This blog comes with parental advisement. Family planning in Islam with contain sexual terminology – how can it not? There are no diagrams and certainly no video as it was written in 1094. With that in mind we shall proceed. I have been waiting for quite some time to discuss family planning in Islam but the time was somehow not ripe. Along came an Andy Borowitz piece of satire that provides the perfect introduction as you shall soon see. It discusses cats and kittens but it is absolutely clear that the topic of discussion is women who choose not to have children. I am one of those women, and am proud of it and a role model, by the way. .
“PALM BEACH (The Borowitz Report)—The Trump campaign on Friday was scrambling to contain the damage from newly-unearthed comments by JD Vance in which he disparaged cats who choose not to have kittens. The GOP vice-presidential nominee’s blistering attack on “kittenless cats” occurred during a 2023 podcast appearance in which Vance claimed that “cats without kittens have no stake in our nation’s future.”“The kitten birthrate in the United States lags far behind that of all other industrialized nations,” Vance said. “Increasingly, female cats in the U.S. are selfishly choosing careers over kittens.”The Ohio senator painted a dire picture of an America in which female cats refuse to reproduce, warning, “Soon we will be a country overrun by mice.”
I lived in Saudi Arabia for six months. This ‘incarceration’ followed a stint of being a 3 week pilgrim (December 2022); followed by being a ripped off tourist for five weeks. (July 2023). Therefore I know what goes on in KSA – was on the ground, so to speak. I am an excellent observer, I search for the truth. KSA is in real difficulty – kids here, kids there, kids everywhere. I have never in my existence seen such gargantuan families. Saudi men and women reproduce like bunnies, at the same rate as they did when infant mortality made it absolutely necessary to have children otherwise the civilization would perish. This rampant reproduction has created a huge problem as, if I remember correctly. 70 percent of the population is under 35. Jobs must be created for young people. Ex pats are going to become a thing of the past – KSA will be forced to hire their unqualified and spoiled Saudis, not the quailed hardworking folk from countries that cannot provide for their own masses, like Bangladesh, the Philippines, India et etc etc etc.
The United States of America has reproductive problems of its own, and has had them for decades, if not always. Abortion has, and apparently always will, l tear apart any so- called unity with its endless ranting and raving on abortion. It is absolutely pathetic regressive and unbelievable the energy spent by the state and federal courts for eons trying to control the right of women to control their bodies and secure reproductive rights. Thank goodness the US has Andy Borowitz to find some humor in this – but it ain’t funny.
While living in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (my place of residence when not cavorting in KSA) found and purchased a fascinating book from a used book store, two doors away from Khrome Nail Bar. Islam in Tradition : Muslim Perspectives. The book was published in 1982, its title page will be photographed as an attachment. I gobbled down the extremely well researched, well written book. It was with wonder and amazement the chapter on Family Planning in Islam. If fertile Muslim women had read this book, KSA would not be facing the severe problems previously enumerated. Word clearly has not gotten out – think of the problems which could be solved if this Fatwah were to be followed, The Fatwa was issued by tShaykh “Abdullah al-Qaluqil, the Grand Mufti of Jordan in December 1964. Be prepared for some fascinating reading. If this impeccable logic were followed, just think of how it would change the world.
FATWAS ON SOCIAL REFORM
A fatwah is a formal legal opinion or interpretation given by a jurisconsult (muti) in response to request from a judge (quid) or an individual. Some modern Muslim governments have officially ordained fates to legitimize their reforms.
Family Planning in Islam
“In the name of God, the Merciful and The Compassionate, Fears of the world from the increase of population have assumed serious proportion everywhere, and experts have come to regard this as a portent of woe, ruination, and dire consequences. In their consideration of how the world can be protected against this towering evil and grave menace, that can be protected against this towing evil and grave menace, they have been led to think that “restriction of procreation” is one of the greatest measures. They know, however, that most people do not follow this course of action unless the ruling of religion in this respect has made clear to them. Therefore, Muslims have looked up to reliable religious divines to state to them the ruling of religion on the subject. Questions converged on us for this purpose, including questions from official sources. This is one statement on this matter.
It is acknowledged that the literal Islamic law accommodates itself to nature and to human conditions. God says: “Set thou they face then, as a true convert, towards the faith—the nature made by God in which he made men; there is no altering of God’s creation.”
One of the natural things inherent in human beings is marriage. But the purpose of marriage is procreation for the perpetuation of the species. The divine Qur’anic verse refers to that, and regards it as one of the blessings bestowed upon God’s servants, God says, “God, too, has given your wives from among yourselves and has given you sons and grandsons from your wives and supplied you with good things.” Therefore, marriage has been one of the Islamic religious ways and procreation has been one of the desirable and gratifying aims. Even the law-giver views multiplicity with favor for multiplicity implies power, influence and invulnerability. This is why, in one of the traditions of the Prophet, marriage with an affectionate prolific woman is strongly urged. The tradition says: “Marry the affectionate prolific woman, for I shall be proud of you among the nations.”
Nevertheless, the law-giver made marriage with a prolific woman and marriage for procreation conditional upon the availability of means and the ability to bear the costs of marriage and meet the expenses of child education and training, so that children may not go to the bad and develop anti-social ways. And according to the Islamic religious rule (laws change as conditions change), marriage should be disallowed if the would-be husband is incapable of meeting the expenses of married life. To this, reference is clear in the Qur’an and in the Traditions. The Qur’an says: And let those who do not find a match live in continence until God makes them free from out of his bounty.” The Tradition says: “O young men whoever of you is capable financially let him marry, and whoever is not capable, let him fast, for fasting is preventive.” From the foregoing verse and the tradition, the definite inference is that “restriction of procreation” is legal a fortieri (sic) because to stop procreation altogether is more serious than to limit it. It is a cause for much wonder that those who urge celibacy should at the same time hesitate to allow family planning.
Moreover, there are genuine traditions which allow methods for restricting procreation, such as coitus interruptus. For instance, in the two most reliable collections of traditions, Abu-Sa’id is reported to have said that in one of the raids, he and others captured a number of women, and they used to practice coitus interruptus. He also said that they asked the Prophet about that and the Prophet said: “Indeed, do that,” and repeated it three times, and continued: “No creature to be created from now till the Day of Judgment will not be created.” Another report has it that a man said to the Prophet: “I have a young wife. I hate that she should be pregnant, and I want what men want, but the Jews claim that coitus interruptus is minor infanticide.” The Prophet replied, “ The Jews lie: If God wishes to create a child, you will not be able to divert him from that.” In two reliable collections of traditions, it is stated that Muslims used to practice coitus interruptus during the life-time of the Prophet and during the period of the Qur’anic revelations, It is also reliably reported that Muslims used to practise coitus interrupts during the life-time of the Prophet, the Prophet knew of this, and he did not prohibit it,
In these genuine traditions there is definitely permission for the practice of coitus interruptus which is one of the ways of contraception or for restricting procreations, even without excuse. Permission for this practice was reported by a number of the Prophet’s Companions and companions of the Companions, as laid down in the Four Orthodox Ways. A corollary of this is the dispensation for the use of medicine for contraception, or even for abortion before the embryo or the fetus is animated. The Hanoi allow that, if for an excuse.
The jurists give examples to illustrate the meaning of the excuse for abortions, as in Ibn’-Abidin who says: “Like the mother who has a baby still unweaned and who becomes pregnant, and thus her milk ceases, and the father is unable to hire a wet-nurse to save the life of his baby.”
The justice also state that it is permissible to take medicine for abortion so long as the embryo is still unformed in the human shape. The period of this unformed state is given as 120 days. The purists think that during that period the embryo or the foetus is not a human being. A report says that: “Umar (The Second Caliph) does not regard abortion as infanticide unless the foetus is already past the time.”
Malik, the founder of the Malikr Orthodox Way, says that the husband should not practice coins interruptus with his wife unless she permits it. Al-Zanqani, in his comment on this, says the practice is lawful if the wife allows it. Permission or prohibition of coitus interruptus may serve as a guide in deciding the question of abortion before the foetus is animated.
All this shows that there is agreement among the founders of the four Orthodox Ways that coitus interruptus is allowed as a means of contraception, Religious savants inferred from this that contraceptives might be used, and even medicines might be used for abortion.
Accordingly, we hereby give our judgment with confidence in favor of family planning.’
There you have it. The US Supreme Court should adopt this ruling then all of the problems will be solved in the USA. As to Saudi Arabia the same might be true. Other Muslim countries clearly practice birth control (or married people have sex once every second year). Not sure what Malaysian men and women ‘do’. It is possible to buy condoms (bubbles) in drug stores. A hilarious story will be told about such a purchase in upcoming blogs.
There is a funny song that is applicable, it just came to me. I DO NOT Want TO SET THE WORLD ON FIRE. Will now Google it. Mashallah! Look what I found!!1 The song, with its romantic anti-war message, is said to have gained huge popularity following the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941.
I don’t want to set the world on fire
I just want to start a flame in your heart
In my heart I have but one desire
And that one is you, no other will do
I’ve lost all ambition of worldly acclaim
I just want to be the one you love
And with your admission that you’d feel the same
I’ll have reached the goal I’m dreaming of, believe me
I don’t want to set the world on fireI just want to start a flame in your heart
I don’t want to set the world on fire, honey
I love you too much
I just want to start a great big flame down in your heart.
I might just be setting the world on fire with this particular blog, the previous one and the future ones. I have retired from the lifelong habit of starting a flame in some guy’s heart.
The photographs from a Medinah Art Museum exhibition, Paths to the Soul. I was given a book, two actually – one in English, one Arabic. I gave the Arabic book to Mr. Marwan of the Medinah Oberio Hotel. I cherish the English version. The exhibit was riveting, absorbing and inspiring. It seemed to disappear after Medinah – I guess it was not profitable enough. That is what happens when greed reigns supreme.
