Day 24 - Sex, Contraception and Abortion

Much as with other religions, sex outside of marriage (in certain circumstances) or before marriage is unlawful. However, sex within marriage is explicitly encouraged!

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “You merit rewards of charity in your sexual union with your spouses!” His companions asked in surprise, “How shall we getting rewards for fulfilling our natural instincts?” He asked, “What if someone were to fulfill his desire unlawfully; would he/she be punished for doing so?” They replied, “Certainly.” Then he said, “Likewise, when one does it within the framework of marriage, he/she will be rewarded for it!”

Not only is it permissable to have sex within your marriage, it is rewardable - points in your "good bucket" (see Day 16 regarding Judgment Day and good/bad buckets).

Now coming to the issue of contraception: there is nothing in Islam that prohibits it so long as it is done consensually for valid reasons such as the following: putting off pregnancy until such time when the spouses are in a better position to shoulder the responsibilities of parenting, to allow for space between pregnancies in order to provide proper nurturing and care to existing children, etc. Bottom line: No Qur'anic text forbids prevention of conception.

BUT, contraception does not amount to killing a human being. 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 is expressly forbidden in the Quran.

In the Hadith (a collection of "gospels" of the Quran, not written by Muhammad), the principle of preventing conception via coitus interruptus was approved via the Prophet (pbuh). Some examples are:
:: According to Jabir, "We used to practise coitus interruptus during the Prophet's (pbuh) lifetime. News of this reached him and he did not forbid us." then later "A man came to the Prophet (pbuh) and said, 'I have a slave girl, and we need her as a servant and around the palmgroves. I have sex with her, but I am afraid of her becoming pregnant.' The Prophet (pbuh) said, 'Practice 'azl with her if you so wish, for she will receive what has been predestined for her.'"

:: According to Abu Sa'id, "We rode out with the Prophet (pbuh) to raid Banu al-Mustaliq and captured some female prisoners . . . we desired women and abstinence became hard. [But] we wanted to practise 'azl; and asked the Prophet (pbuh) about it. He said, 'You do not have to hesitate, for God has predestined what is to be created until the judgement day.'"

:: According to 'Umar Ibn Khattab, "The Prophet (pbuh) forbade the practice of 'azl with a free woman except with her permission."

So there seems to be permission for a man to exercise contraceptive moves whenever he pleases, except unless a free woman denies him the priviledge...
NOTE: There are a few reasons why a "free woman" he is married to can be vetoed: (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. (4)If the child will grow up (the husband fears) in a morally unhealthy environment. All according to the Muslim Jurists - the Hanbali and Maliki groups, Zydiyah scholars, and the first three specific to Al-Ghazzali scholars)

Double Standards... I am certain that you, Dear Readers, did not miss the implied consent in earlier examples. The implied consent is both that contraception is ok, and it is apparently ok for men to have sex with a variety of women who are not their wives, as long as it in convenient, or if they really really need it. I have never found any example of a time when it is permissable for a woman to have sex with someone other than their husband, however...

Maybe its just too difficult for men to only have sex with their wives or abstain altogether? "We desired women and abstinence became hard." Well, by all means, if it's hard, give it up! Seriously, though, the double standard is apparent in the sex rules.

Abortion
Islam expressly prohibits killing a child after it has been born.

"Don’t kill your children [immediately after birth]... verily killing them is a most heinous crime!” (Al-Isra’: 31)

However, the Abortion topic has been debated in Muslim circles. All of the scholars seem to agree that no infant should be killed after the soul has entered the body. HOWEVER, when has the soul entered the body? At conception? 40 days after conception? 120 days after conception? The scholars have debated this, and a lot of them believe that the fetus changes into a human on the magical 120th day after conception, and therefore abortion (for good reason) before this is acceptable. Almost certainly the morning-after pill is widely acceptable, and later term abortions seem to be debatable... probably very dependent on the geographical area (and the availabilty and social view of abortions.

Overall, these views are really opposed to the Jewish and most Christian views on contraception, sex, and abortion! Its one of the biggest differences I've seen between Islam and other major world religions.

POST SCRIPT -
Since I know alot of people don't read through the comments, it is really interesting to see that the Quran DOES address foreplay and the Prophet forbade intercourse without foreplay!

ALSO, it is interesting to note that the Quran says you should breastfeed for two years! Yay for Islamic breastfeeders!! :-)

Read the comments!