What is the Shariah ruling on family planning? Can temporary contraceptive means be used for spacing between children, and is permanent sterilisation permissible? In an era of inflation, can fear of straitened provision be an excuse for this?

The Noble Prophet ﷺ said: “Marry women who are loving and who bear many children, because I will boast of your large numbers against the other nations (on the Day of Resurrection)” (Sunan Abi Dawud: 2050 — Sahih). Therefore, abundance of children is in itself desired and recommended, and making contraception a habit without need is contrary to this objective.

Jabir, may Allah be pleased with him, says: “We used to practise 'azl (coitus interruptus) in the era when the Qur'an was being revealed” (Sahih Al-Bukhari: 5208; Sahih Muslim: 1440) — i.e. the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, would adopt a method of preventing pregnancy and the Noble Prophet ﷺ did not forbid them from it. By analogy with this same basis, temporary means — pills, injections, IUD, etc. — are permissible with the following conditions: (1) there is mutual consent and consultation of both husband and wife, because children are the shared right of both; (2) the woman's health is not harmed thereby; (3) the means itself is permissible (mubah); (4) a pregnancy that has already been established is not harmed. The Islamic Fiqh Council (Muslim World League) has stated these same conditions in its resolution. Shaykh Ibn Baz, may Allah have mercy on him, said that if there are many children and their good upbringing is difficult, there is no harm in using a means to space pregnancy for the purpose of upbringing (Fatawa Nur Ala Ad-Darb: 21/394). In the view of Shaykh Ibn Uthaymin, may Allah have mercy on him, contraception is in principle permissible, although it is contrary to what is preferable and better (Fatawa Nur Ala Ad-Darb: 22/2).

Fear of inflation and straitened provision cannot become a Shariah excuse. Allah Almighty says: ﴿وَلَا تَقْتُلُوا أَوْلَادَكُمْ خَشْيَةَ إِمْلَاقٍ ۖ نَحْنُ نَرْزُقُهُمْ وَإِيَّاكُمْ﴾ (Surah Al-Isra: 31), i.e. do not kill your children for fear of poverty; We provide for them and for you. And He said: ﴿وَمَا مِنْ دَابَّةٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ إِلَّا عَلَى اللَّهِ رِزْقُهَا﴾ (And there is no creature on earth but that upon Allah is its provision) (Surah Hud: 6). Allah Himself has taken responsibility for provision; trust in His promise is tawakkul. For this very reason, Al-Lajnah Ad-Da'imah has stated that preventing pregnancy due to apprehensions concerning children is not permissible; rather, trust in Allah and good expectation of Him are obligatory (Fatawa Al-Lajnah Ad-Da'imah: 18/14).

Permanently ending the reproductive capacity of a man or a woman — whether it is sterilisation or tubal ligation — is haram in Shariah, because this is a permanent change in Allah's creation and the ending of the objective of progeny. The Noble Prophet ﷺ did not give Uthman ibn Maz'un, may Allah be pleased with him, permission for monasticism and abandonment of marriage; the Companions say that if permission had been given, we would have castrated ourselves (Sahih Al-Bukhari: 5073) — from this the meaning of the prohibition of permanently cutting oneself off from reproduction becomes clear. In the resolution of the Islamic Fiqh Council as well, sterilisation without necessity has been declared haram. However, if trustworthy expert physicians decide that the next pregnancy is a serious danger to the woman's life or health and no temporary means is effective, then in this case of necessity there is scope for sterilisation; Shaykh Ibn Baz, may Allah have mercy on him, declared tubal ligation permissible in just such a case, with the husband's permission (Fatawa Al-Mar'ah Al-Muslimah: 5/978).

Maqasid note: Among the five great objectives of the Shariah, preservation of progeny (hifz al-nasl) is also included, and the abundance and strength of the Ummah are connected with it. A temporary gap for a genuine need such as upbringing and health is mercy and wisdom, but closing the door of progeny out of fear regarding provision is thinking ill of that divine promise whose responsibility the Creator Himself has taken.

Translated from the original Urdu fatwa.