What is the ruling on a woman taking birth control pills until her child is weaned?
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The questioner : In the name of Allah, all praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah:
O Shaykh, this is a question: Some women say, "I want to take birth control pills until my child is weaned." Is there any prohibition for me in doing so?
The Shaykh : First: May Allah reward you. I have been informed by several doctors that birth control pills are harmful. Even if we did not know this from the doctors, we know it from ourselves, because preventing the natural thing that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) created and decreed for the daughters of Adam is undoubtedly harmful. Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is Wise; He did not cause this blood to be released by the veins at a specific time in a specific manner except for a wise purpose. Therefore, preventing it with these medications is undoubtedly harmful. However, I have been informed that the matter is worse than we imagine, and that it may be a cause of uterine damage, a cause of birth defects in the fetus, and a cause of nervous system diseases. All of this necessitates caution. There are other methods of contraception that are easier than this. But the second point, or the second level, is: Is it recommended that we reduce the number of children?
The answer is no. The more offspring there are, the better it is, especially since we are now in a time when it is obligatory for us to increase the offspring of the Salafi community so that the people increase. The world is not a place of luxury. One fears the luxury that contradicts the Shari'ah, lest it be said of him on the Day of Resurrection:[Al-Waqi'ah 56:45]. Do not think that everything in the world is comfort. The world is a temporary enjoyment, and a woman must inevitably be weary, [Al-Ahqaf 46:15], [Luqman 31:14]. So I do not see that we should ever reduce the number of offspring. Rather, we should be patient and seek reward, and Allah (Mighty and Majestic) helps a person according to his means.
But sometimes a woman is ill and cannot bear pregnancy every year. In that case, there is nothing wrong with preventing pregnancy every year, either through coitus interruptus, which the Companions practiced, or through another method by consulting doctors.
Also, a woman must not use anything to prevent pregnancy absolutely without her husband's consent, because the husband has a right to children. Yes, and it is our custom that when the adhan is called, we conclude the session. May our brothers who were unable to ask their questions forgive us, and perhaps the questions that were asked contain good, if Allah wills.
Also, we prefer to be detailed in the answer, because I consider that the answer in this place is not just for those present in this place; it is for them and for others. I love for the answer to be detailed so that a student of knowledge may benefit from it.
O Shaykh, this is a question: Some women say, "I want to take birth control pills until my child is weaned." Is there any prohibition for me in doing so?
The Shaykh : First: May Allah reward you. I have been informed by several doctors that birth control pills are harmful. Even if we did not know this from the doctors, we know it from ourselves, because preventing the natural thing that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) created and decreed for the daughters of Adam is undoubtedly harmful. Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is Wise; He did not cause this blood to be released by the veins at a specific time in a specific manner except for a wise purpose. Therefore, preventing it with these medications is undoubtedly harmful. However, I have been informed that the matter is worse than we imagine, and that it may be a cause of uterine damage, a cause of birth defects in the fetus, and a cause of nervous system diseases. All of this necessitates caution. There are other methods of contraception that are easier than this. But the second point, or the second level, is: Is it recommended that we reduce the number of children?
The answer is no. The more offspring there are, the better it is, especially since we are now in a time when it is obligatory for us to increase the offspring of the Salafi community so that the people increase. The world is not a place of luxury. One fears the luxury that contradicts the Shari'ah, lest it be said of him on the Day of Resurrection:
Indeed they were, before that, indulging in affluence,
إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ مُتْرَفِينَHis mother carried him with hardship and gave birth to him with hardship
حَمَلَتْهُ أُمُّهُ كُرْهاً وَوَضَعَتْهُ كُرْهاًHis mother carried him, [increasing her] in weakness upon weakness
حَمَلَتْهُ أُمُّهُ وَهْناً عَلَى وَهْنٍBut sometimes a woman is ill and cannot bear pregnancy every year. In that case, there is nothing wrong with preventing pregnancy every year, either through coitus interruptus, which the Companions practiced, or through another method by consulting doctors.
Also, a woman must not use anything to prevent pregnancy absolutely without her husband's consent, because the husband has a right to children. Yes, and it is our custom that when the adhan is called, we conclude the session. May our brothers who were unable to ask their questions forgive us, and perhaps the questions that were asked contain good, if Allah wills.
Also, we prefer to be detailed in the answer, because I consider that the answer in this place is not just for those present in this place; it is for them and for others. I love for the answer to be detailed so that a student of knowledge may benefit from it.