The Use of Birth Control Pills and the Words of the Shaykh al-Islam on the Matter

Question:
He says: Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. I used to prevent my wife from taking birth control pills. When I learned that the issue is a matter of scholarly disagreement, and I read the words of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah on this topic, and his permission regarding it, I left it and did not prevent her. The question is: Is my action permissible, or is it obligatory for me to compel her to stop taking these pills, even if the issue is a matter of scholarly disagreement?

Answer:
I do not know that Shaykh al-Islam permitted it. First, the pills did not exist in the time of Shaykh al-Islam; they did not exist in the time of Shaykh al-Islam. Second, preventing pregnancy is not for the sake of comfort or for the dislike of pregnancy. Rather, pregnancy is prevented or delayed in cases of dire necessity, if the woman is ill, so that what delays pregnancy is taken until she recovers and her body becomes strong. And pregnancy is prevented if there is a danger of death to her, so pregnancy is prevented. As for merely playing with these matters, this is not permissible.