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From: uunet!unrvax!unssun.nevada.edu!beekun@ncar.UCAR.EDU (R. I. Beekun)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam
Subject: Re: Islam on birth control
Message-ID: <13226@wpi.wpi.edu>
Date: 4 Jun 90 11:32:31 GMT
References: <13209@wpi.wpi.edu>
Sender: shari@wpi.wpi.edu
Reply-To: uunet!unrvax!tahoe.unr.EDU!unssun!beekun@ncar.UCAR.EDU (R. I. Beekun)
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In article <13209@wpi.wpi.edu> paul@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu writes:
>
>>(1) Yes for coitus interruptus (because of the example of the Prophet-PBUH).
>>(2) Yes for condoms - similar to number 1.
>>(3) No for the pill because it is an uncertain technology, and can hurt the
>>woman.
>>(4) No for IUD such as rings, etc -- same reason as number 3.
>>(5) Yes for diaphragm ( similar to number 1.
>>(6) I did not ask him about contraceptive jelly
>>(7) Abortion -- prohibited unless the life of the mother is in danger. This
>>opinion was given to me by somebody else, not A. Ahmed.
>
>Since pregnancy holds more risks for the woman than use of the
>pill, UIDs, or even a properly performed abortion (U.S. Surgeon
>General's Report), pregnancy would be prohibited because of "danger to
>the woman", by the above logic.

Not necessarily. Pregnancy and birth are part of the nature of things, and
in the Qur'an, represent two of the signs of Allah's Omnipotence (Chapter
56, verses 57-59). No woman is going to die unless Allah Wills it. No
contraceptive method is going to work unless Allah Wills it. There is a
sister here who apparently became pregnant twice on the pill.

Pregnancy is part of the order of things, and as such is not prohibited.
Otherwise, Allah would have said something about it either in the Qur'an
or in the sunna of the Prophet.   

The problem with the pill and other "dangerous" methods of contraception
springs from the fact that a woman is putting herself and/or her baby
at risk (of contracting cancer, etc) by using them. Her potential
ill-health or death is almost self-induced. If a woman were to die
because of her pregnancy or while giving birth, then her death would
not be self-induced but rather predetermined by Allah. I guess the
distinction I am making is the same distinction between death through
suicide and death through natural causes. 

>The "coitus interruptus" ahadith which, I quoted in an ealier posting,
>expounds upon the inevitability of the children being born,
>essentially says that "coitus interruptus" is not desirable. Hence I
>called this an "oblique reference".

I do not interpret the "coitus interruptus" ahadith as saying that it is
not desirable. Rather, my understanding is that Allah will cause
a birth to take place whether one uses this method or not. This does not
mean that one should not use any birth control method. One should take
certain precautions (e.g. coitus), and if Allah decides to bless the
couple with a child, so be it. Otherwise, it would be like crossing a
busy highway, and saying "If Allah does not want me to die, I will
not."

You have got to tie your camel first, and then rely on Allah.

Abu Syed Marwan
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:... We decreed for the children of   :                                    :
:Israel that whosoever kills a human  :                                    :
:being for other than manslaughter or :                 / |        ""    | :
:corruption in the earth, it shall be :               /   |         |  | | :
:as though he had killed all mankind, :              |    |    __|  |  | | :
:and whoso saves the life of one, it  :      ____|___|    |   <__|__|__| | :
:shall be as though he had saved the  :     |  *                           :
:life of all mankind. (Qur'an 5: 32)  :  _ /                               :
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