Islamic Scholars Endorse Birth Spacing for Maternal Health

Nadeem Tanoli

Islamabad: Renowned Islamic scholar and member of the Council of Islamic Ideology, Mufti Muhammad Zubair, has called for urgent clarity on religious guidance regarding family planning, stressing that Islam does not prohibit birth spacing when necessary for protecting the health of mothers and children.

Speaking at a public gathering attended by religious leaders and officials, Mufti Zubair emphasized that misinterpretations of Islamic teachings have led to harmful misconceptions about family planning in Pakistan, particularly in rural and underserved areas, where maternal health remains critically endangered by back-to-back pregnancies.

He noted that the root cause of Pakistan’s population health crisis is not financial hardship but the deteriorating health of mothers due to closely spaced births. Citing Quranic verses and prophetic traditions, he stated that while sustenance comes from Allah, Islam permits temporary contraception when pregnancies pose serious health risks to the mother or hinder the proper upbringing of existing children.

“During the time of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), companions practiced birth spacing when needed. Islam has never forbidden it in cases where a mother’s life or health is at risk,” he said.

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Mufti Zubair also criticized existing family planning campaigns for promoting financial arguments, such as the slogan “Do bachay hi achay” (two children are enough), which he argued erodes trust by implying that humans, not God, control sustenance. He said that such narratives alienate communities with strong religious beliefs, who perceive these messages as contrary to faith.

At the same time, he condemned the spread of misinformation at the grassroots level, where many equate birth spacing with anti-religious or foreign agendas. This misunderstanding, he warned, has real-life consequences, especially for women who continue to face life-threatening pregnancies due to a lack of accurate religious guidance.

To address this, Mufti Zubair cited fatwas from leading Islamic institutions—Darul Uloom Karachi, Binori Town, the Saudi Council of Senior Scholars, and the International Islamic Fiqh Academy—affirming that temporary contraceptive methods are permissible in Islam for valid medical or social reasons. However, he clarified that permanent sterilization remains impermissible unless medically unavoidable.

Calling for collaboration between religious scholars, government agencies, and the media, Mufti Zubair urged the dissemination of these religious rulings through Friday sermons, fatwa centers, and public awareness campaigns. He stressed that the issue is not rejection by faith-based communities, but the absence of authentic religious information reaching them.

He concluded by appealing to all stakeholders to move beyond superficial narratives and prioritize the health and safety of mothers and children. “Islam supports reasonable birth spacing done with consent and valid purpose. This message must be communicated with compassion, clarity, and urgency,” he said.

The article is the writer’s opinion, it may or may not adhere to the organization’s editorial policy.