so that she can devote herself to the next pregnancy once the first one has concluded; in that case, there is no problem.

But to take birth-control pills without a valid reason recognised by the Sacred Law is impermissible—it is forbidden. Islam encourages pregnancy, and it values having offspring. Therefore, if the pills are taken merely to avoid children and to impose birth-limitations of the sort promoted by the enemies of Islam, without any legitimate justification, this is forbidden, and none of the reputable jurists holds otherwise.

As for some physicians, they may say the opposite, but that is only because they are unaware of the rulings of the Sacred Law.

***

Pills that block menstruation

Question: I heard on the programme “Nūr ʿalā al-Darb” (Light on the Path) an answer to a sister who asked: Is it permissible to take birth-control pills on the grounds that these pills stop menstruation so that she can fast the entire month of Ramadan without interruption? The esteemed Shaykh replied that there is no harm in doing so. I, however, have some reservations about that answer, because these menstruation-blocking pills have nothing to do with Islam; rather, colonialism is what introduced this trial to us. If their use is allowed to enable a woman to fast, then by the same token it should be allowed to prevent pregnancy, and so on; some ḥadīths have also been cited as evidence. What do you say about this discussion?

Answer: This listener has become confused in his objection, for he has treated birth-control pills and menstruation-delay pills as one and the same, whereas birth-control pills constitute one distinct category and menstruation-delay pills another. The question posed to the programme concerned only menstruation-delay pills; birth-control pills were not mentioned at all. As for menstruation-delay pills