Is it permissible to use birth control so that a person has a child every five years, because he sees the corruption in society and would not be able to raise a lot of children close in age in this overwhelmingly corrupt society?
Praise be to Allah.We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen, may
Allaah preserve him, who replied:
So long as this is the intention, then it is not permissible to do this,
because it reflects a lack of trust in Allaah with regard to the hadeeth
of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) who said
“Marry the one who is loving and fertile…”
But if the birth control has to do with the condition of the woman –
because she cannot cope with repeated pregnancies – this may be
permissible, but it is better not to do it.
Question: Do you mean that it is more important to pay attention to the
woman’s condition than to the corrupt nature of society?
Answer: Of course, because there is no certainty that
one’s children will be corrupt; they may be righteous people who will
bring benefits to society. And Allaah knows best.