WHAT DOES ISLAM SAY ABOUT FAMILY PLANNING (FP)?
Family PLANNING (FP) remains one of the most debated topic in marital issues today, no thanks to the ill-perceived ideology and antics of the west, Family planning is the practice of controlling the number of children in a family and the intervals between their births.
In their thought, they believe that “Raising” a child requires significant amounts of resources: time, social, financial, and environmental. Planning can help assure that resources are available. Although family planning helps in creating space between child and help to take control but we are it in the negative way, what I mean here in the negative way means that the drugs or the kind of planning at times damages the womb leaving a woman the inability to give birth again or distubs once health also even those that are yet to be married also engage in it so as to prevent unwanted pregnancy while doing so is a sin then when will it not lead to haram.
The institution of Marriage and the staunch desire to have children was the custom of the best of creation, the prophets and messengers chosen by Allah. Allah says about them
“And indeed We sent messengers before you and made for them wives and offspring” (al-Raad 38)
The Prophet (Peace be upon him) not only encouraged marriage but he encouraged marrying those women who are child-bearing. He stated: “marry the loving, child-bearing women for I shall have the largest numbers among the prophets on the day of Resurrection.” (Recorded by Ahmad and ibn Hibban.)
From the Islamic perspective, children are a gift and a blessing from Allah. Allah mentions some of the bounties that He has bestowed upon mankind in the following verse: “And Allah has made for you spouses of your own kind and has made for you, from your wives, sons and grandsons, and has bestowed upon you good provisions.”
(al-Nahl 72).
In other words, we can say some of single ladies also engage in family planning using contraceptives. As such, family planning in some way aids fornication (zina), but for the married once it is okay doing it irrespective that to create space and proper upbringing of children, basically when we look at the economy aspect we can say point out that most couple who engage in family planning thinks of :
1. Giving special attention to children by having fewer children or
2.Either for poverty.
there is poverty everywhere then how do we expect us to give birth to more than we can bear wen we can hardly eat that is the excuse most give but let’s think deeply into this “are we the one feeding ourselves” if not for the bountiful mercy of our Creator.
The only true provider for all mankind is Allah. If Muslims follow what Allah has prescribed for them, Allah will provide for them. Allah has warned about killing one’s children out of fear of poverty for either parents or the child. Allah says: “Kill not your children because of poverty – We provide sustenance for you and for them” (al-Anaam 151).
Even if you will engage in family planning that should be through the given Hadith: As Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with said): “We used to engage in ‘azl [coitus interruptus, a form of contraception] at the time when the Qur’an was being revealed. Narrated by al-Bukhaari (5208) and Muslim (1440). ‘Azl (coitus interruptus) means ejaculating outside the woman’s vagina in order to avoid pregnancy.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) quoted this hadith as evidence for it being permissible to space having children in order to give them a proper Islamic upbringing, when he said:
If a woman has a lot of children, and it is difficult for her to give them a proper Islamic upbringing because they are so many, then there is nothing wrong with her taking something to space her pregnancies in order to achieve this important purpose, so that pregnancy will not adversely affect her or her children, as Allah has permitted ‘azl (coitus interruptus) for this and similar purposes.
Similar measures are permissible in principle, because the Sahaabah (may Allah be pleased with them) used the method of ‘azl (coitus interruptus) during the time of the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and he did not forbid them to do that. But it is contrary to what is preferable, because having a lot of children is something that is prescribed and is desirable.The Prophet did not forbid them that, but he told them that it could not stop Allah’s work. If He wants us to create something, or in this case, if He wants a child to be born, the resort to contraception would not prevent the mother from getting pregnant.
Almost all forms of birth control are thought to be permissible in Islam. Those that are not accepted include surgical sterilization (unless it is medically necessary), as it is viewed as a form of castration as well as alters the body without need, and the
Instances when Islam permits the use of contraception include:
Allowing a woman to rest between pregnancies
Preventing the transmission of infectious disease, such as an STD
A women’s health requires the use of birth control
A husband cannot financially support more children.
from Fataawa Noor ‘ala ad-Darb by al-‘Uthaymeen (22/2)
So you may rest assured that if husband and wife decide to delay having children, that is not regarded as a sin or disobedience in principle, unless there are other considerations that have an impact on this individual or personal choice, which may be dictated by present-day circumstances:
Firstly:
If the decision to delay having children is widespread, at the societal, national or ummah-wide level, then in this case it becomes a destructive and negative choice, and in that case the ruling is that it is not allowed, because it has moved from being a permissible and natural matter to one that is imposed from without and will lead to negative consequences, and is therefore blameworthy.
Secondly:
If the motive for delaying having children is fear for their provision and livelihood, then this reflects a serious doubt concerning our belief in the will and decree of Allah and our belief in the abundant provision of Allah and that He will help those who strive to earn a living in the land. It reflects an unjustified fear of the future and a failure to produce and strive. In that case it is blameworthy and is not allowed, and there are clear fatwas that speak of it.
The session of the Islamic Fiqh Council held during its fifth conference in Kuwait, 1-6 Jumaada al-Aakhir 1409 AH/10-15 December 1988 AH.
After studying the research papers presented by council members and experts on the topic of family planning, and listening to the discussion that took place on the topic, and based on the fact that one of the aims of marriage according to Islamic teaching is to produce children and preserve the human race, and that it is not permissible to undermine this aim, because undermining it is contrary to the texts of Islam and their teachings which call for having a lot of offspring, protecting them and caring for them because protecting offspring is one of the five holistic principles that are promoted by Islamic teaching,
The council determined the following:
Firstly: it is not permissible to promulgate laws restricting the freedom of couples to have children.
Secondly: it is prohibited to completely eradicate the ability to have children in the case of either the man or the woman, which is known as sterilisation, so long as there is no necessary reason, according to Islamic standards, for doing so.
Thirdly: it is permissible to use temporary methods of birth control for the purpose of spacing pregnancies, or preventing pregnancy for a specific length of time, if there is a valid reason, according to Islamic teachings, for doing so, according to what a couple decide on the basis of mutual consultation and consent, on condition that this does not lead to any harm and that the method used is Islamically permissible and does not cause harm to any existing pregnancy.
There are fundamentally two methods of Contraception or family planning.
(1) Permanent methods
(2) Temporary methods
(1) Permanent Methods : Permanent methods include, Vasectomy in males and
Tubecotomy in females. All the scholars unanimously AGREE that permanent methods of family planning are COMPLETELY HARAAM (prohibited) since they involve changing human physiology.
Says Allah in the Qur’an: “So set you your face steadily and truly to the Faith: (Establish) Allah’s handiwork according to the pattern on which He has made humankind: no change (let there be) in the work (wrought) by Allah: that is the standard Religion: but most among mankind understand not.” (Al-Qur’an 30:30)
The Prophet (pbuh) is reported to have said: “Marry the one who is loving and fertile, for I will be proud of your great numbers before the nations [i.e., on the Day of Resurrection].” (Abu Dawood Hadith no. 2050, Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 1805).
(2) Temporary Methods:
Following are various different temporary methods.
a) M.T.P. (Medical Termination of Pregnancy) or Abortion: All scholars unanimously agree that M.T.P. or abortion is HARAAM (prohibited.)
Allah says in the Glorious Qur’an “…kill not your children on a plea of want; We provide sustenance for you and for them;” (Al-Qur’an 6:151)
“Kill not your children for fear of want: We shall provide sustenance for them as well as for you: verily the killing of them is a great sin.” (Al-Qur’an 17:31)
However, scholars unanimously agree that any permanent method of family planning, or even abortion, can be done if the life of the mother is in danger . For e.g. if the woman is suffering from certain diseases like heart disease or has under gone multiple caesarean operations and in her case the continuation of pregnancy or another pregnancy may be detrimental to her life, then the woman can be aborted or a permanent method of family planning can be adopted to save the life of the woman.
b) Taking birth control pills:
Almost all the scholars including Shaykh Ibn Baaz, Council of the Senior Scholars [of Saudi Arabia] agree that it is not allowed to take birth control pills (Fataawa al-Marah) because of its side effects and changes in the normal physiology.
c) Copper-T: A very common temporary method of family planning or contraception is Copper-T.
Though it is known as ‘contraception’ but technically it is contra-implantation . The sperm fertilizes the ovum but the zygote formed is destroyed by the Copper-T and is prevented from being implanted on the uterine wall (mother’s womb). Thus it is a very early abortion, which is prohibited in Islam.
Some “scholars” out of ignorance permit this temporary method of family planning without knowing its detail.
Allah (SWT) says in the Qur’an “…Kill not your children on a plea of want; We provide sustenance for you and for them;” (Al-Qur’an 6:151)
Allah (SWT) also mentions in the Qur’a n “Kill not your children for fear of want: We shall provide sustenance for them as well as for you: verily the killing of them is a great sin.” (Al-Qur’an 17:31).
Both these verses seems to convey the same message but on scrutiny we realize that the first verse is meant for poor parents, who fear that if one more child is born in the family neither they will be able to survive nor the child, thus Allah (SWT) says we provide sustenance for you and for them. In the other verse Allah (SWT) says We shall provide sustenance for them and as well as for you, referring to rich parents who feel that if they have less children they can concentrate on them better and give them better education and quality life. Here Allah (SWT) reverses the order and mentions first the children and then the parents.
It is a misconception that if there are fewer children you can provide better education and quality life to your child:
However, its worth notable that one never knows which child could be a blessing from the Creator for the family. It is quite possible that the child, which the parents
anticipate to be a bane, may turn out to be a boon for the family and the society. History bears witness to the fact that many of the great scientists, thinkers, and revolutionaries were not from only amongst the first two children of their parents.
Thus the child whom the parents consider unwanted may be a blessing to the family religiously and economically.
Allah (SWT) says in the Qur’an “ And they plotted and planned and Allah too planned and the best of planners is Allah (SWT)” (Al-Qur’an 3:54).
If you feel you can plan the family better, the choice is yours or else leave it to Allah (SWT) to do the best planning for your family.
Source: misssion islam
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