What did the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) say about family planning?

- What advice did our Prophet (pbuh) give Muadh bin Jabal (ra) about family planning?
- When I was at the College, I read that Qiyas (analogy) based on the journey of Muadh bin Jabal (ra) was proven to be legal in Islamic law.
- In another hadith from Muadh bin Jabal (ra), our Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) gives 3 pieces of family planning advice.
- They are as follows: Ensuring that the child is brought up according to the rules of good manners, spending according to the needs of the family members and teaching the fear of Allah to the family members.
- Can you explain the process of bringing up a child according to the rules of good manners?
- In my country the “bringing up process” is confusingly written with a word meaning “authority, rule, domination”. Please explain the issue.

Dear Brother / Sister,

The decrees deduced by the mujtahid by making ijtihad are based on the Book and the Sunnah by analogy because the religious decrees are based on the verses of the Quran or hadiths either directly or by analogy. (Ibn Manzur, Lisanul-Arab, “qiyas” item; Nasafi, al-Manar, Istanbul 1326, p. 22)

The most famous religious evidence on ijtihad and qiyas is the following hadith of Muadh:

When the Prophet sent Muadh b. Jabal to Yemen as the governor, the Prophet (pbuh) asked him:

“What will you decree with?”

He said, “With the book of Allah “

The Prophet (pbuh) asked, “What if you cannot find in the Book?”

He said, “With the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah.”

The Prophet (pbuh) said,

“What if you cannot find in it?” Muadh said,

“Then, I will make ijtihad based on my view.”

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) was pleased with the answer and said,

“Praise be to Allah, who made the messenger of the Prophet successful in a way that would please Him.” (see Abu Dawud, Aqdiya, 11; Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad, 5/230, 236)

Thus, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) allowed Muadh to make ijtihad about the issues whose decrees are not included in the Book and the Sunnah. Faqih Companions followed the path of Muadh b. Jabal.

- The statement that “our Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) gives 3 pieces of family planning advice” in the question is wrong. The following explanation is included in the question: “They are as follows: Ensuring that the child is brought up according to the rules of good manners, spending according to the needs of the family members and teaching the fear of Allah to the family members.” However, the phrase “family planning” means the limitation of birth rates. It is against the spirit of Islam. That statement needs to be corrected.

The education process of the child is a very essential period from infancy to adolescence.

-The importance of not allowing children to spoil the beautiful traits of their creation is pointed out in the following hadith: 

“Every child is born with the fitrah/nature (ability to live by the ethical values ​​of Islam). Then his parents make him a Jew, a Christian or a Magi…” (Bukhari, Janaiz, 79)

The following hadiths indicate the age, process and importance of child education:

When your children start talking, teach them “La ilaha illallah”; then, do not be sad whenever they die. (Ibn Sunni, 1/373)

“A father cannot leave his child a legacy that is superior to high ethics.” (Tirmidhi, Birr, 32)

“Treat to your children and educate them well.” (Ibn Majah, Adab, 3)

There is a principle in the Islamic literature: “Education from the cradle to the grave”. The education phase starting with birth and covering the whole life of a person, is called the Application Period. The actual education / training activity in this period shows changes according to different age groups. Those changes appear as the following five periods:

1. Childhood,
2. Youth,
3. Maturity,
4. Old age,
5. Being in need of nursing.

The way of education in those periods does not take place in a specific line. It is important to consider the experienced formats of processes such as a person’s identity, ability, environment, family and school.

Will you please click on the links given below;

What is the place of ijthad in our religion?

Until what age are parents responsible for their children’s worship?

Questions on Islam