Question
What is the Islamic ruling regarding contraception?
What forms of contraception are allowed? Eg condoms, the pill, coil, IUD
Is the morning after pill allowed?
Answer
Temporary forms of contraception are permissible if both parties consent to using them.[1] Without consent it would be disliked (makruh) to use contraception. Certain forms of contraception maybe disliked or discouraged due to extrinsic factors such as the potential side-effects etc. Below we have highlighted the common forms of contraception.
Condoms:
It is permissible to use a condom if both parties consent.
An intrauterine device (IUD), also known as intrauterine contraceptive device or coil.
Using IUD’s as contraception, when other forms of contraception can be used, would be impermissible for the following reason:
- The IUD serves two functions. It prevents the sperm from reaching the egg and secondly, it stops a fertilised egg from implanting itself. This second scenario would be considered an early form of abortion as the egg is already fertilised. The NHS website states:
“The IUD is similar to the intrauterine system (IUS), but instead of releasing the hormone progestogen like the IUS, the IUD releases copper into the womb.”
“The copper alters the cervical mucus, which makes it more difficult for sperm to reach an egg and survive. It can also stop a fertilised egg from being able to implant itself.”
- The IUD requires the ‘awrah (nakedness) to be exposed in front of another person. The NHS website states:
“An IUD is a small, T-shaped plastic and copper device that’s put into your womb (uterus) by a doctor or nurse.”
As there are other suitable and permissible forms of contraception where one is not required to expose their nakedness, it would be disliked to opt for the IUD.
Combined oral contraceptive pill “the pill”
Using the pill is permissible but would be discouraged due to the potential side-effects it can have on the body.[2] Also, the pill may alter the menstrual cycle which can often lead to complications when working out period and purity days.
Morning after pill
In Islam contraception is permissible. By contraception we mean preventing the sperm from reaching and fertilising the ovum. If fertilisation has already taken place and the zygote is broken down or implantation is prevented then this would not come under contraception, rather it will come under the ruling of an early abortion in Islam.[3] There is some debate as to the role of the morning after pill. Many sources indicate that the morning after pill stops or delays ovulation.[4] It has also been argued that the pill has little to no effect post fertilisation which would mean that from an Islamic perspective it functions as a contraceptive and not as an abortifacient.[5] If this is the case then taking the morning after pill would be permissible subject to the conditions of contraception.
[1] البحر الرائق شرح كنز الدقائق ومنحة الخالق وتكملة الطوري (3/ 214)
وَالْإِذْنُ فِي الْعَزْلِ عَنْ الْحُرَّةِ لَهَا وَلَا يُبَاحُ بِغَيْرِهِ لِأَنَّهُ حَقُّهَا، وَفِي الْخَانِيَّةِ: ذَكَرَ فِي الْكِتَابِ أَنَّهُ لَا يُبَاحُ بِغَيْرِ إذْنِهَا وَقَالُوا فِي زَمَانِنَا يُبَاحُ لِسُوءِ الزَّمَانِ قَالَ فِي فَتْحِ الْقَدِيرِ بَعْدَهُ فَلْيُعْتَبَرْ مِثْلُهُ مِنْ الْأَعْذَارِ مُسْقِطًا لِإِذْنِهَا وَأَفَادَ وَضْعُ الْمَسْأَلَةِ أَنَّ الْعَزْلَ جَائِزٌ بِالْإِذْنِ وَهَذَا هُوَ الصَّحِيحُ عِنْدَ عَامَّةِ الْعُلَمَاءِ لِمَا فِي الْبُخَارِيِّ «عَنْ جَابِرٍ: كُنَّا نَعْزِلُ وَالْقُرْآنُ يَنْزِلُ» .
تبيين الحقائق شرح كنز الدقائق وحاشية الشلبي (2/ 166)
ثُمَّ الْعَزْلُ لَيْسَ بِمَكْرُوهٍ بِرِضَا امْرَأَتِهِ الْحُرَّةِ … لِمَا رُوِيَ عَنْ جَابِرٍ «كُنَّا نَعْزِلُ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – وَالْقُرْآنُ يُنَزَّلُ»، مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ، وَلِمُسْلِمٍ «كُنَّا نَعْزِلُ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – فَبَلَغَهُ ذَلِكَ فَلَمْ يَنْهَنَا» قَالَ جَابِرٌ لَوْ كَانَ شَيْئًا يُنْهَى عَنْهُ لَنَهَانَا الْقُرْآنُ، مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ. وَرَوَى مُسْلِمٌ أَنَّهُ – عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ – «قَالَ لِرَجُلٍ كَانَتْ لَهُ جَارِيَةٌ: اعْزِلْ عَنْهَا إنْ شِئْت فَإِنَّهُ سَيَأْتِيهَا مَا قُدِّرَ لَهَا»، وَعَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ «أَنَّ رَجُلًا أَتَى النَّبِيَّ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – فَقَالَ إنَّ لِي جَارِيَةً وَأَنَا أَعْزِلُ عَنْهَا وَأَكْرَهُ أَنْ تَحْمِلَ وَإِنَّ الْيَهُودَ تُحَدِّثُ أَنَّ الْعَزْلَ الْمَوْءُودَةُ الصُّغْرَى قَالَ كَذَبَتْ يَهُودُ لَوْ أَرَادَ اللَّهُ أَنْ يَخْلُقَهُ مَا اسْتَطَعْت أَنْ تَصْرِفَهُ» قَالُوا،
الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين (رد المحتار) (3/ 175)
(ويعزل عن الحرة) وكذا المكاتبة نهر بحثا (بإذنها)
بدائع الصنائع في ترتيب الشرائع (2/ 334)
وَيُكْرَهُ لِلزَّوْجِ أَنْ يَعْزِلَ عَنْ امْرَأَتِهِ الْحُرَّةِ بِغَيْرِ رِضَاهَا؛ لِأَنَّ الْوَطْءَ عَنْ إنْزَالٍ سَبَبٌ لِحُصُولِ الْوَلَدِ، وَلَهَا فِي الْوَلَدِ حَقٌّ، وَبِالْعَزْلِ يَفُوتُ الْوَلَدُ، فَكَأَنَّهُ سَبَبًا لِفَوَاتِ حَقِّهَا، وَإِنْ كَانَ الْعَزْلُ بِرِضَاهَا لَا يُكْرَهُ؛ لِأَنَّهَا رَضِيَتْ بِفَوَاتِ حَقِّهَا، وَلِمَا رُوِيَ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – أَنَّهُ قَالَ: «اعْزِلُوهُنَّ أَوْ لَا تَعْزِلُوهُنَّ إنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى إذَا أَرَادَ خَلْقَ نَسَمَةٍ، فَهُوَ خَالِقُهَا» إلَّا أَنَّ الْعَزْلَ حَالَ عَدَمِ الرِّضَا صَارَ مَخْصُوصً
[2] https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/contraception/combined-contraceptive-pill/
[3] Contemporary fatawa page 87
Note that abortion in other jurisdictions may be considered at a different stage such as post implantation. Hence, if the morning after pill is classified as contraception and not abortion in these jurisdictions that will not suffice.
[4] https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/contraception/emergency-contraception/
[5] Novikova, N., Weisberg, E., Stanczyk, F., Croxatto, H. and Fraser, I., 2007. Effectiveness of levonorgestrel emergency contraception given before or after ovulation — a pilot study. Contraception, 75(2), pp.112-118.
Müller, A., Llados, C. and Croxatto, H., 2003. Postcoital treatment with levonorgestrel does not disrupt postfertilization events in the rat. Contraception, 67(5), pp.415-419.
Ortiz, M., 2004. Post-coital administration of levonorgestrel does not interfere with post-fertilization events in the new-world monkey Cebus apella. Human Reproduction, 19(6), pp.1352-1356.
Noé, G., Croxatto, H., Salvatierra, A., Reyes, V., Villarroel, C., Muñoz, C., Morales, G. and Retamales, A., 2010. Contraceptive efficacy of emergency contraception with levonorgestrel given before or after ovulation. Contraception, 81(5), pp.414-420.
Answered by:
Ifta Research Fellow
Checked & Approved by:
Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera
Mufti Zubair Patel