Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick
Question
My menstrual cycle can last up to two weeks. My doctor recommended hormonal birth control to help “regulate” my menstrual cycle and shorten its duration.
As I am not married, I do not require birth control. Is it still permissible for me to use it for the purpose my doctor suggested?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.
Salutations and blessings on our Exemplar, the Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace). May Allah alleviate our difficulties and guide us to live lives that please Him. Amin.
Contraception, within limits, is permissible. The difference in your case is that you won’t be using it as contraception but as general medication, which is permissible. Therefore, if the doctors opine that this is the most optimum course for you to follow, you may do so, and Allah knows best.
Is Contraception Permissible?
Please see this:
Is Contraception Permissible?
I pray this is beneficial, that Allah guides you and accepts your repentance.
[Shaykh] Irshaad Sedick
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Shaykh Irshaad Sedick was raised in South Africa in a traditional Muslim family. He graduated from Dar al-Ulum al-Arabiyyah al-Islamiyyah in Strand, Western Cape, under the guidance of the late world-renowned scholar, Shaykh Taha Karaan. Shaykh Irshaad received Ijaza from many luminaries of the Islamic world, including Shaykh Taha Karaan, Mawlana Yusuf Karaan, and Mawlana Abdul Hafeez Makki, among others. He is the author of the text “The Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal: A Hujjah or not?” He has served as the Director of the Discover Islam Centre and Al Jeem Foundation. For the last five years till present, he has served as the Khatib of Masjid (ar-Rashideen), Mowbray, Cape Town. Shaykh Irshaad has thirteen years of teaching experience at some of the leading Islamic institutes in Cape Town. He is currently building an Islamic online learning and media platform called ‘Isnad Academy’ and pursuing his Master’s degree in the study of Islam at the University of Johannesburg. He has a keen interest in healthy living and fitness.