FAMILY PLANNING IN ISLAM CONTINUES

 THE DAILY ISLAMIC REMINDERS. Yawm al-ithnayn. 10th day of Rajab, 1445AH (Monday, 22nd January 2024).

*_FAMILY PLANNING IN ISLAM CONTINUES_*. BismilLah. 

Let's continue with our topic on family planning.

We've been reminding ourselves about this topic for the past 2 days. The questions and answers that can arise then are;

Can a Couple Limit Their Children?

Answer: During the time of the Prophet, some of his companions tried to reduce the chances of conception and pregnancy because they did not want any more children. The Prophet was aware of that. Some referred to him, while some relied on the fact that no edict was given concerning the question of preventing pregnancy. The general rule is that "everything is permissible unless pronounced otherwise. If the Prophet's companions had been doing something unacceptable to Islam, ALLAH would have either revealed a prohibition in the Qur'an or the Prophet would have given an order in a Hadith.

The fact is that the Prophet did not give such an order. Instead, when he learned from one of his companions that he resorted to contraception, the Prophet said clearly that no method of contraception would stop the creation of a child, should ALLAH will that the child be born. As such, no method of contraception can stop ALLAH'S will being fulfilled.

The method of contraception, which was known at that time, was coitus interruptus (Withdrawal). Modern methods are equally permissible, provided that they are safe and they prevent conception without any harm to any of the couple because harming yourself is haraam and maybe punished by ALLAH if you end up dying in such a situation. Sterilization of either the man or the woman is not permissible except when it is made absolutely necessary for medical reasons. Thus, if doctors determine that any pregnancy is likely to present a serious risk to the life of the mother, then sterilization may be approved. But each case must be considered separately on its own merits.

What I have said so far applies at the individual level only. A national policy of family planning that aims to reduce the population is unacceptable because it is likely to have serious repercussion on the health of the nation as a whole. *_May ALLAH keep guiding us all and protect us from any satanic influences_*. Aameen.