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What is the ruling on postponing conception by mutual agreement between the spouses, and what if pregnancy occurs without their agreement despite taking precautions?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

It is permissible to postpone procreation for a valid reason, with the wife's consent. If pregnancy occurs after abstaining from intercourse during the ovulation period, there should be no disagreement, because the matter is decreed by Allah, and one must be content with divine decree and destiny. In the Hadith, when the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was asked about 'azl (coitus interruptus), he said: "There is no harm if you do not do that, for there is no soul destined to come into existence until the Day of Resurrection but that it will come into existence." And on the authority of Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri, a man said: "O Messenger of Allah, I have a slave girl and I practice coitus interruptus with her, and I dislike for her to become pregnant, and I desire what men desire. And the Jews say that 'azl is the minor burying of daughters alive." He said: "The Jews have lied. If Allah wills to create it, you would not be able to avert it." One must praise Allah for the ability to procreate and strive for abundant offspring, which the Sharia has encouraged in the Hadith: "Marry the affectionate, fertile woman, for I shall outnumber the nations with you on the Day of Resurrection."

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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