889 – Abu Saʿid al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that a man said, “Messenger of Allah, I have a slave-girl, and I practice withdrawal with her. I do not want her to conceive, yet I desire what other men desire. The Jews say that withdrawal is the ‘lesser form of burying a child alive.’” He replied, “The Jews have lied. If Allah had willed to create the child, you would not have been able to prevent it.” Narrated by Ahmad, Abu Dawud—whose wording this is—al-Nasaʾi, and al-Tahawi, and its transmitters are trustworthy (1).

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Grade of the ḥadith
The ḥadith is authentic. Its transmitters are reliable, as the author states. It was recorded by Ahmad, al-Nasaʾi, Abu Dawud, al-Tahawi, and al-Tirmidhi with a sound chain. A corroborating report from Abu Hurayrah is found in Abu Yaʿla and al-Bayhaqi with a good chain as well; therefore, the ḥadith is ṣaḥīḥ.

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Vocabulary
• al-jāriyah: a young female slave, so called for her lively movement.
• aʿzil: ʿazl (coitus interruptus) is the withdrawal of the male organ from the vagina so that ejaculation occurs outside.
• al-mawʾūdah: originally, a girl buried alive beneath the earth. The destruction of the seminal fluid before it can develop into a human being was likened to such a girl, except that the Prophet ﷺ declared the Jews’ statement false.