Question:
With the blessing of Allah, we begin this week’s episode with a letter received from a listener, Muhammad Ibrahim from Egypt. He sent a message asking: What is the Islamic legal ruling, in your view, Your Eminence, regarding birth control for a temporary period without an urgent necessity, other than the woman simply wanting to rest from the exhaustion of annual pregnancies? He also asks about the claim made by the enemies of Islam regarding the population explosion.
Answer:
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds. I send peace and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, his companions, and those who follow them in righteousness until the Day of Judgment.
This is an important question. The enemies of the Muslims have deceived the Muslims regarding the increase in offspring; they have deluded them into believing that a high birth rate leads to economic hardship and crises for both governments and individuals. It is well known that such things—meaning economic hardship and crises—cause chaos and disparity among people. They depict a high birth rate in a terrifying and horrifying manner, and those with weak souls and weak faith are led to believe that this is a necessary form of regulation.
However, if a person possessed strong faith and trust (in Allah), they would know that Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He, does not create a soul except that He has guaranteed its provision, as Allah, Exalted is He, says: ‘And no moving (living) creature is there on earth but its provision is due from Allâh. And He knows its dwelling place and its deposit (in the uterus, grave).’ [Hud 11:6].
And He, the Exalted, says: **‘And kill not your children for fear of poverty. We shall provide for them as well as for you. Surely, the killing of them is a great sin.’ [Al-Isra’ 17:31].
And He, the Exalted, also says: ‘kill not your children because of poverty - We provide sustenance for you and for them’ [Al-An’am 6:151].
When the believer knows that an abundance of offspring is a cause for an abundance of provision—because when a nation increases in number, it becomes a source of wealth for itself and a reason for its self-sufficiency from others—this becomes clear. For this reason, Allah, Mighty and Majestic, reminded the Children of Israel of His favor by increasing their manpower, saying: ‘And [We] made you more numerous in manpower.’ [Al-Isra’ 17:6].
Similarly, Shu’ayb reminded his people of this, saying: ‘And remember when you were few and He increased you.’ [Al-A’raf 7:86].
And it was authentically reported from the Prophet ﷺ that he said: ‘Marry the loving and the fertile’ — and the ‘fertile’ refers to one who bears many children. The more the Islamic nation increases in number, the more it becomes a source of honor and a reason for its prestige among nations, as well as a means for its self-sufficiency from others, as is evident and well-known.
Based on this, what a person should do is strive for an abundance of children—I address both the man and the woman in this regard—and they should not attempt to limit the number of children. As for what the questioner mentioned regarding birth spacing (family planning), the truth is: it is possible for a person to space their children so that the woman’s births occur every other year—meaning a year for birth and a year without. However, the reality is that this matter is not entirely up to the human being; a person might attempt this regulation, [but Allah’s will prevails].
But the desired goal may not be achieved through it; pregnancy might be delayed in the year they actually wish to conceive, or the children they already have might pass away. If the children die, and Allah, Mighty and Majestic, does not will for the woman to conceive again after that, she would be left childless.
Yes, if we assume the woman is [physically] capable of this but cannot handle bearing a child every year except with extraordinary hardship, then this is a justification for her to space her pregnancies. Even so, this must only be done with the husband’s permission. If the husband forbids it, he has the right to do so. Conversely, if the husband asks her to use contraceptives, she is not obligated to comply. This is because each spouse has a right to a child.
For this reason, the people of knowledge have stated: It is forbidden for a man to practice ‘azl (coitus interruptus: contraceptive withdrawal) with his free wife except with her permission. This means she has a [legal] right to a child. Similarly, according to the most correct opinion, if it becomes clear that the husband is infertile, the wife has the right to seek a separation, because she has a right to a child.
As for what the questioner mentioned regarding the claims of the enemies of Islam—about a ‘population explosion’ or ‘population inflation’ and the like—this is, as I indicated at the beginning of the answer, a manipulation of the matter by the enemies of Islam against the Muslims.
It is obligatory for the Muslim not to be deceived by them and their exaggerations, and to know that they are as Allah described them: ‘O you who believe! Take not My enemies and your enemies (i.e. disbelievers and polytheists) as friends…‘ [Al-Mumtahanah 60:1].
The disbeliever is an enemy to the Muslim, regardless of time or place. Therefore, the believer must not adopt anything from them, and should know that if the disbeliever does something that appears to be in the interest of Muslims, he only does so to gain even greater benefits for himself.