Feature : Family planning is permissible in Islam

By: Nilda T. Delos Reyes

 

Some misconceptions are viewed as real obstacles in pushing through with Family Planning programs in some sectors and religion.

Family planning is one of the high impact public health interventions with huge potential to enhance the health and well-being of women and children. Yet, despite the steady progress made towards expanding access to family planning, major disparities across different sectors exist. This also explored the socio-cultural factors influencing family planning use among divided Muslims.

As the government and other Non-Government Organizations continue to strengthen their advocacy in promoting reproductive health and family planning, other sectors are still tangled with their own understanding regarding the use of family planning methods or contraceptives. 

The Assembly of Darul-Iftah of the Philippines was confronted with the issue of whether or not reproductive health and family planning as implemented in the Philippines are in accordance with Islam. In order to further understand this, there is also a need to know some myths and misconceptions in order to expand possible means on how to address these issues.

Myths and Misconception about Family Planning

According to some Muslims, they believed that family planning as a conspiracy to limit the size of the Muslim population. They think that contraception is infanticide. Others also believe that family planning can cause changes in normal functioning, and disruptions in sexual relationships.

There are also those who believe that having more children will help them alleviate their way of living since there are more bread winners in the family.

They considered that family planning is ‘haram’ and that the Prophet (Peace be upon Him) encourages Muslims to give birth to more children, so that on judgement day his followers would be majority.  They deem that having more children will result to more blessings since children are blessings. 

Misinterpretation of Islamic teachings also lead to some Muslim families believe that practicing family planning is against God’s Will since it defies God’s purpose of creation. They completely trust God as the Provider and the Sustainer, so no matter how many children the family has, He will cater for them.

These myths, misconceptions and misinterpretation discouraged women and their spouse to use family planning methods. These myths and misconceptions are also spread by and among women themselves, often to their friends, families and even their social networks. These also caused existing family planning users get confused and scared and even stop using family planning methods. These prevented millions of women to recognize the approaches to stabilize population.

In order to address these concerns, the Philippine government and some private sectors and organizations advocating the use of family planning has sought support from Muslim Religious Leaders to explain reproductive health and family planning in Islamic perspective.

In 2019, an advisory council of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) has issued a fatwa, an Islamic Ruling on how to implement government’s reproductive health programs. This is to ensure that reproductive health and family planning programs in the region is in harmony with the teaching of Islam.

 

The Fatwa

The Fatwa is an Arabic term on Islamic Ruling that must be observed by every Muslim. These also includes an expanded program on immunization.

·    The Assembly of Darul-Iftah of the Philippines upholds Islam as religion of ease. It is a religion of quality. Islam has encouraged its people to increase and populate the earth with the proviso that their quality should not be compromised.

·   Improved reproductive health condition of the Muslim people benefits the individual Muslims and strengthens the Muslim nation socially, economically, politically and in all other aspects of human life.

·     A Family Planning program for the Muslim Community in the Philippines should be anchored on the principles of non-coercion, responsible parenthood and informed choice.

·      Family Planning does not refer to abortion, neither to birth control. It refers to birth or child spacing. It should be couple’s decision.

·      All methods of contraception are allowed as long as they are safe, legal in accordance with the Islamic Shari’ah and approved by a credible physician preferably a Muslim for the benefit of both mother and the child.

·      The permissibility of Family Planning is for the welfare of the mother and the child and for couple to raise (goodly) children who are pious, healthy, educated, useful and well-behaved citizen.

In order to strengthen the advocacy on reproductive health and raise awareness of Muslims on the Fatwa, it is very important to consider seeking the support of Muslim Religious Leaders who actively engage in the conduct of forums, orientations, radio programs and other information and education campaign on reproductive health and family planning. 

It is very important that correct information will reach each individual to correct misconceptions and that family planning is permissible in Islam as long as it is done in consideration with the Fatwa. 

The Holy Qur’an also does not prohibit birth control, nor does it forbid a husband and wife to space pregnancies or limit their number. Majority of Islamic jurists believe that family planning is permissible in Islam. (RVC/NDR/PIA9-Basilan)