4 Top Hadiths Why Family Planning is Not Haram in Islam
C.J Ahmed-11.05.2023
Family planning is a hated topic by conservative Muslims who want to uphold family values and often directed against NGO’s or other outsider organisations stating that family planning is used as a weapon to stop or reduce Muslims from having children. This conspiracy thinking has lead to an opposition in even using condoms and it is finally the poor husband and wife who has to suffer as a result of such puritanism. Family planning is to basically help a couples determine when to have children, how many children to have and using temporary or permanent contraceptive methods. Islam does not forbid family planning and family planning helps people ease their burden of having children which could be sometimes physically,psychologically and financially debilitating.
Some might argue by quoting hadiths in which the prophet (sal) encouraged having ,children. In one hadith
Prophet (sal) said,
'Marry the child-bearing, loving women for I shall outnumber the peoples by you on the Day of Resurrection
( Abu Dawud and Nasai graded sahih by Albani in Irwa)
This does not mean that all women should be forced in to conceiving and not knowing the difference between an encouragement and something mandated has lead the Muslim community in to a huge dilemma.
Using birth control and contraception is completely halal. There are several authentic hadiths which says that that it isn't haram. Below are four main hadiths on why birth control is halal.
1. Abu Sirma said
to Abu Sa'id al Khadri (rali): 0 Abu Sa'id, did
you hear Allah's Messenger (sal) mentioning al-'azl?
He said: Yes, and added: We went out with Allah's Messenger (sal) on the expedition to the Bi'l-Mustaliq and took captive some excellent Arab women; and we desired them, for we were suffering from the absence of our wives, (but at the same time) we also desired ransom for them. So we decided to have sexual intercourse with them but by observing 'azl (Withdrawing the male sexual organ before emission of semen to avoid-conception). But we said: We are doing an act whereas Allah's Messenger is amongst us; why not ask him? So we
asked Allah's Messenger (sal), and he said: It does
not matter if you do not do it, for every soul that is to be born up
to the Day of Resurrection will be born. (Muslim)
In the above hadith it is clear that the prophet(sal) approved azl(withdrawal of the penis from the vagina before semen shoots up) and he only desliked it. This could be understood from the below hadiths.
2. Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (Allaah be pleased with him) reported that mention was made of 'azl in the presence of Allaah's Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) whereupon he said: Why do you practise it? They said: There is a man whose wife has to suckle the child, and if that person has a sexual intercourse with her (she may conceive) which he does not like, and there is another person who has a slave-girl and he has a sexual intercourse with her, but he does not like her to have conception so that she may not become Umm Walad, whereupon he (the Prophet) said: There is no harm if you do not do that, for that (the birth of the child) is something pre- ordained. Ibn 'Aun said: I made a mention of this hadith to Hasan, and he said: By Allaah, (it seems) as if there is upbraiding in it (for 'azl) (sahih Muslim)
The above hadith clearly shows that the sahaba practised coitus interruption as a way of contraception on their wives and slaves and the prophet(sal) did not forbid it. Rather, he only desliked it.
3. Jabir(rali) reported: We used to practice 'azl during
the lifetime of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). This (the
news of this practice) reached Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon
him), and he did not forbid us. (Muslim)
4. Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (rali) reported:
We took women captives, and we wanted to do 'azl with them. We then
asked Allah's Messen- ger (may peace be upon him) about it, and he
said to us: Verily you do it, verily you do it, verily you do it, but
the soul which has to be born until the Day of judgment must be born.
(Muslim)
The above hadiths proves that the prophet(sal) did not forbid the sahaba to practice coitus even after knowing that it was done to stop the women from conceiving. If contraception is completely forbidden the prophet(sal) would have forbidden the companions from engaging in coitus interruption. The only known method of contraception during that time was coitus interruptus. From this,it is clear that contraception is completely halal in Islam.
Conclusion
Family planning is not a new concept but has been in practice for generations upon generations and even the companion of the prophet (sal) used to practice it.There is nothing haram in family planning.
Family planning is a hated topic by conservative Muslims who want to uphold family values and often directed against NGO’s or other outsider organisations stating that family planning is used as a weapon to stop or reduce Muslims from having children. This conspiracy thinking has lead to an opposition in even using condoms and it is finally the poor husband and wife who has to suffer as a result of such puritanism. Family planning is to basically help a couples determine when to have children, how many children to have and using temporary or permanent contraceptive methods. Islam does not forbid family planning and family planning helps people ease their burden of having children which could be sometimes physically,psychologically and financially debilitating.
Some might argue by quoting hadiths in which the prophet (sal) encouraged having ,children. In one hadith
Prophet (sal) said,
'Marry the child-bearing, loving women for I shall outnumber the peoples by you on the Day of Resurrection
( Abu Dawud and Nasai graded sahih by Albani in Irwa)
This does not mean that all women should be forced in to conceiving and not knowing the difference between an encouragement and something mandated has lead the Muslim community in to a huge dilemma.
Using birth control and contraception is completely halal. There are several authentic hadiths which says that that it isn't haram. Below are four main hadiths on why birth control is halal.
1. Abu Sirma said
to Abu Sa'id al Khadri (rali): 0 Abu Sa'id, did
you hear Allah's Messenger (sal) mentioning al-'azl?
He said: Yes, and added: We went out with Allah's Messenger (sal) on the expedition to the Bi'l-Mustaliq and took captive some excellent Arab women; and we desired them, for we were suffering from the absence of our wives, (but at the same time) we also desired ransom for them. So we decided to have sexual intercourse with them but by observing 'azl (Withdrawing the male sexual organ before emission of semen to avoid-conception). But we said: We are doing an act whereas Allah's Messenger is amongst us; why not ask him? So we
asked Allah's Messenger (sal), and he said: It does
not matter if you do not do it, for every soul that is to be born up
to the Day of Resurrection will be born. (Muslim)
In the above hadith it is clear that the prophet(sal) approved azl(withdrawal of the penis from the vagina before semen shoots up) and he only desliked it. This could be understood from the below hadiths.
2. Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (Allaah be pleased with him) reported that mention was made of 'azl in the presence of Allaah's Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) whereupon he said: Why do you practise it? They said: There is a man whose wife has to suckle the child, and if that person has a sexual intercourse with her (she may conceive) which he does not like, and there is another person who has a slave-girl and he has a sexual intercourse with her, but he does not like her to have conception so that she may not become Umm Walad, whereupon he (the Prophet) said: There is no harm if you do not do that, for that (the birth of the child) is something pre- ordained. Ibn 'Aun said: I made a mention of this hadith to Hasan, and he said: By Allaah, (it seems) as if there is upbraiding in it (for 'azl) (sahih Muslim)
The above hadith clearly shows that the sahaba practised coitus interruption as a way of contraception on their wives and slaves and the prophet(sal) did not forbid it. Rather, he only desliked it.
3. Jabir(rali) reported: We used to practice 'azl during
the lifetime of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). This (the
news of this practice) reached Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon
him), and he did not forbid us. (Muslim)
4. Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (rali) reported:
We took women captives, and we wanted to do 'azl with them. We then
asked Allah's Messen- ger (may peace be upon him) about it, and he
said to us: Verily you do it, verily you do it, verily you do it, but
the soul which has to be born until the Day of judgment must be born.
(Muslim)
The above hadiths proves that the prophet(sal) did not forbid the sahaba to practice coitus even after knowing that it was done to stop the women from conceiving. If contraception is completely forbidden the prophet(sal) would have forbidden the companions from engaging in coitus interruption. The only known method of contraception during that time was coitus interruptus. From this,it is clear that contraception is completely halal in Islam.
Conclusion
Family planning is not a new concept but has been in practice for generations upon generations and even the companion of the prophet (sal) used to practice it.There is nothing haram in family planning.