Is Contraception Permissible According to the Shafi’i School?

Answered by Shaykh Abdurragmaan Khan

Question: Assalam alaykum,

Is contraception permissible according to the Shafi’i school?

Answer:Wa alaykum al-Salam

Shukran for your question.

The earliest form of contraception was coitus interruptus (‘azl), also known as the withdrawal method. This form of contraception was practiced by the companions radiyaLlahu anhum and approved by the Messenger sallaLlahu alayhi wasallam. This establishes that default ruling of contraception is permissible.

Regarding modern methods of contraception then each method has to be individually judged. Pills, if it does not harm the lady using it will be permissible, otherwise not. Plugs such as the cervical cap will not be permissible according the Shafi’i school as it requires the female to uncover her awrah without necessity.

And Allah knows best
Wassalam
[Shaykh] Abdurragmaan Khan

Shaykh Abdurragmaan received ijazah ’ammah from various luminaries, including but not restricted to: Habib Umar ibn Hafiz—a personality who affected him greatly and who has changed his relationship with Allah, Maulana Yusuf Karaan—the former Mufti of Cape Town; Habib ‘Ali al-Mashhur—the current Mufti of Tarim; Habib ‘Umar al-Jaylani—the Shafi‘i Mufti of Makkah; Sayyid Ahmad bin Abi Bakr al-Hibshi; Habib Kadhim as-Saqqaf; Shaykh Mahmud Sa’id Mamduh; Maulana Abdul Hafiz al-Makki; Shaykh Ala ad-Din al-Afghani; Maulana Fazlur Rahman al-Azami and Shaykh Yahya al-Gawthani amongst others.