those who do excess". - Surah Maida(5:87).

What you said is correct that Allah is the All-Sustainer, but on the bases of this Surah if a couple is living even in a muslim country but know that then can't sustain themselve that good enough or know that the financial abience ain't that favourable, i guess contraception is good enough to use, because i guess it'll be excess in that frame of reference! Quran has abrogated the trend of infanticide for the fear of poverty. And these days its evident that we are unable to to handle overpopulation effectively which has in fact very dire consequences. Thus on the bases of it, i think its ok to use contraception.

Let me know what you think! Jazakallah!

It is God's job to provide nourishment for the child.

Modern economists often equate large families with poverty, but Islam says the opposite and not having children for fear of poverty is not considered a good thing.

Your wealth and poverty is not guaranteed and is in the hands of God.

"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.

I have a question about this. I am unmarried and have bad cramps during my period. So would it be haram if i took birth control just to get my periods less often?

Nnkk

justasking wrote:
I have a question about this. I am unmarried and have bad cramps during my period. So would it be haram if i took birth control just to get my periods less often?

You don't need birth control pills for bad cramps, you need paracetamol/ibupruphen. Has your dr recommended birth control pills??

"How many people find fault in what they're reading and the fault is in their own understanding" Al Mutanabbi

AoA Dear Sheikh,

I need some more clarification, as my question of concern is that;
90% of the time female contraception is given to and taken by completely healthy UNMARRIED women of fertile age (who have no medical problems) and are using it for ZINA purposes only in non-musmlis lands by non muslim women, so that they do not get pregnant, as living in the UK sadly this is the way of life here for most women

In this case as a doctor is it halal for me to prescribe as I am fearful that I may become a facilitator of their zina? As refusing to give this will lead me to lose my medical licence for not complying with wishes of the woman, as per medical law relating to contraception use in the UK. 

Kindly answer in yes or no.
I hope this clarifies my question of concern.

Dr Omar
MBBS BSc Hons (UK)

I am not a scholar, but iIn those cases would you rather be a facilitator in abortions?

IMO the sin is committed by the sinner.

I doubt the lack of prescription etc would prevent those who wish to commit zina from committing it.

I do not see why you would take any stance against your medical profession here.

"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.

Assalamu Alykumwaragmatulahi wabarakatu

So basically if a woman has a chronic illness and has been advised by a doctor to use a temporary contraceptive such as the birth control pill for a period of one year due to the child being at risk to be born with a illness or disability and the husband and wife has agreed to the method it is not haram?

I agree with you brother and I think you made a very good point