FOR WHAT REASON WAS SHE KILLED?
Death!!! An inevitable end of all living and non-living entity! A popular aphorism said, “whatever has a beginning must surely have an end”. In living object, death can be natural or man-induced. Non-living objects also expire, get spoilt, become obsolete, out-dated, over-used etc., and that explains their death. But why was she killed?
According to Allah (S.W.T.), all souls will taste death. But why must she be killed? The explanation to this can be traced to the holy Quran, chap. 81 verses 8-9. “...and when the female (infant) buried alive shall be questioned. For what sin was she killed?’’. As lucid as these verses are, with supporting explanations provided by a sagacious islamic scholar and commentator, Ibn Kathir, some people have capitalised on these verses to counter the relevance of family planning in islam. Bluntly, some will say, family planning is alien to islam, no verse in the holy Qur’an nor the hadith talked about it. Is this assertion the gospel truth?
According to majority of islamic scholars, islam is a complete way of life. The holy Quran and the hadith being our official guide (see Q 4 vs. 59). Could there have been any way the issue of family planning was not discussed in the guidance book? Of course, NOT. It may not be explicitly stated, but taking a closer look at one or two verses in the Quran and some hadiths, it will be realised that pregnancy prevention is well established in the religion.
In the Quran chap. 4 vs. 3, Allah said, “… marry two, three, or four. But, if you fear that you may not be able to do justice among them, marry only one…’’. Also in one of the traditions of the holy prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), he was reported to have said ‘’marry the one who is loving and fertile, for I will be proud of your great numbers before the nations’’ (Abu Dawood, no. 2050). According to the above narrations, one will come to an understanding that marriage is a very important culture in islam. Yes, marriage is very important. But, is it compulsory?
In the holy Quran, chap. 24 vs. 33, ‘’and if any of you have no financial means of getting married, let him keep chaste …’’. If you can’t afford to take care of a wife, wait till you can. According to the scholars of islam, a man should have the means to feed, cloth, shelter, sexually satisfy etc a woman before he can bring her home (i.e. marry her). If this rule applies to a full grown up woman, why then must a couple bring into the world a child they cannot adequately take care of?
Allah also recommended the need to space between child-bearing. According to the Quran chap. 2 vs. 233, almighty Allah said, ‘’…and the mother should suckle their children for two whole years for him who desires to make complete the time of suckling; and their maintenance and their clothing must be borne by the father…’’. Scientifically, it has been proven that the mother should leave 33 months interval between each child birth, which is equivalent to the 24 months (for suckling) and 9 months (of pregnancy.) as recommended by the glorious Quran.
Lawful Sex! Lawful Sex!! Lawful Sex is one of the good reasons for getting married (see first few chapter of Suratu-Nuur, for the punishment of having sex outside marriage). Bearing children is also another good reason for getting married. But must every sex lead to another pregnancy? Of course, NOT. According to Jabeer Ibn Abdallah (RTA), ’’ we used to engage in azl (coitus interruption. i.e. withdrawer of the penis to prevent sperm from getting into the vagina at orgasm) while the Quran was being revealed. Had it been something interdicted, the Quran would have forbidden it.’’ (Buhari and Muslim).
According to Imam Ghazali in his ‘’Ilya’ Ulum Al-Din’’, legitimate reasons for contraception are, ’’financial difficulties, emotional or psychological hardship of having too many children, and even preservation of beauty and health’’.
The key question is, what family planning methods are allowed in islam? According to professor Ahmad R. (a consultant on reproductive and sexual health at the int’l islamic centre for population studies and research, Al-Azhar University), islam allows ONLY temporal and reversible contraceptive methods. Thus, use of condoms, iuds (intrauterine devices), implants, ius (intrauterine systems), pills etc, and every other temporal and reversible methods are allowed, PROVIDED it does not pose the woman (or the man) to other health challenges.
Your children are your future, the future of this country, the controllers of tomorrow’s world, the ambassadors of change and reformation. Give birth to the number you can train (effectively take care of), space between child-bearing (to ensure the womb is healthy), and continue praying for the children that Allah blesses them.
Indeed, every child brought into this world without getting the much needed support must ask. ‘’for what reason was I ~born~ killed?’’
[whatever mistake I made in this article, is mine. whatever right I said is from Allah. may He guide us towards His way amin]

Azeez Abeeb (Adekhingz)

The legitimacy or Illegitimacy of Family Planning in the light of Islamic Jurisprudence.
http://www.bravoprojecthelp.com/law/legitimacy-illegitimacy-family-planning-light-islamic-jurisprudence/