trol quote hadiths that they believe support the
opposite position. One of these hadiths states that
mUhammad did not object to the practice of coitus
interruptus (Arabic: azl), a form of contraception
involving withdrawal of the penis from the vagina
before ejaculation. Many Muslim jurists argue that
this provides a precedent that allows for modern
forms of birth control. Another hadith states that a
man should not practice azl unless he has permis-
sion from his wife, which is interpreted as permis-
sion for Women to have a say in their reproductive
rights. abortion is also allowed by most jurists,
but only under specific conditions.
Even though birth control and family plan-
ning programs have been inaugurated by many
governments and nongovernmental organiza-
tions, their success has been hampered because
economic resources are lacking and because most
Muslim countries still have large proportions of
their populations making their livings by agricUl-
tUre, a way of life in which having large families
is traditionally an advantage. Furthermore, deeply
embedded traditions in male-dominant societies,
reinforced by conservative Ulama, have encour-
aged parents to have many children. There are
also political factors that have affected family
planning efforts. Some Muslim nationalist leaders
and religious authorities have urged families to
have many children as a way to resist domination
by non-Muslim governments. In this light, birth
control and family planning are portrayed as part
of a Western conspiracy to limit the size of the
Muslim population. This was the case with the
growth of the Palestinian population in the West
Bank and Gaza and in iran, where the population
exploded from 34 million to 50 million between
1979 and 1986.
Ironically, the Islamic Republic of Iran has one
of the most successful family planning programs
in the world today. After a long, costly war with
iraq (1980–88), the Iranian ulama realized that
they needed to curb Iran’s population growth rate.
As a result, new family planning programs were
launched, and birth control devices were made
widely available. Now, when an Iranian couple
wants to get married, they are required to attend
a course on family planning that includes instruc-
tion in the use of intrauterine devices (IUDs),
birth control pills, and condoms. Birth control
devices are often distributed for free by govern-
ment health centers. For couples with children
who want to make sure they have no additional
pregnancies, voluntary vasectomies and female
sterilizations are allowed. In general, the govern-
ment now encourages people to have small fami-
lies rather than large ones.Further reading: Basim Musallam, Sex and Society in
Islam (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1983);
Abdel Rahim Omran, Family Planning in the Legacy of
Islam (London: Routledge, 1992); Robin Wright, The
Last Great Revolution: Turmoil and Transformation in Iran
(New York: Random House, 2000): 160–187.birth rites
Birth rites are observed in most religions and
cultures. They celebrate the addition of a new
member to the family and the community, express
feelings of gratitude toward the gods (or God),
and also involve practices intended to protect the
infant and mother from the harm of supernatural
forces. In islam, there are no formally required
birth rites or sacraments, but Muslims everywhere
may engage in one or more traditional ritual prac-
tices when a child is born.
Most of the Ulama concur that several ritual
practices related to childbirth are permitted. The
foremost of these is the aqiqa rite, which involves
animal sacrifice, shaving the infant’s head, and
performing acts of charity. Usually one sheep,
goat, or ram is sacrificed in thanksgiving for a girl
(two for a boy) on the seventh day after birth. The
act is believed to commemorate the near-sacrifice
of Ishmael (Ismail) by his father, abraham (Ibra-
him). This is also when a child receives his or
her given name, a festive event that may include
qUran recitation and readings of the birth storybirth rites 105 J