Fatwa ID: 05106

Answered by: Maulana Shadman Ahmed

Question

A lady has had 5 children all via c section & around 2 miscarriages and 1 had to be terminated.

She does not want any more children of course due to how many c section she has had, it is a huge risk to have anymore.

However, her husband is pressuring her to have a 6th child. She wants to take contraception without him knowing.

She is asking is she allowed to do this hiddenly without her husband knowing because if he finds out he won’t agree.

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer:

The best option would be to find a way to make the husband understand the health implications of another pregnancy. That way both the husband and wife are aware of what is happening.

The right of ‘Azl or coitus interruptus is given to the wife and as an extension of this rule, the right of contraceptives is given to her. That is why the husband must ask permission of the wife before using contraceptives. There are few times with the permission of the wife is not needed which is due to the corruption of the times.[1]

In conclusion, it would be permissible for the wife to use contraceptives without her husband knowing, but the best option would be to make the husband understand the health consequences of getting pregnant again.

Only Allah knows best

Written by Maulana Shadman Ahmed

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham

[1] Muḥammad Amīn `Ibn ’Abidīn, Radd al-Muḥtār ’Alā al-Durr al-Mukhtār, Vol. 3. Pg. 176. (Dār al-Fikr, 1252H).

Burhān Al-DīnMaḥmūd b. Aḥmad, Al-Muhīṭ Al-Burhānīfī Al-Fiqh Al-Nu’mānī, Vol. 5. Pg. 374. (Dār al-Kutub al-’Ilmmiyyah, 616H).