READ DISCLAIMER BEFORE PROCEEDING
SEX DURING PREGNANCY AND THE PERIOD OF BREASTFEEDING
There is no difference of
opinion between the scholars that it is permitted for a couple to have sex
whilst the wife is pregnant. Likewise, it is permitted to have sex during the
period of breastfeeding.
Sayyiduna Sa'd ibn Waqqas (r) relates that:
"A man came to the
Messenger of Allah (s) and said, "I practice coitus interruptus [i.e. withdrawal
method or 'azl]
with my wife." The
Messenger of Allah(s) said, "Why do you do that?" He replied, "I fear
for her child or her children." The Messenger of Allah (s) said, "If it was harmful, then it would have
harmed the Persians and Byzantines."
(Sahih Muslim 1443)
Mulla 'Ali al-Qari (may Allah
have mercy on him), the great scholar of hadith and Hanafi jurist, explains
that the man feared for the child in his wife's womb, and that having sex with
her may cause her to conceive again, resulting in twins which could weaken both
foetuses.
A second interpretation is that
he feared for the child being breastfed, in that sex may be harmful for the
suckling child. The Messenger of Allah (s) rejected both notions saying that if sex was harmful during pregnancy
or during the period of breastfeeding, it would have harmed the Persians and
Byzantines. (See: Mirqat al-Mafatih 6:23)
Judama bint Wahb al-Asadiyya (r) relates that she heard the Messenger of Allah (s) say:
"I considered prohibiting
sex during the period of breastfeeding (ghayla), but I remembered the
Byzantines and Persians practicing this, and their children were not harmed ...
"
(Sahih Muslim 1442)
Moreover, the Messenger of
Allah (s)
forbade sex with a woman
pregnant from another man (Sunan al-Tirmidhi1131), from which the scholars
inferred the permissibility of sex with a woman pregnant from oneself.
Having said the above, scholars
recommend that couples should seek reliable medical advice before having sex
during both pregnancy and the period of breastfeeding. If a particular couple
are advised by a medical specialist that sex is harmful during pregnancy or the
period of breastfeeding, whether it puts the mother at risk, the suckling child
or the foetus, then sexual relations should be avoided (Adab-e-Mubasharat P:
34-35). The hadith of the Messenger of Allah (s) in this context, is understood to apply to normal situations.
Furthermore, the husband should
ensure he is extremely gentle and careful with his pregnant wife during sexual
relations. He should avoid positions that may cause discomfort to her,
especially in the final stages of pregnancy when the wife can become tired and
exhausted very easily. (Ahmad Kan'an, Urul al-Mu'ashara al-Zawjiyya P:
79)
To Be Continued....
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