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Compiled by: Azeem Ayub |
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Reflections |
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In the Name of Allah, |
Birth Control
Children are born with the directive of God; however, the process adopted by God in this regard is not that He sends down a child directly from the heavens in whatever number He wishes for whichever parent He intends. Children are born through the means of human beings and through their intention, decision and initiative. Regarding human beings it is common knowledge that their Creator has blessed them with intellect and cognizance and also endowed them with the freedom to exercise their will. It is a requirement of both these bestowals of God that before taking any decision a person must evaluate its consequences, understand the matter in the light of knowledge and intellect and then take any step. We may understand this through the example of a gardener.
The Almighty has said: أَأَنتُمْ تَزْرَعُونَهُ أَمْ نَحْنُ الزَّارِعُونَ (٥٦: ٦٤) .1 The implication of this verse is that it is not human beings but God Who makes an orchard bear fruit and a harvested land bear produce. But does this mean that the task of a gardener is only to spew seeds or sow plants? Everyone will answer this question in the negative and say that it is the gardener’s responsibility to evaluate whether he can bear the expenses and other needs that involve sowing, looking after trees and taking their fruit to the market? Has he prepared the land? Has he left the requisite space while planting trees? Does he have enough information about the demand of the fruits of these trees in the market? It is after evaluating all these factors should he decide what to plant and when to plant and whether he should even proceed with planting or not. People debate whether birth control is allowed or prohibited whereas just as assessing all these factors is essential for a farmer, it is similarly essential for the parents to asses them. If a farmer does not take them into consideration, he will end up facing the consequences and if parents also do not give them due importance, they too will face the consequences. Our society is replete with such examples.
Thus before planning for a child, parents should see whether the mother can bear it or not. Does her health allow her to produce and nurture an offspring? Can she spare time from taking care of any previous child to take up this new responsibility? Keeping in view their circumstances, do parents have the time, opportunity and essential means for the upbringing of the child and the essential finances to educate them? If the answer to all these questions is in the negative, then parents should restrain themselves or adopt various means of birth control; however, they should never plan a child.
Nevertheless, this does not mean that our decision can impede any decision of God. If His wisdom requires that a child must be born, then it shall be born. This strategy of ours is to follow the law of God and not to impede His decision. Diseases come with God’s permission yet if guidelines that safeguard health are not followed then the general law and practice is that diseases shall afflict people. Cure is in the hands of God, but if remedies are not sought, then the general law and practice is that sickness will increase. Sustenance is also in the hands of God yet the general law and practice is that it is acquired if one strives for it. This world works on achieving goals through the means provided and God has been given the understanding to use these means to his advantage. In many matters, the fate ordained by God relates to our intentions, decisions and the practical steps we take. ‘Umar (rta) while commenting on running away from a place afflicted with plague is reported to have said: “We are going from the fate of God towards the fate of God.” When once the Prophet (sws) was asked about a method of birth control, he directed the attention of the questioner towards this very reality. It is narrated by Abū Sa‘īd al-Khudrī (rta) that the Prophet is reported to have said:
مامن کل الماء يکون الولد، واذا اراد الله خلق شيئ لم يمنعه شيئ Every sperm does not produce a child; but when God decides to give birth to something no one can stop Him.2
(Translated by Dr Shehzad Saleem)
________________________ 1. Do you nourish the cultivated land or We? (56:64)
2. Muslim, no.
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In this Issue |
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Reflections |
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Read & Reflect
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Debate & Discuss * Discussion Forum: Norms of Gender Interaction | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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* General Discussion Forum: Arguments regarding the Existence of God
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Read and Reflect |
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Subject Matter of the Holy Qur’an
Author Javed Ahmad Ghamidi (Tr. by Tariq Hashmi)
A very basic fact regarding the Holy Qur’ān – one that can be very easily detected by a more general reader of the book- is that it introduces propositions, believing in which and meeting the requirements entailed by such a belief decide the question of man’s success in the afterlife. It is only these propositions the Qur’ān aims at proving through psychological, natural and historical evidence. It is only these facts the Qur’ān calls the human beings to submit to, warns them regarding the consequences of rejecting them and explains what entails professing faith in them. The Book does not deal with anything beyond these points. Though at times it refers to the laws of the physical, world in order to explain these facts without contradicting the reality, yet the discoveries in the realm of physics made thus far and the ones which human intellect is bound to penetrate in future, are not discussed in the Qur’ān at all. Such knowledge is not the subject of the Qur’ān in any way.
But alas, during the course of Muslim history, people have repeatedly failed to acknowledge this true position of the Book. Consequently we see that they first imposed a premise external to the Qur’ān on it proposing that being divine in origin, the Book must moderate all the possible human disciplines. Having imposed such a condition on the Book they tried to base all the human disciplines in it. Therefore, this endeavour led them discover the illusions of Greek philosophy from its verses at one time and to ground the current scientific knowledge in its text at another. At one time, the prevalent knowledge of medical science and theories of astrology and astronomy were extracted from its verses and the mention of the atomic bomb and man’s conquest of Moon at another. In such adventures they opted to ignore grossly all rules of linguistic expression of the Book and the bright light of the context of its verses.
All this trouble owes itself to the erroneous conclusions about the Book. They failed to grasp the fact that the Lord has blessed mankind with intellect before He revealed the Book to them. Just like this Book is a blessing of God bestowed upon them so is the intellect a manifestation of His profound generosity. Therefore, the Book does not concern the matters in which intellect suffices as a guide for them. Similarly in matters the Book deals with, the intellect, when functional, is compelled to submit to its dictates.
The fact also holds true in the case of the teachings of the Prophet (sws). He has explained this reality to his adherents in no unclear terms. The Mother of the Faithful, Ḥaḍrat Ā’ishah narrates that when the Prophet (sws) noticed people engaged in cross fertilizing the date palms trees he said: “It would be better if this exercise is abandoned.” Consequently, the people did not cross fertilize the dates palm trees that year. As a consequence the produce dropped considerably. The people mentioned the state of affair to the Prophet (sws) who responded: “You understand these matters better than me. I have come to explain to you the religion of God. Therefore, turn to me for guidance only in religious matters.”1
If we really intend to be guided by the Holy Qur’ān we are obligated to turn to it for guidance in nothing except the religious truth and facts. We may not knock at but our intellect in matters such as how to carve a bed out of wood to avail us a comfortable sleep and how to conduct research on the heavenly bodies. It is an unquestioned fact that intellect has never failed us in its own spheres. The Holy Qur’ān has been revealed to make plain to us what we are expected to believe in and what to practice in order to please God in the life of this world. We should bend our desires to submit to the dictates of the Book rather than basing our cherished concepts and issues in its verses. The Almighty has repeatedly explained in the Holy Qur’ān that making our desires submit before its dictates is crucial to seeking its guidance. It is but possible that one desire to seek the foundation of the worldly disciplines and fields of knowledge in this book alone yet his desire cannot alter the fact to a slight degree that this book deals only and only with the kind of knowledge upon which our afterwordly salvation depends.
(Translated from Maqāmāt by Tariq Mahmood Hashmi)
Read URL: http://www.monthly-renaissance.com/issue/content.aspx?id=1220
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Discussion Forum: Norms of Gender Interaction
Sabihah
atifrafi
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General Discussion Forum:
aijaz47 Dear Mr. Hanif
Existence does not necessarily have to be physical. As regards Mermaids, their existence is imaginary or fictional. Thus if it has a name it exists.
Secondly, denial does not mean that that particular thing does not exist. One shall have to provide the prove for the denial. Physical existence is an attribute. So far it seems Mermaids do not have that attribute. Their existence is fictional. Can you deny the fictional existence of Mermaids?
Thirdly, Allah is The Creator of Universe and Claims to be so. I have not heard of anyone claiming to be the creator of The Creator. Answer shall be provided when the question arises.
student1 This is your reply to Mr. Hanif but I would like to present my comments on your reply and I hope you wont mind.
quote:
Dear Mr. Hanif
aijaz47
So you agree that
denial does not mean that a particular thing does not exist. Thanks for
accepting my point.
aijaz47
aijaz47
This is in reply to
your question "who created Allah?"
aijaz47 Kindly go to Forums> History of Quran> Collection under Abu Bakar ( may Allah be pleased with him).
Jhangeer Hanif (modeator)
I think you want to
say that existence does not have to be 'actual'. Because we know that
mermaids do not actually exist; they are fictitious in contrast to
reality. We are not taking about the nature of God's existence -
spirirtual or physical; we are talking about whether it is actual or not.
Hence when we talk about mermaids, we know that their existence is not
actual or real. Is this the case with God?
In the second
response, you are again confusing 'actual or real' with 'physical'. I am
not talking about the nature of existence. I am talking about whether
something really exists? Hence the stress is on real. I had written
Comments:
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Pause
and Ponder |
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Question: After doing istikharah, if a person sees a frightening dream he will most probably link it to an indication from God that he should not do what he is planning to do (whatever that may be ). But if common sense tells him to do whatever he is thinking about, then what should a person do? People say that because now you have been given the answer in your dreams it would be incorrect to do something against what the Almighty has suggested. In other words, what should a person do if for instance his dreams tell him not to do that thing but knowledge, common sense and experience tell him to go for it?
Answer:
People generally
think that only through dreams does one get an indication of Allah’s will after
doing istikhārah. It is because of this misconception that they think that an
indication through a dream is the only way to know the Almighty’s will in a
particular matter. Actually, there are a number of ways in which this indication
can come. Dreams are just one of these. There may be several ways. For example,
circumstances sometimes become more clear so that a person is able to judge for
himself. Similarly, someone might just come along and help a person in his
decision. Likewise, the Almighty may directly guide a person by giving him an
inner indication.
URL: http://www.studying-islam.org/querytext.aspx?id=913
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