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Contraceptive pills

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by Darulihsan.com

Q: Is it permissible for women to use contraceptive pills? There is also some other type of treatment which is used, I think its called coptee, I stand for correction on the name but basically this is how it operates, they insert a loop which stops the fluid from going in thus preventing the women from falling pregnant. This loop is reversible, in other words if you want to remove it to conceive you could. Is this form of it permissible or not?

A:

1. Using contraceptive pills is permissible for valid Shari reasons such as the the wife not being physically able to bear a child etc.

2. According to some informaton at hand, the use of the loop may bring either of two results:

1. It may prevent fertilization by destroying the sperm and the ovum prior to their interaction.

2. If the fertilization takes place, the fertilized ovum is expelled from the uterus by the loop. This expulsion takes place within one or two weeks after the fertilization.

In the first case where the loop acts as a preventive measure against fertilization, it is similar to any oher contraceptive and the rules regarding azal (coitus interruptus) may be applied to the loop also, i.e. its use is permissible in Sharia in cases of individual needs like the sickness or the weakness of the woman where pregnancy may endanger her health.

In the second case, however, the rules of azal cannot be applied, because in this case it is not merely a preventive measure, but it expels the fertilized ovum from the uterus after conception. Therefore it acts as a device to effect an abortion. As such, the rules of abortion will apply.

According to the Islamic rules, an abortion is totally prohibited if it is effected after the completion of twelve weeks after conception. But at an earlier stage, abortion is permissible only for medical reasons and other genuine needs.

As the loop expels the fertilized ovum within two weeks, its use cannot be held as prohibited totally. However, being a device of abortion, its use is not advisable and it should be restricted to the cases of real medical needs.

And Allah Ta’ala Knows Best

Mufti Shafiq Jakhura
Iftaa Department, Darul Ihsan Islamic Services Centre

This answer was collected from DarulIhsan.com. It’s the official website of Darul Ihsan, which is an Islamic organisation (PBO) based in Durban, South Africa.

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