9th February 2020
السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته
Question: Just a question that is sterilization allowed for someone who has health issues? I have kidney stones and also gallbladder stones. I’m waiting for surgery and have tried all the temporary contraception which has given me really bad side effects and I cannot tolerate them anymore.
Alhamdulillah, I have four kids but now I will struggle if I have anymore because of my health so was thinking of going for the permanent treatment of sterilization but not sure if I’m allowed. Please advise me on this matter.
الجواب حامداً و مصلياً
In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer
In reference to your query, if you are due for a medical surgery to remove your kidney and gallbladder stones then opting for sterilisation is not permissible. Islamically, it is permissible to undergo an operation to remove a harmful substance from your body such as kidney and gallbladder stones.[1] If it is due to the general struggle because of having four children then sterilization will still not be permissible. Sterilisation is the process of blocking or cutting the fallopian tube so to permanently stop the possibility of conceiving a child in the future. This is considered amongst the irreversible forms of contraception that is tantamount to castration as in, to permanently inhibit the possibility of producing children in the future. This is prohibited due to a few reasons. Firstly, it is reported that the Messenger of Allāh sallallahu alayhi wasallam prevented Sayyidunā Uthmān ibn Maz’oon radhiyallahu anhu from refraining from marriage. Then Sayyidunā Uthmān radhiyallahu anhu states that had the Messenger of Allāh sallallahu alayhi wasallam permitted us then we would have castrated ourselves.[2] The statement ‘we would have castrated ourselves’ was either an exaggerated statement knowing that it was prohibited but would have inevitably led him of castrating himself regardless,[3] or the statement implied that he assumed castration was permitted until on another occasion the Messenger of Allāh sallallahu alayhi wasallam prohibited it upon enquiring of its ruling.[4] Secondly, amongst the natural creation of women is to conceive children and to permanently inhibit pregnancy is a form of altering Almighty Allāh’s natural creation.[5] Lastly, preservation of progeny is amongst the five essentials of our religion[6] and sterilisation, (be it for a male or a female) violates this important essential. Based on these reasons, the Hanafi jurists ruled castration or sterilization as prohibited.[7]
As a general rule to note, the prohibition of male-castration equally applies to female sterilisation due to the same underlying reasons. The only time where scholars have allowed female sterilization is if the woman’s life is at risk which is proven to be near certain and advised by reliable doctors (preferably Muslim).[8] This is because after religion, preserving one’s life takes priority over other essentials including progeny. Your case however is not the matter of life and death but rather general struggle which is not uncommon for many parents. It is advisable that you use those forms of temporary contraception that is suited to your well-being after consulting a reliable doctor.
[Allãh Knows Best]
Written and researched by (Mufti) Abdul Waheed
Answer Attested by Shaykh Mufti Saiful Islam
JKN Fatawa Department
[1] Fatawa Hindiyyah, Kitāb al-Karāhiyyat, Bāb al-Jarahat Bani Adam, vol 5, p. 440
لَا بَأْسَ بِقَطْعِ الْعُضْوِ إنْ وَقَعَتْ فِيهِ الْآكِلَةُ لِئَلَّا تَسْرِيَ كَذَا فِي السِّرَاجِيَّةِ
لَا بَأْسَ بِقَطْعِ الْيَدِ مِنْ الْآكِلَةِ وَشَقِّ الْبَطْنِ لِمَا فِيهِ كَذَا فِي الْمُلْتَقَطِ.
وَلَا بَأْسَ بِشَقِّ الْمَثَانَةِ إذَا كَانَتْ فِيهَا حَصَاةٌ وَفِي الْكَيْسَانِيَّاتِ فِي الْجِرَاحَاتِ الْمَخُوفَةِ وَالْقُرُوحِ الْعَظِيمَةِ وَالْحَصَاةِ الْوَاقِعَةِ فِي الْمَثَانَةِ وَنَحْوِهَا إنْ قِيلَ قَدْ يَنْجُو وَقَدْ يَمُوتُ أَوْ يَنْجُو وَلَا يَمُوتُ يُعَالَجُ وَإِنْ قِيلَ لَا يَنْجُو أَصْلًا لَا يُدَاوَى بَلْ يُتْرَكُ كَذَا فِي الظَّهِيرِيَّةِ.
[2] Bukhari, No: 5073
بَابُ مَا يُكْرَهُ مِنَ التَّبَتُّلِ وَالخِصَاءِ
وَعَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ أَبِي وَقَّاصٍ قَالَ: رَدَّ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَلَى عُثْمَان ابْن مَظْعُونٍ التَّبَتُّلَ وَلَوْ أَذِنَ لَهُ لَاخْتَصَيْنَا
[3] Mirqat sharhu Mishkat vol 5, p. 2042 – Shamila
(لَاخْتَصَيْنَا) أَيْ: لَجَعَلَ كُلٌّ مِنَّا نَفْسَهُ خَصِيًّا كَيْلَا يَحْتَاجَ إِلَى النِّسَاءِ. قَالَ الطِّيبِيُّ: ” كَانَ مِنْ حَقِّ الظَّاهِرِ أَنْ يُقَالَ: لَوْ أَذِنَ لَتَبَتَّلْنَا، فَعَدَلَ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ: اخْتَصَيْنَا إِرَادَةً لِلْمُبَالَغَةِ أَيْ: لَوْ أَذِنَ لَبَالَغْنَا فِي التَّبَتُّلِ حَتَّى بِالِاخْتِصَاءِ، وَلَمْ يُرِدْ بِهِ حَقِيقَةً لِأَنَّهُ غَيْرُ جَائِزٍ. قَالَ النَّوَوِيُّ – رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ -: ” كَانَ ذَلِكَ ظَنًّا مِنْهُمْ جَوَازُ الِاخْتِصَاءِ، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ هَذَا الظَّنُّ مُوَافِقًا فَإِنَّ الِاخْتِصَاءَ فِي الْآدَمِيِّ حَرَامٌ صَغِيرًا أَوْ كَبِيرًا، وَكَذَا يَحْرُمُ خِصَاءُ كُلِّ حَيَوَانٍ لَا يُؤْكَلُ، وَأَمَّا الْمَأْكُولُ فَيَجُوزُ فِي صِغَرِهِ وَيَحْرُمُ فِي كِبَرِهِ
Ibn Hajar, Fathul Bari, vol 9, p.118 – Shamila
وَقَالَ الطِّيبِيُّ قَولُهُ وَلَوْ أَذِنَ لَهُ لَاخْتَصَيْنَا كَانَ الظَّاهِرُ أَنْ يَقُولَ وَلَوْ أَذِنَ لَهُ لَتَبَتَّلْنَا لَكِنَّهُ عَدَلَ عَنْ هَذَا الظَّاهِرِ إِلَى قَولِهِ لَاخْتَصَيْنَا لِإِرَادَةِ الْمُبَالَغَةِ أَيْ لَبَالَغْنَا فِي التَّبَتُّلِ حَتَّى يُفْضِيَ بِنَا الْأَمْرُ إِلَى الِاخْتِصَاءِ وَلَمْ يُرِدْ بِهِ حَقِيقَةَ الِاخْتِصَاءِ لِأَنَّهُ حَرَامٌ
[4] Al-Ayni, commentary Bukhari vol 20, p. 72 – Shamila
لَو أذن فِي الِانْقِطَاع عَن النِّسَاء وغيرهن من ملاذ الدُّنْيَا لاختصينا لدفع شَهْوَة النِّسَاء لتمكننا من التبتل، قَالَ: وَهَذَا مَحْمُول على أَنهم كَانُوا يظنون جَوَاز الاختصاء باجتهادهم وَلم يكن ظنهم هَذَا مُوَافقا، فَإِن الاختصاء فِي الْآدَمِيّ حرَام مُطلقًا. وَقَالَ شَيخنَا زين الدّين، رَحمَه الله: وَفِي كل من جوابي الْقُرْطُبِيّ وَالنَّوَوِيّ نظر، بل الْجَواب الصَّحِيح أَنه: لَو وَقع إِذن من النَّبِي صلى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسلم فِيمَا سَأَلَهُ عَنهُ عُثْمَان بن مَظْعُون من التبتل لجَاز لَهُم الاختصاء، لِأَن اسْتِئْذَان عُثْمَان فِي التبتل كَانَت صورته استئذانا فِي الاختصاء كَمَا هُوَ مُبين فِي حَدِيث عَائِشَة بنت قدامَة بن مَظْعُون عَن أَبِيهَا عَن أَخِيه عُثْمَان بن مَظْعُون، أَنه قَالَ: يَا رَسُول الله {إِنَّه ليشق علينا الْعزبَة فِي الْمَغَازِي، أفتأذن لي يَا رَسُول الله فِي الخصاء فأختصى؟ فَقَالَ رَسُول الله صلى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسلم: (لَا وَلَكِن عَلَيْك يَا ابْن مَظْعُون بالصيام فَإِنَّهُ مجفر)
[5] Sarakhsi, al-Mabsoot, vol 15 p. 150
[بَابُ إجَارَةِ الدُّورِ وَالْبُيُوتِ]
خِصَاءُ بَنِي آدَمَ فَذَلِكَ مَنْهِيٌّ عَنْهُ وَهُوَ مِنْ جُمْلَةِ مَا يَأْمُرُ بِهِ الشَّيْطَانُ قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى {وَلَآمُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُغَيِّرُنَّ خَلْقَ اللَّهِ}
Shaykh Khalid Sayfullah Rahmani, Kitab al-Fatawa, vol 6, p. 230
[6] The five essentials are preservation of religion, life, intellect, progeny and wealth.
[7] Durrul Mukhtār wa hashiyah Ibn Ābideen Shāmi, Kitāb al-Karāhiyyah, Bāb Istibra, vol 9 p. 558
(وَ) جَازَ (خِصَاءُ الْبَهَائِمِ) حَتَّى الْهِرَّةِ، وَأَمَّا خِصَاءُ الْآدَمِيِّ فَحَرَامٌ قِيلَ وَالْفَرَسِ وَقَيَّدُوهُ بِالْمَنْفَعَةِ وَإِلَّا فَحَرَامٌ
(قَوْلُهُ وَقَيَّدُوهُ) أَيْ جَوَازُ خِصَاءِ الْبَهَائِمِ بِالْمَنْفَعَةِ وَهِيَ إرَادَةُ سِمَنِهَا أَوْ مَنْعُهَا عَنْ الْعَضِّ بِخِلَافِ بَنِي آدَمَ فَإِنَّهُ يُرَادُ بِهِ الْمَعَاصِي فَيَحْرُمُ أَفَادَهُ الأتقاني عَنْ الطَّحَاوِيِّ.
Fatawa Hindiyyah, Kitāb al-Karāhiyyah, vol 5, p. 436
[الْبَاب التَّاسِع عَشْر فِي الْخِتَان وَالْخِصَاء وَحَلَقَ الْمَرْأَة شَعَرهَا ووصلها شعر غَيْرهَا]
خِصَاءُ بَنِي آدَمَ حَرَامٌ بِالِاتِّفَاقِ وَأَمَّا خِصَاءُ الْفَرَسِ فَقَدْ ذَكَرَ شَمْسُ الْأَئِمَّةِ الْحَلْوَانِيُّ فِي شَرْحِهِ أَنَّهُ لَا بَأْسَ بِهِ عِنْدَ أَصْحَابِنَا وَذَكَرَ شَيْخُ الْإِسْلَامِ فِي شَرْحِهِ أَنَّهُ حَرَامٌ
[8] Shaykh Khalid Sayfullah Rahmani, Kitab al-Fatawa, vol 6, p. 236, Mufti Ismail Kacholwi, Fatawa Deeniyya, vol 5, p. 249, Fatawa Mahmoodiyyah, vol 18, p. 291