Is it permissible for a woman to take contraceptives if doing so causes her harm?

The questioner : When a woman becomes pregnant, some women suffer from anemia, and they also develop a condition called "al-Dawawi" disease, and they experience continuous headaches when pregnant. Is it permissible for her to take contraceptives, or is it permissible for her husband to practice coitus interruptus in this case?

The Shaykh : The original ruling on coitus interruptus was not based on a compelling necessity; rather, it was out of fear of poverty or to escape the responsibilities of Islamic upbringing, so it is permissible with disapproval... And this is, of course, before the soul is breathed in. If there is a legitimate legal cause, such as what you mentioned, along with the necessary details—which I may return to later—then this disapproval is removed. However, I want to mention two things. The first is that any woman, in any pregnancy, is not engaged in a leisurely pastime; rather, our Lord, Mighty and Majestic, indicated in the Noble Qur'an that she carries it with hardship upon hardship. In this difficulty lies the nature of pregnant women, so it is not permissible for the Muslim woman to seek relief from such disliked matters, because behind them lies a great reward, as we previously explained regarding the virtue of one who raises a child or one who is patient with the death of a child. Now we remind you of his saying, peace and blessings be upon him, and this is the nature of life, whether for women or men: So if she wants to enter Paradise, know that Paradise is surrounded by hardships, and among these hardships is enduring the difficulty of pregnancy, just as a man endures the difficulty of work, striving to provide for his family.