Valid Reasons for Contraception

Q: Please explain the circumstances under which contraception is allowed in Shariah.

A: Contraceptives are allowed for the following reasons:

1. When it is established through experience or expert medical advice that pregnancy will endanger the life of the mother or the foetus-to-be, or she will suffer serious complications to her health.
2. When the mother is unable to cope in the rearing of children for social or economic reasons, such as her having to go out and work for a living when the husband is invalid or not willing to earn an income.
3. When the couple live in such a remote area where they fear for the morals and Deeni upbringing of their kids.
4. Due to physical weakness or terminal illness the mother cannot rear children, and the family is not by the means to employ people for this purpose.
5. The couple intend separating in the near future, or the wife fears her husband may divorce her soon, or desert her.
6. To enable the couple to provide proper education and discipline to their offspring, contraception is used to space out pregnancies.

These are but a few reasons. Other contingencies may arise in different situations. The onus is on the couple involved to ascertain from the Ulema whether any given situation warrants permissibility of the use of contraceptives. However, resorting to contraception for fear of poverty, or to enable the wife to pursue a career, or merely because it is ‘fashionable’ to have small families, is not permissible. Further, the moment the above reasons no longer exist, use of contraception will once again become unlawful.