Is a Vasectomy a Permissible Method of Birth Control?

By Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqui, President: Islamic Society of North America (ISNA)

QUESTION:

I am married with three children. My wife and I have decided not to have additional children primarily due to health concerns. Is it permitted for me to have a vasectomy performed to prevent this?

ANSWER:

Generally speaking Muslim jurists do not permit any permanent method of preventing pregnancy, neither for females nor for males. Temporary pregnancy control is allowed in Islam. For this purpose one can use the natural method of 'azl (contraception by withdrawal or coitus interruptus) as mentioned in some Ahadith, or any other healthy method. Permanent sterilization is permissible only in the case of some serious health problems. If for some serious reasons, doctors recommend that a husband should not impregnate his wife, then he is allowed to have vasectomy. Similarly, if a woman has some incurable disease, and if further pregnancy is injurious to her health or to the health of her fetus, and temporary contraceptive methods are not suitable or reliable, then she is also allowed to have permanent sterilization.

Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqui, 1998
Reprinted from PakistanLink.com

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