₦airaland Forum

^ right, but we are living in a western controlled political era, with its attendant socio-economic practices. There are no jobs; Muslims have become corrupt, dishonest just trying to survive. Muslim countries that are not oil producing are in a sorry state. Isn't it just expedient to live within your means as an individual, and for the state to plan according to its income/gdp? Is this really imitating the kuffar or being sensibly practical?

free2ryhme: scholar dis scholar dat cant Allah speak to you as a person ?..; nobody is a monopoly of God himelsf .. na wa ooo

not quite dear. Only trained scholars may interprete the scriptures. For it to be otherwise will be chaos. When you finish a chapter of any good educational book what do you see? A lot of references to contributing scholars. Same thing applies here. Simply being organized.

have you lived in northern Nigeria? there are gatemen that have like 3 wives and 10 children, they still don't mind having more.

right, I want other people's opinion etc. it's a rather long article so I doubt if people will be able to read it all.
the article in effect permits abortion before ensoulment(of course not for pregnancies from illicit relations), so you maclatunji, do you personally subscribe to this?

@op, very graphic post, the instructions are clear though.
"good thing that shyness does not prevent nairalanders from learning and teaching their religion"

centje: I have little knowledge of islam. So i didn't undertand some parts of the article. But i have two friends here,on nairaland, who practice it,maybe i will learn from them.

My question is wont these rituals around sex make it too cumbersome?

prescribed rituals in situations like these are followed to the best of one's ability. not compulsorily to the letter.

Salam alaykum,
I want to get an idea of what muslim Nairalanders feel about the above topic. I have seen people in real life who do not believe in family planning or that overpopulation may have a direct effect on the economy.
I believe both family planning and population control should be implemented in muslim societies. the benefits are clear cut. we are no longer agrarian societies, there's a global economic recession as we speak, education, yes; even proper Islamic education is expensive, women's health etc.
I was watching tv sometime back, and I saw people rushing to get on the train in Cairo, Egypt. you need to see the numbers: male and female huddled together obscenely in the rush. I was shaking my head. there are reports there's a lot of sexual harassment going on in that country. Is this due to overpopulation?
I did an internet search and found the article below agreeable. what do you think?

Family Planning and Islam: A Review

by Khalid Farooq Akbar


In Pakistan, demographic matters have gained prime importance because of an unprecedented large increase in her population. Pakistan is the ninth most populous country in the world. According to an estimate, it's population was 112 million in 1990 and would increase to 163 million in 2003. [1] The population of Pakistan is growing at a rate of 3.0% which is among the highest in the world. [2]

This gigantic increase in population has emerged as a matter of great public concern because it is undermining our efforts to raise living standards of our people. It is true that due to mechanized agriculture, use of fertilizers and cultivation of high yielding varieties of grains, agricultural output has increased considerably. Industries are also expanding. But the country is not showing sufficient signs of progress because progress made by Pakistan is being nullified by her rapid population growth.

Every year, more than 3.37 million new individuals are added. [3] Due to this population explosion, Pakistan is least able to provide large additions of youngsters with food, clothing and education, and of young adults with jobs, housing and other consumer essentials, while trying to break out of the vicious circle of poverty.

The gravity of this crisis, as a cause of impending mass misery, as a threat to social system, and as a major obstacle in the path of our efforts to raise levels of living, had been acknowledged in the '50s. Pakistan is among those countries who first of all started government sponsored population control programmes. But in the last 30 years, after spending nearly five billion rupees on population control campaigns, we have failed to restrain the rate of population growth. [4] There is little evidence of any positive results of these programmes except some slogans printed on postal envelopes and some billboards with jingles.

The eighties brought a renewed recognition of the urgency of the population and development question in Pakistan. We are entering or have already entered a phase of net food deficit and can avert food shortages only if we embark upon extensive programmes of modernizing our agriculture and, at the same time, try to limit our population growth to manageable levels.

By analysing the cause of failure of family planning programmes in Pakistan--given the fact that hundreds of millions of rupees have been spent by national and international agencies--it has been felt that ambiguity over the way Islam views family planning has been a primary obstacle to the large scale acceptance of family planning programmes. Many Muslims, including religious scholars, have misperceptions about family planning within the context of Islam. This article is an effort to clear these misconceptions that many Muslims have about the lawfulness of birth control in Islam.

Is birth control permissible in Islam?

A Muslim has three sources of knowledge to obtain answers to the questions pertaining to various aspects of human life. These sources are:
1. The Holy Qur'an;

2. Sayings (hadith) and acts (Sunnah) of the Holy Prophet (pbuh); and

3. The views of the leaders of juristic schools qualified to interpret the teachings of Islam.

1. The Holy Qur'an

No Qur'anic text forbids prevention of conception. There are, however, some Qur'anic verses which prohibit infanticide and these are used by some Muslims to discourage birth control.

But contraception does not amount to killing a human being. These verses in fact were revealed to forbid the pre-Islamic Arab practice of killing or burying alive a newborn child (particularly a girl) on account of the parents' poverty or to refrain from having a female child. Perhaps in those days, people did not know safe methods of contraception and early abortion.

2. Hadith

The principle of preventing conception was accepted in those sayings of the Prophet (pbuh) which allowed some of his followers to practice 'azl or coitus interruptus. These ahadith embodied the earliest legal reasoning of Muslims on contraception and were essential instruments of argument in later Islamic thought on contraception. There is a sufficient number of ahadith on contraception. The most commonly quoted ones are the following. [5]

1. According to Jabir, "We used to practise 'azl in the Prophet's (pbuh) lifetime while the Qur'an was being revealed." There is another version of the same hadith, "We used to practise coitus interruptus during the Prophet's (pbuh) lifetime. News of this reached him and he did not forbid us."

Views of medieval Muslim jurists

Muslim jurists do not speak with one voice on the question of birth prevention, on it's lawfulness, on conditions for practice and on methods that may be used. Muslim jurists determine the lawfulness of an act on the basis of a method which comprises four principles or sources (usul). Two of these (Qur'an and Sunnah) are religious sources. The other two principles include analogical reasoning (qiyas) and the consensus of the 'ulama (ijma').
The most detailed analysis of Islamic permission of contraception was made by the great leader of the Shafi'i School of jurism, al-Ghazzali (1058-1111). He discussed this issue in his great work, Ihya' 'ulum al-Din (The revival of Religious Sciences), in the chapter on biology in religion. [7]

Al-Ghazzali stated that there was no basis for prohibiting 'azl. For prohibition in Islam was possible only by adducing an original text (nass, an explicit provision in the Qur'an or hadith) or by analogy with a given text. In the case of contraception, there was no such text, nor was there any principle on which to base prohibition.


Al-Ghazzali classified earlier and contemporary opinions into three groups:

1. Unconditional permission for 'azl;

2. Permission if the wife consents but prohibition if she does not. This is the view of Hanbali and Maliki groups, of Zaydiyah scholars and of 'Ibadites, survivors of the Kharijite sect. According to some Hanafi scholars, this condition does not apply if the husband is convinced that the child will grow in an unhealthy moral environment.

3. Complete prohibition, a view expressed by Ibn Hazm and his followers of the Zahiriyah School. [9]

Al-Ghazzali accepts prevention or contraception if the motive for the act is any of these: (1) a desire to preserve a woman's beauty or her health, or save her life; (2) desire to avoid financial hardship and embarrassment; (3) avoidance of other domestic problems caused by a large family. He did not accept avoidance of female birth as a legitimate motive for contraception.

Another great scholar, Ibn Taymiyah, discussed Divine providence, procreation and contraception (in this way) in the early fourteenth century. He argues, "Allah creates children and other animals in the womb by willing the meeting of parents in intercourse, and the two semens in the womb. A man is a fool who says, 'I shall depend on God and not approach my wife and if it is willed that I be granted a child I will be given one, otherwise not and there is no need for intercourse.' This is very different from having intercourse and practising withdrawal, for withdrawal does not prevent pregnancy if God wills a pregnancy to occur, because there can be involuntary pre-emission of semen." [10]

Muslim jurists and abortion

Many Muslim scholars have discussed the thorny question of abortion. They have based their discussion on the division of the development of foetus into two stages. According to them, the whole period of pregnancy can be divided into two stages: the first 120 days, and the remaining period before childbirth. Most classical Muslim jurists claim that it is permissible to have an abortion for valid reasons during the first stage.
All Muslim scholars agree that the foetus changes to a human being after 120 days of conception. The following hadith also supports this point.

The Prophet (pbuh) said, "Each of you is constituted in your mother's womb for forty days as a nutfah, then it becomes an 'alaqah for an equal period, then a mudghah for another equal period, then the angel is sent and he breathes the soul into it."

This view of embryonic development was central to the Muslim arguments on abortion. According to Muslim scholars, it is lawful to have an abortion during the first 120 days, but after the stage of ensoulment, abortion is prohibited completely except where it is imperative to save the mother's life.

The Hanafi scholars, who comprised the majority of orthodox Muslims in later centuries, permitted abortion until the end of the four months. According to them, a pregnant woman could have an abortion without her husband's permission, but she should have reasonable grounds for this act. One reason which was mentioned frequently was the presence of a nursing infant. A new pregnancy put an upper limit on lactation, and the jurists believed that if the mother could not be replaced by a wet-nurse, the infant would die.

A considerable majority of the Maliki jurists described abortion as completely forbidden. In their view, when the semen settles in the womb, it is expected to develop into a living baby and it should not be disturbed by anyone. According to Ibn Jawziyyah, when the womb has retained the semen, it is not permitted for the husband and wife, or one of them or the master of the slave-wife, to induce an abortion. After ensoulment, however, abortion is prohibited absolutely and is akin to murder. [19]

Many Shafi'i and Hanbali scholars agreed with the Hanafis in their tolerance of the practice, some putting an upper limit of forty days for a legal abortion, other eighty days or 120 days.

By comparing the Muslim jurists' consensus on the permission of contraception, there appears a difference of opinion on abortion. But given the fact that prohibition was not the dominant view by any standard, given the fact that Muslims believed in ensoulment as the crucial event before which the foetus was not a person, and given the fact that the sanction of contraception strengthened the view that abortion should be legalized before ensoulment, perhaps we can say that, on the whole, abortion was religiously tolerated. This conclusion gains indirect support from the contemporary medieval Arabic secular literature. Medicine, materia medica and popular literature all treated contraception and abortion as if they were two aspects of the same process: birth control.

Views of some modern Muslim jurists

The Grand Mufti of Jordan, Shaykh 'Abd Allah Al-Qalqili, issued a fatwa in 1964 in which he said:
There is agreement among the exponents of jurisprudence that coitus interruptus, as one of the methods for the prevention of childbearing, is allowed. Doctors of religion inferred from this that it is permissible to take a drug to prevent childbearing, or even to induce abortion. We confidently rule in this fatwa that it is permitted to take measures to limit childbearing. [20]

Another Muslim scholar, Dr. Ismail Balogun of Nigeria's University of Ibadan, wrote about the lawfulness of modern contraceptive methods:

The question that arises because coitus interruptus was the only contraceptive method known by the Prophet's Companions, and which practice the Prophet (pbuh) condones, is this: can Muslims of today practice any other method? The answer can only be in the affirmative, as long as other methods are not injurious, either to the man or woman. The question is tantamount to asking whether a Muslim can today wear clothes different in shape from those worn by the Prophet (pbuh) and his Companions during their time. [21]


Conclusion

The early followers of Islam were few and weak in the midst of a vast majority of aggressive and oppressive people. The good of the Muslims then required that there should be a call for the multiplication of their numbers, in order that they might be able at the time to fulfil their responsibilities in defending the mission of Islam and protecting the true religion of Allah against the power and multitudinous adversaries threatening it. But now we find that conditions have changed. We find that the density of population in the world threatens a serious reduction in the living standards of mankind to the extent that many men of thought have been prompted to seek family planning in every country so that the resources may not fall short of ensuring a decent living for it's people to provide public service for them.
Islam, as the religion of pristine nature, has never been opposed to what is good to man. Indeed it has always been ahead in the effort towards the achievement of this good so long as it is not in conflict with the purposes of Allah's law.

Family planning, understood by Islam, is not opposed to marriage or to the begetting of children, nor does it's concept imply disbelief in the doctrine of fate and Divine dispensation--for Allah Almighty has bestowed reason upon man to enable him to distinguish between the useful and the harmful, and to help him follow the path that would assure him happiness in this world as well as in the world to come.

Edited, for full article see
source: http://www.islamawareness.net/FamilyPlanning/familyplanning.html

Jazakallahu khair op.
There's a hadith where the rasul, peace be on him, mentioned a righteous companion(not sure who now) being free to enter through any gate he wishes.

salam alaikum op. I assume you're sincere and welcome you home. the soul destined for the Jannah will never settle, will never be truly happy in this low life, until it finds its way back to Allah. it may sink to the lowest of the low, but will rise again. May Allah guide and have mercy on you.

tbaba!
I mean how many times can one say the same thing. If an adult wants to ignore the veracity of the Quran and deny the existence of spirit beings and magic, deny the resurrection and the ultimate judgement of the last day, then good luck to him. For each man his way.

salam sis kauthar, all the best on Monday, Allah's mercy and favour.

right, it's not easy to stand firm in the deen these days. I watch the company I keep. Also I try to turn the distractions into attractions, e.g I watch islamic programmes when I watch cable tv, I visit islamic websites when I'm online. I listen to quran cds on stereo.

fellis: I didn't ask any tedious question and even if I did, how e take consain you? Na you I dey ask question? See me see something o.

no offence meant your highness. Kindly ignore the statement. I hereby retract my earlier comments.

deols: during the treaty of udaybiyyah, a very trying moment for the prophet and his people,the best decision he made was after he sought his wife, Umm Salama's opinion.

beautiful. men, marry a religious woman whose judgement you respect, then consult her in your affairs. 2 heads are better than one.

@fellis; you like asking tedious questions. Don't you know ignorance is bliss. Who will give us tips on how to make our wives happy.

deols: I don't think men generally have greater physical strength. that is subject to conditioning. If I learn taekwando for example, I would beat down a lanky man who didn't learn same. that men are physically stronger is a myth.

na wa o. you go write book.

deols: about women being more in hell, women would outnumber men anyways. it explains that and truth be told, it is easier for women to fall into sins than for men to. dress sense, sharp tongues, gossip, show off, etc

@op, man you are just too playful will score you 10/10 for creativity.

ashson: How to make your Husband Happy

by Sheikh Muhammad Abdelhaleem Hamed.

•Be good with his parents and relatives in his absence.


12- Showing Respect for his Family and Friends
•You should welcome his guests and try to please them, especially his parents.
•You should avoid problems as much as you can with his relatives.
•You should avoid putting him is a position where he had to choose between his mother and his wife.
•Show good hospitality for his guests by arranging a nice place for them to it in, perfection of food, welcoming their wives, etc.
•Encourage him to visit his relatives and invite them to your home.
•Phone his parents and sisters, send letters to them, buy gifts for them, support them in calamities, etc..

and this is just wow.
I luv good hosts, and accommodating temperaments.

ashson: How to make your Husband Happy

by Sheikh Muhammad Abdelhaleem Hamed.


15- Support in Obedience to Allah, Da'wah and Jihad
•Cooperate with your husband and remind him of different obligatory and voluntary worships.
•Encourage him to pray at night.
•Listen and reciting the Qur'an individually and with your husband.
•Listen to Islamic tapes and nasheeds individually and with your husband.
•Remember Allah Ta'ala much, particularly after Fajr and before Maghrib.
•Share in arranging Da'wah activities for women and children.
•Learn Islamic rules (ahkam) and good manners ('adab) for women.
•Support your husband's activities by encouraging him, offering wise opinions, soothing his pains, etc.
•Yielding some of your rights and a part of your time with your husband for Da'wah.
•Encourage him to go for Jihad when needed and remind him that you and children will be in the preservation of Allah Ta'ala.

beautiful(don't know about the nasheeds part)

ashson: How to make your Husband Happy

by Sheikh Muhammad Abdelhaleem Hamed.

5- Satisfaction With What Allah Ta'ala has Allotted
•You shouldn't be depressed because your husband is poor or works in a simple job.
•You should look at poor, sick, and handicapped people and remember Allah Ta'ala for all that was given to you.
•You should remember that real wealth lies in Iman and piety.


6- Indifference to Worldly Things
•You should not consider this world as your hope and interest.
•You should not ask your husband for many unnecessary things.
•Asceticism does not mean not to enjoy what is good and permissible(Halal), but it means that one should look forward to the hereafter and utilize whatever Allah Ta'ala gave them to achieve paradise (Jannah) with moderation.
•Encourage your husband to reduce expenses and save some money in order to give charity and feed poor and needy people.

this is real beauty mashallah.

interesting thread, went thru the comments. man, these nairaland muslim ladies are no pushovers o. dem no dey gree sha.

clap for yourself maclatunji, I believe the argument is effectively over. clarity has been exhausted, and any additions are frankly unnecessary.

Every association of individuals needs a leader. the leader in a family is the husband. meaning the buck stops at his post, when important issues arise in a family, there can be consultations, arguments, concessions and what have you, but what is most appropriate in Islam is that the man approves of the final decision. like the referee in sport or the judge in court. and Allah knows best.

ah Seun, no hard feelings really; I'm okay with mac addressing me precisely and directly without pretensions. still, I feel the section was perfect as it was without the additional warning.

tbaba1234: horses with fine markings: A great ride... branded 'horsepower'??

Yoruba boys we call it "eshin"(horse) in slang. the logo for ferrari is a prancing horse.

tbaba1234: This is where shaytan will get you. It does not matter if you have a long beard or if you are at the mosque everyday for fajr or if you have memorised the Quran.

thanks
for the link Tbaba, will go through it diligently.

pls I really meant the post, kindly help appeal to seun, mac. I'm going to bed.

what do you guys think about family planning in Islam.

can you decide you want 1, or 2 children. or can you choose to just adopt. I have some northerner friends who believe you should just have kids, that God will provide for them. these guys have like 4 kids today, and in fairness to them they seem happy and content. me, though I haven't done much research into this issue, but I am all for pin point planning. isn't this the kind of mentality that is aggravating the al majiri, and girl child marriage phenomena in the north. so what do you guys think. I'll appreciate your contributions.

deols: lol..u did catch me sha but you came quite late, you missed my come back address

I am interested in that clause of yours o. And the thing dey always hot my body in anticipation..I hate to wait jare post it fast abeg.

ma'salam to where?
wa alaykum salam

sorry about the late reply, really pressed for time dz days I get to sneak to post on NL.

if a lady were to get me to sign a monogamy pre-nup, I may include clauses like

1. barring polygamy, I now hold the prerogative of divorce i.e she can not divorce me for any other reason, but I can.

2. that she swears by the Quran not to deliberately turn my children against me to her advantage (I have observed this many times. when couples are old, the women tend to enjoy a lot having most of the children's attention. so she doesn't need to hasten this by painting a false image to our kids. monogamous men, mostly tend to get grumpy later in life, I think, I dunno.

3. that in her conduct and carriage, she must be above suspicion like Cesar's wife

okay, to be honest I don't see myself doing any pre-nup, if I can wriggle out of it. Allahu Alam.

"to avoid being banned, please ensure your post is not offensive to Islam"
I'll want to appeal to Seun who supposedly put this warning up to please remove it. the section was perfect as it was, why try to improve on it. its enough for the section to be seperate after Seun reported being threatened but most people don't see that. the section says Islam for muslims only, the moderators are not hesistant to warn and subsequently ban perceived offenders, there is a rules and regulation thread. in short, frankly, the above caption is highly unnecessary. it only further portrays the image of Islam as an intolerant religion. CNN and co. are doing enough of that, NL should not join pls.

deols, caught ya!(beaming) good to hear from you. we thought you had abandoned us. still on this marriage contract thingy, I have a men's version of a clause to be stated into that contract. I will sneak it up on you guys later. ma salam.