Addendum to the benefits of the hadith: (I intended to prohibit coitus interruptus, but I looked at the Romans and the Persians...)
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The Shaykh : Among the benefits of this hadith is that people are equal by nature and disposition, whether they are Muslim or disbeliever.
However, regarding voluntary moral character, people differ; the character of the believer is better than the character of the disbeliever.
But regarding natural matters that are part of human nature, the believer and the disbeliever do not differ, correct?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Where are they taken from?
This is based on comparing the state of the Muslims with the state of the Romans and the Persians in a natural matter, according to nature and disposition. It is not said that this falls under imitating the disbelievers or resembling them; rather, it is said that this falls under following the example of the disbelievers in matters that occurred to them through experience, and it is not a matter of loyalty and disavowal.
Among the benefits of this hadith is that it branches from the principle we mentioned: "The sharing of the believer and the disbeliever in what nature and disposition require." From this benefit follows, or branches from this benefit, the preference of the interpretation of the saying of Allah the Exalted: The verse is: [An-Nur 24:31] until He said: , and the exegetes differed on whether the intended meaning of "their women" is the women of the believers, or their women meaning the species, meaning the women who are of their kind?
The correct view is the second, because nature and disposition are the same in the disbelieving woman and the Muslim woman. A woman does not look at a woman as a man looks at a woman; there is no difference between the Muslim woman and the disbelieving woman. Just as a man does not look at a man as he looks at a woman; there is no difference between the Muslim man and the disbelieving man. This is according to nature and disposition: that a woman's look at a woman is not like a man's look at her. Therefore, the stronger opinion is that the intended meaning of "women" here is the species, and it is not intended to mean agreement in religion.
As for their reasoning that the disbelieving woman might describe this Muslim woman to non-Muslims, it is said: if this concern exists, looking is prohibited, even if it is between a Muslim woman and a Muslim woman. If we knew, or if it was most likely, that this Muslim woman, if she looked at this woman, would go and describe her to people as if they were looking at her, we would prevent her from uncovering herself to her. Because the ruling revolves with its cause, in existence and absence.
Among the benefits of this hadith is that it is permissible to ask about what one is shy of, in order to gain knowledge of the religion. This is due to his saying:Sahih Muslim 1442b This is a matter one is shy of, but it must be known because it relates to a religious matter. And the women used to ask the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) about things they were shyer of than this. Indeed, Umm Sulaym said: .
Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: , so a person should not leave knowledge out of shyness and bashfulness. And some of the Salaf said: "Knowledge is not attained by the shy or the arrogant."
Meaning, the shy person finds that his shyness prevents him from asking and researching, and the arrogant person finds that his arrogance prevents him. How can I ask? If I ask, they say, "This is a person who does not know," and that is a mistake.
Among the benefits of this hadith is the prohibition of coitus interruptus, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) called it infanticide, and infanticide is forbidden. Ibn Hazm and a group of scholars held this view, and they said: a person's coitus interruptus with his wife is forbidden, whether she consents or not. Because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) called it infanticide and described it as hidden, which does not lift its prohibition, but it lifts from it being the killing of a soul, because apparent infanticide is:
the killing of a soul, and there is no doubt in its prohibition.
As for this, it is hidden infanticide, and it is forbidden because it is described as infanticide, and it does not reach the degree of apparent infanticide, which is the killing of a soul, because it is described as hidden, because people do not know about it. A man comes to his wife and practices coitus interruptus, and no one knows about it. But apparent infanticide involves taking her out to the desert, digging for her, and burying her; we all know about it.
Also, this is hidden infanticide whose ruling is hidden from many people, and that is apparent infanticide whose ruling is known to many people. So it is apparent in terms of its prominence to people and its clarity, and it is apparent in terms of the knowledge of its ruling. As for this, it is hidden because it is between the man and his wife, and because its ruling is hidden from many people. For this reason, they asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) about it.
Most scholars held that coitus interruptus is permissible, but they stipulated two conditions:
The first condition is that it be by the agreement of both parties, the husband and the wife, because the wife has a right to a child. The husband may wish to practice coitus interruptus so that his wife remains like a virgin, but the wife does not wish this. In this case, it is not permissible for him to practice coitus interruptus, because the wife has a right to a child. For this reason, if it becomes clear that the husband is sterile, the correct opinion among scholars is that the woman has the right to annul the marriage, because she is deprived of what she desires from children.
The second condition is that there be no harm in it. If there is harm, either to the husband or to the wife, it is prohibited. This harm may not be possible to articulate, but the husband knows it and the wife knows it, because withdrawal before the completion of pleasure is dangerous, not for the husband or the wife. If the harm is absent and both parties agree on it, it is permissible according to the majority. But with that, they say: it is not desirable, because it contradicts what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was gathering for this nation, where he said:Sunan Abi Dawud 2050Hasan Sahih (Al-Albani) : This indicates that the desire of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) for this nation is that their offspring increase, and there is no doubt that the increase of offspring is a source of strength for the nation.
As for the saying of those who said: that the increase of offspring is a cause of economic hardship, because instead of the people of the country being one hundred, they become two hundred. Yes, the one hundred might suffice with, for example, one hundred sa' of rice per month. If they become two hundred, they need two hundred sa'. And if they increase, they need more. These people, with their bad opinion of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), may be afflicted by Allah restricting their provision. But if they have a good opinion of Allah and know that He is[Hud 11:6] , when a child is born to you, the door of provision opens for you.
A person I know told me, just now before the world opened up to us, that he was poor and was advised to marry. He said: I have nothing. They said: Marry, and Allah will provide for you. Yes, for Allah says:[An-Nur 24:33] and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) says: Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1655Hasan (Darussalam) and he mentioned among them the one who marries to preserve chastity. The important thing is he married. He says: When I married, the people who gave me money increased, and I felt embarrassed about it. Do you know what embarrassment is?
The student : What does it mean?
The Shaykh : The embarrassment is that at first, people would give a man, for example, a garment, a cloak, or something, and he would feel embarrassed about it. If he sold it, he would get a percentage, for example, in one hundred riyals. He says: So the people who gave me increased. He says: So Abdullah was born to me, his eldest child. He says: So I saw the matter increasing. Yes, so the second child was born to him. He says: So the matter increased until, what Allah willed, I became more provided for.
So if a person relies on Allah, Allah the Exalted is the one who takes care of provision. I am not the one who provides for my children; who provides for them?
Allah (Mighty and Majestic), but sincere reliance on Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) will provide for you.
The important thing is that what the pessimists who do not know Allah truly held, where they say: that the increase of children leads to economic hardship!
We say: they are afflicted with this as long as they rely on material matters, they are afflicted with this.Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2072Da'if (Darussalam) And if they had relied on Allah, they would have found that provision opens up for them as their children increase.
So we say: coitus interruptus, according to their saying that it is permissible, is not desirable, because it contradicts what the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) wanted for this nation, which is the increase of offspring.
And let it be known that it is obligatory for us to be cautious of the Christians who deliver women, whether the babies are male or female, for it has reached us that they are harsh in delivering the babies; sometimes they pull the child with such force that his arm is dislocated or his neck is crushed, or he suffers harm. Perhaps they even try to tighten the cord around his neck until he dies. Likewise, these Christians who deliver our women—and we ask Allah to keep them away from us—try to make every delivery a surgical operation, so that the woman’s belly is left perforated, and the child comes out deformed, hidden but deformed, while the belly remains perforated and unable to bear pregnancy. She might carry two or three times, and if she carries more, her belly may rupture. Yes, because they do not always perform the operation in the same place; no, that is not possible. They perform it in multiple places, so the belly remains perforated. Knowing that they could perform a natural delivery, but no, they say: cut her belly so she does not get pregnant.
So the important point is that we Muslims must be cautious of these people, and we must know that the Christians and the Jews are our enemies, no matter how much affection they display, for they are only fawning upon us to achieve their objectives from us. Otherwise, what is the bond between us and the Christians?
What is the bond between us and the Jews?
Religion? There is no religion between us and them; rather, there is hostility between us and them since the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was sent. Allah the Mighty and Majestic said:[As-Saf 61:6], and He said: [Al-Baqarah 2:89]. So there is no affection between us and the Christians, and if they fawn upon us, that is only for their interests, without doubt, not for our benefit. And anything that leads to their interests is harm to us, for their well-being and the growth of their economy are all at our expense, in reality, all at our expense, not for us.
In any case, I say: It is obligatory for us Muslims to be cautious of these people and not to allow our women to go to hospitals for delivery except in cases of extreme necessity. As for simply saying: "By Allah, I felt the contractions, so I went to the hospital to avoid pain immediately," that is not correct.
Yes, if necessity calls for it, then we go. But if the delivery is natural, hardship is inevitable; hardship is inevitable. This is a reality. How can this child come out through such a narrow place without effort?
And were it not that Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) facilitates it by His mercy and wisdom, the woman would not be able to do it at all. If natural delivery becomes difficult because the child is, for example, breech or something similar, or there is an obstruction and there is necessity, there is no harm. But for other than necessity, I see it as an error and a danger to take our women to these hospitals.
Now, among the benefits of this hadith is that attempting to prevent pregnancy, even by means other than coitus interruptus, such as hidden abortion, or perhaps something more harmful than coitus interruptus, like using contraceptive pills. These pills, doctors tell us, are very harmful; harmful to the womb, to the blood, and to the children in the future. For this reason, deformities in fetuses have increased in the present time due to the consumption of these medications. Because we know that Allah the Exalted created the body with a specific nature, so if the body is given what contradicts this nature, there is harm to the body. Leave the body and the nature with which it was created, for that is what is suitable for it.
There is also another attempt besides these pills, which is what is known as the IUD. The IUD is known among women; it is placed in the cervix so as to prevent the man’s fluid from entering the womb. This is also like coitus interruptus. In fact, I have heard some people say: This is not permissible, because it is the killing of sperm. But this is not correct, because life has not been established for sperm in the Shari'ah. Otherwise, we would say that if a man has a wet dream at night, he has killed many souls by mistake, because this fluid dries on his clothing and goes away. So sperm has no ruling of life at all, even if they are called animals, for they are not considered to have life in the Shari'ah. And this IUD, which prevents the fluid from entering the womb, is not considered killing of these animals, even if some doctors call it killing, for it is not killing in the Shari'ah.
There is a fourth attempt that some people also do.
The student : What is the ruling on the IUD, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : The ruling on the IUD is like coitus interruptus, and it is easier than the pills, and lighter than coitus interruptus, because both the man and the woman attain full pleasure. The man attains his pleasure by ejaculating in the place of ejaculation, and so does the woman. And it is easier than all of this.
Is there a fourth attempt?
The student : The fourth!
The Shaykh : In a fourth attempt? Or call it what you like, fourth, fifth, third, second, until we disagree on the number, O people? Allah is our helper. In any case, it is observed that when a person approaches his wife, he covers the organ of reproduction with a sheath, so that when ejaculation occurs, it is in this sheath. This must be reviewed by doctors to see if it causes harm or not. If it does not cause harm, then without doubt, it certainly diminishes the perfection of pleasure, because there is a difference between contact and a barrier, meaning that full pleasure is not attained at all, so it is deficient. But I do not know, does it cause harm or not? So let them refer to the doctors in this matter, for they are more knowledgeable about it than we are.
However, regarding voluntary moral character, people differ; the character of the believer is better than the character of the disbeliever.
But regarding natural matters that are part of human nature, the believer and the disbeliever do not differ, correct?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Where are they taken from?
This is based on comparing the state of the Muslims with the state of the Romans and the Persians in a natural matter, according to nature and disposition. It is not said that this falls under imitating the disbelievers or resembling them; rather, it is said that this falls under following the example of the disbelievers in matters that occurred to them through experience, and it is not a matter of loyalty and disavowal.
Among the benefits of this hadith is that it branches from the principle we mentioned: "The sharing of the believer and the disbeliever in what nature and disposition require." From this benefit follows, or branches from this benefit, the preference of the interpretation of the saying of Allah the Exalted:
Or their women
أو نسائهنAnd tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof and to wrap [a portion of] their headcovers over their chests and not expose their adornment except to their husbands
وقل للؤمنات يغضضن من أبصارهن ويحفظن فروجهن ولا يبدين زينتهن إلا ما ظهر منها وليضربن بخمرهن على جيوبهن ولا يبدين زينتهن إلا لبعولتهنOr their women
أو نسائهنThe correct view is the second, because nature and disposition are the same in the disbelieving woman and the Muslim woman. A woman does not look at a woman as a man looks at a woman; there is no difference between the Muslim woman and the disbelieving woman. Just as a man does not look at a man as he looks at a woman; there is no difference between the Muslim man and the disbelieving man. This is according to nature and disposition: that a woman's look at a woman is not like a man's look at her. Therefore, the stronger opinion is that the intended meaning of "women" here is the species, and it is not intended to mean agreement in religion.
As for their reasoning that the disbelieving woman might describe this Muslim woman to non-Muslims, it is said: if this concern exists, looking is prohibited, even if it is between a Muslim woman and a Muslim woman. If we knew, or if it was most likely, that this Muslim woman, if she looked at this woman, would go and describe her to people as if they were looking at her, we would prevent her from uncovering herself to her. Because the ruling revolves with its cause, in existence and absence.
Among the benefits of this hadith is that it is permissible to ask about what one is shy of, in order to gain knowledge of the religion. This is due to his saying:
Then they asked him about 'azl
ثم سألوه عن العزلO Messenger of Allah, if a woman sees in her dream what a man sees, is the full ritual bath obligatory upon her? He said: Yes, if she sees the fluid.
يا رسول الله المرأة ترى في منامها ما يرى الرجل فهل عليها من غُسل ؟ قال : نعم ، إذا هي رأت الماءAisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said:
What excellent women were the women of the Ansar; modesty did not prevent them from seeking knowledge of the religion.
نعم النساء نساء الأنصار لم يمنعهن الحياء أن يتفقهن في الدينMeaning, the shy person finds that his shyness prevents him from asking and researching, and the arrogant person finds that his arrogance prevents him. How can I ask? If I ask, they say, "This is a person who does not know," and that is a mistake.
Among the benefits of this hadith is the prohibition of coitus interruptus, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) called it infanticide, and infanticide is forbidden. Ibn Hazm and a group of scholars held this view, and they said: a person's coitus interruptus with his wife is forbidden, whether she consents or not. Because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) called it infanticide and described it as hidden, which does not lift its prohibition, but it lifts from it being the killing of a soul, because apparent infanticide is:
the killing of a soul, and there is no doubt in its prohibition.
As for this, it is hidden infanticide, and it is forbidden because it is described as infanticide, and it does not reach the degree of apparent infanticide, which is the killing of a soul, because it is described as hidden, because people do not know about it. A man comes to his wife and practices coitus interruptus, and no one knows about it. But apparent infanticide involves taking her out to the desert, digging for her, and burying her; we all know about it.
Also, this is hidden infanticide whose ruling is hidden from many people, and that is apparent infanticide whose ruling is known to many people. So it is apparent in terms of its prominence to people and its clarity, and it is apparent in terms of the knowledge of its ruling. As for this, it is hidden because it is between the man and his wife, and because its ruling is hidden from many people. For this reason, they asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) about it.
Most scholars held that coitus interruptus is permissible, but they stipulated two conditions:
The first condition is that it be by the agreement of both parties, the husband and the wife, because the wife has a right to a child. The husband may wish to practice coitus interruptus so that his wife remains like a virgin, but the wife does not wish this. In this case, it is not permissible for him to practice coitus interruptus, because the wife has a right to a child. For this reason, if it becomes clear that the husband is sterile, the correct opinion among scholars is that the woman has the right to annul the marriage, because she is deprived of what she desires from children.
The second condition is that there be no harm in it. If there is harm, either to the husband or to the wife, it is prohibited. This harm may not be possible to articulate, but the husband knows it and the wife knows it, because withdrawal before the completion of pleasure is dangerous, not for the husband or the wife. If the harm is absent and both parties agree on it, it is permissible according to the majority. But with that, they say: it is not desirable, because it contradicts what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was gathering for this nation, where he said:
Marry women who are loving and very prolific, for I shall outnumber the peoples by you.
تزوجوا الودود الولود فإني مكاثر بكم الأمم، أو الأنبياء يوم القيامةAs for the saying of those who said: that the increase of offspring is a cause of economic hardship, because instead of the people of the country being one hundred, they become two hundred. Yes, the one hundred might suffice with, for example, one hundred sa' of rice per month. If they become two hundred, they need two hundred sa'. And if they increase, they need more. These people, with their bad opinion of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), may be afflicted by Allah restricting their provision. But if they have a good opinion of Allah and know that He is
And there is no creature on earth but that upon Allah is its provision
وما من دابة في الأرض إلا على الله رزقهاA person I know told me, just now before the world opened up to us, that he was poor and was advised to marry. He said: I have nothing. They said: Marry, and Allah will provide for you. Yes, for Allah says:
But let them who find not [the means for] marriage abstain [from sexual relations] until Allah enriches them from His bounty.
وليستعفف الذين لا يجدون نكاحا حتى يغنيهم الله من فضلهThere are three for whom it is a right upon Allah to help him
ثلاثة حق على الله عونهمThe student : What does it mean?
The Shaykh : The embarrassment is that at first, people would give a man, for example, a garment, a cloak, or something, and he would feel embarrassed about it. If he sold it, he would get a percentage, for example, in one hundred riyals. He says: So the people who gave me increased. He says: So Abdullah was born to me, his eldest child. He says: So I saw the matter increasing. Yes, so the second child was born to him. He says: So the matter increased until, what Allah willed, I became more provided for.
So if a person relies on Allah, Allah the Exalted is the one who takes care of provision. I am not the one who provides for my children; who provides for them?
Allah (Mighty and Majestic), but sincere reliance on Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) will provide for you.
The important thing is that what the pessimists who do not know Allah truly held, where they say: that the increase of children leads to economic hardship!
We say: they are afflicted with this as long as they rely on material matters, they are afflicted with this.
Whoever hangs something, he is entrusted to it.
من تعلّق شيئا وكل إليهSo we say: coitus interruptus, according to their saying that it is permissible, is not desirable, because it contradicts what the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) wanted for this nation, which is the increase of offspring.
And let it be known that it is obligatory for us to be cautious of the Christians who deliver women, whether the babies are male or female, for it has reached us that they are harsh in delivering the babies; sometimes they pull the child with such force that his arm is dislocated or his neck is crushed, or he suffers harm. Perhaps they even try to tighten the cord around his neck until he dies. Likewise, these Christians who deliver our women—and we ask Allah to keep them away from us—try to make every delivery a surgical operation, so that the woman’s belly is left perforated, and the child comes out deformed, hidden but deformed, while the belly remains perforated and unable to bear pregnancy. She might carry two or three times, and if she carries more, her belly may rupture. Yes, because they do not always perform the operation in the same place; no, that is not possible. They perform it in multiple places, so the belly remains perforated. Knowing that they could perform a natural delivery, but no, they say: cut her belly so she does not get pregnant.
So the important point is that we Muslims must be cautious of these people, and we must know that the Christians and the Jews are our enemies, no matter how much affection they display, for they are only fawning upon us to achieve their objectives from us. Otherwise, what is the bond between us and the Christians?
What is the bond between us and the Jews?
Religion? There is no religion between us and them; rather, there is hostility between us and them since the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was sent. Allah the Mighty and Majestic said:
And [mention] when Jesus, the son of Mary, said, "O children of Israel, indeed I am the messenger of Allah to you confirming what came before me of the Torah and bringing good tidings of a messenger to come after me, whose name is Ahmad." But when he came to them with clear evidences, they said, "This is obvious magic."
وإذ قال عيسى ابن مريم يا بني إسرائيل إني رسول الله إليكم مصدقا لما بين يدي من التوراة ومبشراً برسول يأتي من بعدي اسمه أحمد فلما جاءهم بالبينات قالوا هذا سحر مبينbut [then] when there came to them that which they recognized, they disbelieved in it; so the curse of Allah will be upon the disbelievers.
فلما جاءهم ما عرفوا كفروا به فلعنة الله على الكافرينIn any case, I say: It is obligatory for us Muslims to be cautious of these people and not to allow our women to go to hospitals for delivery except in cases of extreme necessity. As for simply saying: "By Allah, I felt the contractions, so I went to the hospital to avoid pain immediately," that is not correct.
Yes, if necessity calls for it, then we go. But if the delivery is natural, hardship is inevitable; hardship is inevitable. This is a reality. How can this child come out through such a narrow place without effort?
And were it not that Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) facilitates it by His mercy and wisdom, the woman would not be able to do it at all. If natural delivery becomes difficult because the child is, for example, breech or something similar, or there is an obstruction and there is necessity, there is no harm. But for other than necessity, I see it as an error and a danger to take our women to these hospitals.
Now, among the benefits of this hadith is that attempting to prevent pregnancy, even by means other than coitus interruptus, such as hidden abortion, or perhaps something more harmful than coitus interruptus, like using contraceptive pills. These pills, doctors tell us, are very harmful; harmful to the womb, to the blood, and to the children in the future. For this reason, deformities in fetuses have increased in the present time due to the consumption of these medications. Because we know that Allah the Exalted created the body with a specific nature, so if the body is given what contradicts this nature, there is harm to the body. Leave the body and the nature with which it was created, for that is what is suitable for it.
There is also another attempt besides these pills, which is what is known as the IUD. The IUD is known among women; it is placed in the cervix so as to prevent the man’s fluid from entering the womb. This is also like coitus interruptus. In fact, I have heard some people say: This is not permissible, because it is the killing of sperm. But this is not correct, because life has not been established for sperm in the Shari'ah. Otherwise, we would say that if a man has a wet dream at night, he has killed many souls by mistake, because this fluid dries on his clothing and goes away. So sperm has no ruling of life at all, even if they are called animals, for they are not considered to have life in the Shari'ah. And this IUD, which prevents the fluid from entering the womb, is not considered killing of these animals, even if some doctors call it killing, for it is not killing in the Shari'ah.
There is a fourth attempt that some people also do.
The student : What is the ruling on the IUD, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : The ruling on the IUD is like coitus interruptus, and it is easier than the pills, and lighter than coitus interruptus, because both the man and the woman attain full pleasure. The man attains his pleasure by ejaculating in the place of ejaculation, and so does the woman. And it is easier than all of this.
Is there a fourth attempt?
The student : The fourth!
The Shaykh : In a fourth attempt? Or call it what you like, fourth, fifth, third, second, until we disagree on the number, O people? Allah is our helper. In any case, it is observed that when a person approaches his wife, he covers the organ of reproduction with a sheath, so that when ejaculation occurs, it is in this sheath. This must be reviewed by doctors to see if it causes harm or not. If it does not cause harm, then without doubt, it certainly diminishes the perfection of pleasure, because there is a difference between contact and a barrier, meaning that full pleasure is not attained at all, so it is deficient. But I do not know, does it cause harm or not? So let them refer to the doctors in this matter, for they are more knowledgeable about it than we are.