Please explain to me what does Islam dictates about tubal ligation

Ref no: 0161#

Category

Women

Title

Please explain to me what does Islam dictates about tubal ligation

Question

Please explain to me what does Islam dictates about tubal ligation, the Doctor told me that I cannot take any birth control medication again, it is making me more sick and i should consider legation, I have 2 children but not sure if this procedure is acceptable in Islam

Answer

Muhtaram / Muhtaramah

In the Name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāh wa-barakātuh.

Rasulullah (Sallalahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam) said:

تزوجوا الودود الولود فإنى مكاثر بكم الأمم

Marry a woman who is very loving and can bear many children, for verily I will take pride though you over other nations. (Abu Dawud, Ahmad)

It is clear from the above narration that having many children is encouraged and praiseworthy.  To abstain from having children without a legitimate excuse is disliked in Shari’a.  However, if one has a genuine excuse recognized in Shari’a, then it will be permissible to avoid having children.

The doctor diagnosed that if you continue to take birth control pills it will be detrimental to your health and advised that you undergo a tubal ligation procedure.

Tubal ligation is a procedure where the fallopian tubes are closed either by cutting, burning, or by blocking the tubes with an instrument such as a ring or a clip.  The result of tubal ligation is that it prevents the traveling of the eggs from the ovary to the uterus.  It also prevents the sperm from reaching the fallopian tube, thus resulting in a permanent form of birth control.

Since tubal ligation is a method to prevent fertilization and not a means to expel a fertilized ovum, it may be taken as an analogy to azal (coitus interruptus) and will be permissible in Shari’a.

Imdad al-Mufteen p. 809 Darul Ishaat

Rad al-Muhtar (3/176) H.M. Saeed

تنبيه: أخذ في النهر من هذا ومما قدمه الشارح عن الخانية والكمال أنه يجوز لها سد فم رحمها كما تفعله النساء مخالفا لما بحثه في البحر من أنه ينبغي أن يكون حراما بغير إذن الزوج قياسا على عزله بغير إذنها . قلت : لكن في البزازية أن له منع امرأته عن العزل . ا هـ . نعم النظر إلى فساد الزمان يفيد الجواز من الجانبين . فما في البحر مبني على ما هو أصل المذهب ، وما في النهر على ما قاله المشايخ والله الموفق .

We advice that such procedures should not be adopted unless there is a severe need.  Some forms of tubal ligation are a permanent form of birth control and surgery to reverse tubal ligation is not always effective.  This might be problematic in the future when you desire to have children again.  If a strong need does not exist for such procedures, then one may adopt other contraceptives such as condoms.

And Allah knows best
Darul Iftaa

Madrasah Inaa’miyya