Tahddi Al-Nasl (Birth Control) In Islam

Tahddi al-nasl means family planning. Planning is required in everything, be it concrete, sentimental, economical, social or intellectual. God declares in the Koran: "All things have We created after a fixed decree." (54:49) Similarly, the term "family" has a broad and deep meaning. The family is the first brick or unit in the social structure.  To build up a family, it requires planning and providence for the number of one’s offspring.

The Koran enjoins us to have children, but at the same time warns us that children must be good and righteous.  It directs us to pray to God, to give us good, honorable offspring, of an exalted position and of lofty ideals.  However, when we pray to God to grant us this blessing, we must first examine our means and capacity for their sustenance.

What the child strongly hopes to get and what arouses his joy are the parents’ affection and tenderness of heart.  When the family has only one child for instance, the problem of equality does not arise.  But when the family has several children, then the different sort of problems for the parents arise, namely the maintenance of equitable and equal treatment of children, without favourism or prejudice.  Some parents commit a great mistake when they show special favor and regard to one of the children. 

Such discrimination may give rise to many psychological and emotional complexes among the children, such as the complex of inferiority. The Prophet is reported to have marked one man who had two children and who preferred to kiss only one of them. The Prophet said to him: "Will you not strike balance between them?"  The Prophet further said: "Be fair in dealing with your children just as you would like them to be fair in dealing with you."

The Muslim world today is suffering not from a lack of people, but from a lack of great and able men. Though the early Muslims were few in number, they were able to conquer the world and spread the message of Islam.  Now the wheel has taken reverse direction and the need now is not just to multiply, but to bring up this multiplicity in a proper, orderly and healthy manner. There are one billion Muslims in the world, constituting 20% of the world population.  It means that one of every five persons is a Muslim in the world. There are 40 countries having more than 50% Muslims, and 7 countries with 25% to 49% Muslim population. These Muslims are combating the recent challenges of poverty and illiteracy due to many reasons, one notable being the high rate of birth. That is why, the majority of the Muslim countries (about 27 countries) have recognized and registered the Family Planning Association, affiliated with International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF). 

In addition, if we could project ourselves into the future and look at the world in which our descendants will have to live, a most dreadful picture would appear. The world population in 1980 was 4.4 billion. It has been estimated that it will grow by another 1.7 billion by the end of this century.  The world population is also expected to reach 8.2 billion in the year 2025 A.D. Each day the human race increases by 88,000, nearly the number of Wembley Stadium football crowd, and in a single year it increases by thirty-four million or two thirds of the entire population of Britain.

Margaret Sanger of United States first coined the term birth control in the year 1914. Thereafter, it generated synonyms, such as family planning, Planned Parenthood, responsible parenthood, voluntary parenthood, contraception, fertility regulation and fertility control.

The question is often asked: "is birth control (tahdid al-nasl) permitted in Islam?" A great many of the Muslim jurists have allowed family planning that was known in the time of the Prophet as azl (coitus interruptus).  Contraception as practiced by the Arabs in early Islam was practically confined to two methods: (1) azl, to avert pregnancy, and (2) iskal, which was intercourse without withdrawal, and a variant of azl.

The first point is that the Koran does not permit nor prohibit family planning, which can be explained by the very fact that in the early days of Islam, this issue did not assume proportions of such a degree. The Koran says: "... And has not laid upon you any hardship in religion" (22:78).

By hardship is meant distress because of too heavy a burden, God also says: "God desires ease for you, and He does not desire for you difficulty". (2:185), "cast not yourselves with your own hands into ruin: (2:195) and  "Surely! He does not love those who exceed"(7:31).

The Prophet is reported to have said:  "This religion is firm, therefore go into it gently." And also: "The religion of Islam is free from narrow restriction; anybody who tries to be very strict in matters of religion must
have his own purpose defeated."

There are however certain Koranic verses guiding us to solve this important issue. The Koran says:  "And if you apprehend that you cannot act equitably towards orphans, then marry such women as seem good to you, two or three or four, but if you apprehend you will not do justice (to so many), then (marry) only one or what your right hands possess.  Thus it is more likely that you will not do injustice" (4:3).

The word au or al-aul in the above verse is used for everything, which burdens man. The word aul literally means "to do justice by grabbing what is in excess of one’s right." Thus the words zalika adna al la t’aoulu means "from this you will be saved from injustice" which has been also interpreted by Imam Shafi’i according to al-Azhari that "you may not have many children." It is well known among the Arabs that aala y’aoulu means to commit excess or injustice, while the word aala y’aeelu means "the abundance of offspring".  But Kissai says that aala y’aoula means to become a pauper. The eloquent among the Arabs used the words aala y’aoulu encompassed by the meaning of many children, vide Lisan al-Arab, on the root of aul. Imam Shafi’i further maintains that the phrase "this will make justice on your part easier" (an la ta’ulu) implies a warning against the multiplicity of children. He explains the whole Koranic verse thus: "If you are afraid that the number of you family will be many, then limit yourself to one wife.  This will banish multiplicity of children." This explanation of Imam Shafi’i is reported verbatim by Ibn Arabi in his Ahkam al-Koran  (1:314).

Tabari (d. 923) in his Tarikh ar Rusul wa’l-Muluk (3:161) reproduced the opinion of Ibn Zaid that the word al la ta’ulu means ahwana alaik fil ayaal i.e. "do not add to you dependents." Suyuti (d. 1505) in his Dhur-e-Manthur (2:119) also quoted the opinion of Zaid bin Aslam in these words zalika adna al la yaksiru min t’aoulu i.e. "then the number of such persons may not increase who may be your dependents". Zamakhshari (d.1144), Qurtubi (d 1272), Abi Barket Nasafi (d. 1310), Ibn al-Hayyan (d. 1345), Baidawi (d. 1388), Imam Sherbini (d. 1569), Abi as-Saud (d. 1574) etc. have held similar interpretations to support family planning in Islam.

Ibn Sina (980-1037) writes in his al-Qanun fi’t-Tibb (p.286) that "blood in the mother’s breast is converted into milk.  This is beneficial for the baby and more attractive and acceptable to its constitution." The mother’s milk is the natural food, which contains, in its initial period, colostrum.  It is a natural substance helping the child to grow as it contains rich doses of Vitamin A.  The newborn child is usually exposed to the infection of the lungs and throat, developing pneumonia or diphtheria.

Medical experts hold that if a child gets colostrum in sufficient quantity, he develops resistance to deadly infections.  If a mother suckles a  child and becomes pregnant after some months, her milk becomes possibly harmful for the infant.

Hence, at one year of age the average infant weighs 21 pounds, and requires 945 calories daily; at 18 months, 24 pounds requiring 1060 calories; and at two years 26½ pounds, 1193 calories per day.

The following table gives the composition of mother’s milk at varying periods of lactation as observed by Holt, Courtney and Fales:

In percentage:
                                    Fat       Carbohydrate      Protein      Minerals

Colostrum  (1-12 days) 2.83               7.59            2.25               0.307

Transition period (12-30 days)4.37      7.74            1.56               0.240

Mature milk   (1-9 days)        3.26       7.50           1.15               0.206

Late milk   (10-20 days)        3.16       7.47           1.07               0.197

This recent observation suggests that a newly born child must be suckled for about two years, so that the child may get sufficient natural foods; and during this period, the next pregnancy for the mother is not advisable.  This modern examination has been foretold in Islam as under:

It is reported by Asma bint Yazid bin al-Sakan that she heard the Prophet say: "The suckling of the milk of a pregnant woman by a child is detrimental to its health.  On the part of the parents it almost amounts to killing their child."

The same tradition is related by Abu Daud on the authority of Asma bint Zaid in these words: "Do not kill your children under false pretenses, for ghail (the milk of the mother who gets pregnant while still suckling a baby) gets hold of the rider and throws him off his horse." It implies that a man must not get his wife pregnant while she is suckling a baby, for the latter will grow weak as a result, and the weakness will endure till manhood.

Shawakani writes in Nayl al-Awtar that: "The reason for practicing azl is to take pity on the suckling baby for fear of the mother getting pregnant while still suckling, and to escape having too many children."

The full period of lactation is two years as prescribed by the Koran: "And the mothers should suckle their children for two whole years for him who desires to make complete the time of suckling." (2:233) This means that an intervening space of about three years should elapse between one pregnancy and another; a period in which the mother will have sufficient rest in which to recuperate. According to medical experts there is a kind of disease in the milk of the pregnant mothers, which thwarts the proper growth of a child.  Such children grow weak and feeble and this weakness continues till old age.  The statistics revealed in the report from U.S. (1973) that about 70% of selective services mental rejectees came from families of four children or more, who did not practice birth spacing.  (Journal of Marriage and the Family, USA, November, 1974, p. 471)

Let us discuss the prophetic traditions, which are believed to mean the prohibition of family planning.  One of them relates:  "Marry among yourselves and multiply for I shall make a display of you before other nations on the Day of Judgment." Those who oppose family planning quote this tradition to mean that begetting many children is the prime objective of marriage and the Prophet will make a display of us on Judgment Day on the strength of our multiplicity.

Bearing in mind, the actual conditions in which we live today, the interpretation of the term make a display is not only the quantity but also the quality of the progeny. According to the Koran "(God)... has created death and life to prove which of you will be most righteous in deed." (67:2)  It implies the purpose of the creation of man, and it can only be achieved if there is a sound mind in a sound body.  The Prophet, as related by Abu Huraira, has emphasized this significant point when he said that the "strong believer" (al-mu’min al-qawi) is preferred by God to the weak believer.

This Islamic teaching requires that every Muslim child should be properly brought up.  In fact, the Prophet would not be proud of such a majority composed of semi-starved weaklings, diseased persons and ignorant men and women. The Prophet is also reported to have said: "Poverty is next to disbelief" and thus this disbelief assumes greater proportions in so far as  the individual  is more conscious of his poverty and his increasing needs cropping up from day to day.

It is unbelievable that the Prophet would be proud of a feeble, sickly, ignorant and backward population.  The Koran says: "Say: the evil and good shall not be valued alike, even though the abundance of evil please you". (5:100) It is therefore necessary to derive real sense from the above tradition before refuting an explicit notion of the family planning. The Prophet would be proud to see his ummah educated and healthy, not merely reproducing limitlessly.  The following Koranic verses will certainly open our minds to this matter.

"Wealth and children are the adornment of this present life, but good works, which are lasting, are better in the sight of thy Lord as to recompense, and better as to hope." (18:46), "Neither by your riches nor by your children shall you bring yourselves into nearness with Us."(34:37) and "O our Lord! give us in our wives and offspring the joy of our eyes, and make us examples to those who fear Thee." (25:74)

The term family planning or birth-control was not in use in early Islam.  Muslims had considered the use of ways to prevent unwanted pregnancies and sanctioned the  method then commonly known as al-azl or coitus interruptus.  The word azl means "separation," denoting the separation of sperm from the ovum.

It is reported by Jabir bin Abdullah that a man asked the Prophet about sexual intercourse with a slave girl whom did not want to get pregnant. The Prophet replied: "Practise azl with her if you wish.  What is preordained for her will certainly befall her." (Bukhari, 67:97, Masnad, 3:51 and Abu Daud, 1:338). It is also related by Ishaq from Sufyan, Ammar from Atta that Jabir bin Abdullah reports: "We used to practise azl during the time of Prophet while the Koran was being revealed."  (Bukhari, 67:97, Masnad, 3:80 and al-Muslim, 2:1065).

If azl had been truly contrary to the laws of religion, the very Koranic verse would have been revealed to forbid the practice.  Since this did not happen, the clear and sharp indication is that it was permissible. Ishaq further relates Sufyan as saying: "If this were something to be prohibited, the Koran would have prohibited us (to practice azl)," vide al-Muslim (4:158).

Ibn al-Qayyim (1291-1351) writes in his I’lam al-Muwaqqi that "There is no doubt that the traditions reported by Jabir bin Abdullah are explicit and authentic as regards the permissibility of azl." Shah Abdul Aziz (1746-1864) in his famous commentary of the Koran writes: "Azl is justified on the strength of authentic and well-known utterances of the Prophet."

Usama bin Zaid relates that a man came to the Prophet and said: "I practise azl with my wife." The Prophet asked: "Why do you do that?" The man replied: "Out of consideration for her child."  The Prophet said: "If it were harmful, it would have harmed the Persians and Byzantines.” (Masnad, 5:203 and al-Muslim, 10:17). In Abu Daud’s Sunan, it is narrated by Abu Huraira that the Prophet said: "azl is not to be practised with a woman without her consent."  Abu Sa’id relates: "We set forth with the Prophet on the raid against Banu Mustaliq, and we were in favor of azl then. We asked the Prophet about it, to which he said that there was no reason why we should not do it.  God had written down everything to be created till the day to judgment."

The uncertainty occasioned by the tradition about azl is reported by Judama bint Wahab al-Asad, which is quoted by Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal and in al-Muslim; expressing azl as an act of infanticide in disguise (wa’d ul khafiyy).  This tradition is the basis of those who oppose family planning.  The words al wa’d ul khafiyy have also a reference to the Koranic verse wa izal maoudato soailat i.e., "and when the one buried alive is asked" (81:9). The above tradition of Judama is held by many theologians as unreliable and weak, and has not been recorded by Abu Daud, Tirmizi, Ibn Majah and Nissai. Tahawi considers the report of Judama as abrogated in his Sharu Ma’ani ul-Aasar.  It must be remembered that two main elements are regulated in infanticide (al wa’d): first, the intention to act, and secondly the action itself.  But in azl, only the intention is regulated.

This is the opinion of Ibn al-Qayyim in his Zad al-Ma’ad to refute azl being an act of infanticide.

Jabir is reported by Ibn Thawban to have said: "We asked: "O Apostle of God!  We used to practise azl, but the Jews claimed that azl is small infanticide." The Prophet said: "The jews lied. If God wishes to create him, nothing would stop Him from that." (Tirmizi, 5:74 and al-Baihaqi’s al-Sunna al Kubra, 2:270).

Rufah bin Rafi reported that a group of companions including Ali bin Abu Talib, Zubair bin Awwam and Sa’d bin Abi Waqas were in the company of Umar discussing azl when Ali said: "There is nothing against it." One of those present said: "They claim that it is a minor infanticide (al wa’d ul khafiyy)." Ali said: "It cannot be regarded as infant murder (wa’d) except after the seven stages of foetal development have been passed through: first, when it is like a dab of wet earth (sulal), then like a drop (nutfa), then like a clot (alaqa), then like a lump (mudgha), then bones (azzama), then flesh (lahm) and finally a new creature (khalaqan akhar) of another make." Hearing it, Umar turned to Ali and said: "You are right, may you live long," (vide, Sharu Ma’ani ul-Aasai by Tahawi, 2:21).

Ali bin Abu Talib derived the concept of the seven stages from Koran that: "And certainly We created man of an extract of clay; then We made him a life-germ in a firm resting place; then We made the life-germ a clot, then We made the clot a lump of flesh; then We made the lump of flesh into bones, We clothed the bones, with flesh, then We caused it to grow into another creation." (23:12-14) It is crystal clear that azl is not infanticide. Ghazalli’s explanation is also scientific, saying, "Azl is neither like abortion nor like infanticide. The principal cause of existence is the injection of the sperm into the uterus and not its availability in the male’s organ. The child is created not of the sperm of the man alone. The woman’s ovum is an equally essential factor in the formation of the human being."

Imam al-Shawkani in his Nail al-Awtar writes: "There was no disagreement among the jurists about the lawfulness and the permissibility of azl. The testimony attesting its permissibility has been traced back to ten of the Companions, namely Ali bin Abi Talib, Sa’d Abu Ayyub, Zaid bin Thabit, Jabir, Ibn Abbas, Hasan bin Ali, Khabbab, Abu Sa’id al-Khudri and Ibn Masud."  Kamal bin al-Humam, writes in his commentary on Fath al-Qadir that: "The religious scholars as a whole hold azl to be allowed. Some of them hold it in disfavour because of Judama’s tradition. The correct thing is that it is allowed." He then quotes the traditions dealing with azl and says: "It can clearly be seen that these traditions permit azl. Ten companions of the Prophet are reported to have approved of it." Ibn Qudama al-Hanbali in al-Mughni also writes that the view permitting azl was held by ten of the Companions of the Prophet.

Some Companions like Ibn Abbas, Abdullah bin Umar and Zaid bin Thabit also justify the practice of azl on the basis of the Koranic verse: "Your wives are a tilth for you (to cultivate), so go into your tilth when you
desire" (2:223) Zaid bin Thabit was questioned about the lawfulness of azl and he interpreted the Koranic words anna sheitum (when you desire) as meaning: "If you wish you may saturate her or keep her thirsty" (at the end of azl), vide Dhur-e-Manthur (2:221). According to Kitab ul-Aasar (p. 170) by Imam Sherbini, Abu Zarah related from Ibn Umar that he was asked about the verse "your wives are a tilth for you, so go into your tilth" and he replied: "If you want to practise azl, you may do so.  If you do not want to practise it, do not do so."

Ibn Abi al-Hadid mentions in his Sharh Nahj al-Balagha (Beirut, 1964, 5:340) that "Fewness of children with poverty is the same as real affluence with too many of them."  Ibn Abi al-Hadid put his view as a comment to the words of Ali who said: "A small family is one of two cases of ease." Ghazalli writes in Ihya al-Din (4:52) that, "Imam Shafi’i says: Scholars in the four schools have disagreed as regards whether azl is allowed or disfavoured.  As we see it, the correct (opinion) is that it is permissible."

The Hanafite school permits azl. They however differ on the question of whether the practice of azl does or does not require the wife’s approval. Kamil bin al-Humam writes in his commentary on Fath al-Qadir that "The religious schools as whole hold azl to be allowed. Imam Jafar also sanctioned azl provided the wife agrees to it in a general way, vide Kitab al-Rawda al-Bhaiyya (2:68). The Ismailis follow the example of the Shi’ite in the matter of azl. According to Daim al-Islam (2: 210), "The Prophet only forbade the practice of azl with free-born a woman without her consent."

The Ibadite sect, the followers of Abdullah bin Ibad al-Tamimi, mostly are found in Oman and North Africa has approved practice of azl, vide, Nazrat al-Islam ila Tahdid al-Nasl by M.S. Mudkur.

Azl was a common practice among the Arabs when the Muslims were in
small number. When they spread in the world with the change of time, the Arab physicians recommended different methods, remedies and medicines.  According to Frank W. Notestein in Economic Problems of Population Change (London, 1953), "the contraceptive recipes came almost wholly from the Arabs." The Muslim physicians of the Middle Ages recommended both the condom and forerunners of modern vaginal suppositories and the diaphragm. The medical texts of the Muslims since the 10th century have included treatises on contraception, and described different methods to prevent pregnancy, notably al-Razi (d. 929).  Ali ibn Abbas (d. 994), Abu Ali Sina (d. 1037), al-Jurjani (d. 1135), Ibn  Jami (12th century), Ibn al-Baytar (d. 1248) etc. Abu Bakr al-Razi, the greatest Muslim physician had advised the women "to place some medicaments at the opening of the uterus" (Nawal al-Sa’adwi, tr. by Dr. Sherif Hetata, London ,1980).

Abu Ali Sina, the renowned physician has described twenty various methods of contraception including condom made out of animal gut.  His famous work al-Qanun fi’t Tibb (2:579) gives rich details in this regard. Ali ibn Abbas of Iran gave seven prescriptions in his book Kitab al-Malaki, five are female tampons and two are methods to be applied by man to prevent pregnancy. Habatullah Ibn Jumail al-Israeli (d. 1198) in his famous book Kitab al-irshad li-masalih al-anfus wa al-ajsad has suggested twenty short ways of contraception. Abul Hasan al-Tabib (d. 1101) in Kitab Khalaq al-insan gave a longer treatment of birth control.  His work was admired by the Abbasid caliph Muqtadi (1075-94). Ibn al-Baytar (d. 1248) in his al-Jami li’murradat al-Adwiya wa al-Agdhiya provided valuable information and suggested some twenty drugs and prescription for contraception. Nasiruddin Tusi writes in al-Nihaya fi mujarrad al-fiqah wa al-Fatwa (p. 492) that: "The man is permitted to practise withdrawal to prevent pregnancy."

For illustration, the recommendation of Abu Bakr al-Razi (d. 929) regarding contraceptive methods is worth-noting. In the 24th chapter of his work al-Hawi, he writes, "Occasionally it is very important that the semen should not enter the womb, as for instance when there is danger to the woman in pregnancy, or, if it has entered, that it should come out again. There are several ways of preventing its entrance.  The first is that at the time of ejaculation the man withdraws from the woman, so that the semen does not approach the uterus. The second way is to prevent ejaculation, a method practised by some. A third method is to apply to the uterus before introgression some drugs which blocks the uterine aperture or which expels the semen and prevents conception, such as pills or suppositories of cabbage, colocynth pulp, bryony, iron scoria, tamarisk dew, pitch, ox gall, inner skin of a pomegranate, animal’s ear wax, elephant’s dung,
scammony and whitewash.  These may be used alone or in combination."

The Paris Match (December 15, 1994, pp. 82-87) covered an article Karim Aga Khan: l’Imam au coeur d’or with an interview of the Present Imam. Caroline Pigozzi and Jean-Claude Deutsch conducted the interview. In the interview, the Imam was asked, “Has your role as a spiritual leader led you to touch on the delicate question of birth control?” The Imam said, “We try to give families, through education and health care, the means to make the right choice. in the third world, where demographic growth is by far one of the most important issues, the people must themselves, whether the new generations should take upon themselves the right to impose poverty on their children.”

Mumtaz Ali Tajddin S. Ali is an popular author, He has written many books on history and culture of islam and ismailism, Tahddi Al-Nasl is an article taken from his popular book Encyclopedia of Ismailism, must read about Shia Imami Nizari Ismaili Muslims, Ismaili Imams, Ismaili Culture and Tradition.

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