Some of my friends asking questions regarding birth control in Islam. I answered that with out valid reason it is not allowed. Due to my lack of knowledge I could not satisfy them. Please help me for the question below: A poor family (husband & wife) does not have health problem but has financial problem like income is so less, cannot maintain more than two or thee children expenses. To give normal food & clothing itself is very difficult & we must educate them properly that is most difficult even some times impossible. As a result some of children goes out control, remains uneducated; in the end becomes burden for the family even for the society. These uneducated children can engage themselves in many social bad activities like fornication, theft, robbery etc. What is Islamic ruling in this case for birth control according to Quraan & Hadith? Please give full description from Quraan & Hadith only.

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.

We have already issued Fataawa 91787, 91288, 84086 and 83837 about birth control and its conditions, so please refer to them.

As regards carrying birth control because of being poor and not being able to provide for one’s children and so on, then this is not permissible, because this is contradictory to submitting oneself to Allaah's Predestination about people's provisions and lifespan. Allaah Says (what means): {And there is no creature on earth but that upon Allaah is its provision, and He knows its place of dwelling and place of storage.}[Quran 11:6]. Moreover, the Prophet said about the foetus: "…his provision, his age, his actions and whether a wretched (an evil doer) or a blessed (doer of good) [in regard to religion], is written…" [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] Furthermore, it is also confirmed that the Prophet said: "Jibreel inspired in my heart that no soul would leave this world until its appointed time (i.e. the predestined time for its death) comes, and until it would have consumed its provision, so seek your provision in moderation."  [At-Tabaraani]

One never knows, but such children could be a source of good to their parents with regard to this world and in religion. Indeed many poor people were blessed with children and were patient in cultivating them, and then Allaah made them benefit from their children, and thanks to them, their poverty was changed to richness and their hardship was changed to happiness and ease.

Allaah Knows best.