Fatwa: 130

Category: fatwas about marriage

The contraceptive pills

The question:

The question is about using contraceptive pills for these following reasons:

-         Narrowness of the house, one room for the parents and the children.

-         The youth of the first child.

-         The illness of the mother or her physical weakness.

Is it permissible in these cases to use the contraceptive pills? If it is permissible, what intention should the user have? For the purpose of organization..., because of discomfort? If it is not permissible, is it because of the pills themselves or because there is another way of contraception or it is absolutely not permissible?

The answer:

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Peace and blessing be upon whom Allah sent as a mercy to the Worlds, upon his Family, his Companions and his Brothers till the Day of Resurrection.

If trustworthy doctors say that the pregnancy and the parturition will cause harm to the mother, it will be permissible to space out pregnancies until the end of the harm, in accordance with Allah’s تعالى saying:

﴿وَلاَ تَقْتُلُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ إِنَّ اللهَ كَانَ بِكُمْ رَحِيمًا﴾ [النساء: 29].

The meaning of the verse:

﴾And do not kill yourselves (nor kill one another). Surely, Allâh is Most Merciful to you﴿ [An-Nissâ' (The Women): 29].

And His saying:

﴿وَلاَ تُلْقُوا بِأَيْدِيكُمْ إِلَى التَّهْلُكَةِ﴾ [البقرة: 195].

The meaning of the verse:

﴾and do not throw yourselves into destruction﴿ [Al-Baqara (The Cow): 195].

And the Prophet’s صلَّى الله عليه وسلَّم saying: “There should be neither harming nor reciprocating harm”⁽¹⁾.

It is permissible to control the birth, it means space out between the births, in order to have pity on the children by preserving their health and assuring a good education for them, as it is narrated by Ahmad and Muslim according to Ussâma Ibn Zayd who told Sa`d Ibn Abi Waqqâs that a man came to the Prophet صلَّى الله عليه وسلَّم and said: “I do coitus interruptus with my wife (what is the religious verdict regarding this?) The Messenger of Allah صلَّى الله عليه وسلَّم said: “Why do you do that?”. The man said: “Out of pity for her child (or her children lest they should be harmed).” Upon this the Prophet صلَّى الله عليه وسلَّم said: “Had it been harmful, it would have caused harm to the Persians and Romans”⁽²⁾.

It is permissible for the husband to practice withdrawal or something instead of it like using a condom or pills, on the condition that they should not be harmful to health or be agents that cause the sperm to drop after it is fixed in the womb, according to the view of the school of Imam Mâlik رحمه الله which would consider that it is not permissible. Besides, he should ascertain that they are not harmful and do not have bad effects by consulting knowledgeable and trustworthy people in this field.

The perfect knowledge belongs to Allah عزَّ وجلَّ. Our last prayer is all praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Peace and blessing be upon our Prophet صلَّى الله عليه وسلَّم, his Family, his Companions and Brothers till the Day of Resurrection.