Sex and Society in Islam: Birth Control Before the Nineteenth Century

by Basim F. Musallam

In this study of birth control in the classical Islamic world, Basim Musallam demonstrates the wide range of evidence available to dispel many assumptions that are rampant in many people's beliefs. Medieval Arabic discussions of contraception and abortion in Islamic jurisprudence, medicine, materia medica, belles lettres, erotica and popular literature show that birth control was sanctioned by Islamic law and opinion. Contraceptive methods were available throughout pre-modern times and were used to meet social, economic, personal and medical needs. Sex and Society in Islam considers the impact of birth control as a factor in demographic change, and therefore in social history.

Genres: Islam, History, Gender, Sexuality, Spirituality, Nonfiction

186 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

Reviews

[Mir · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a wealth of primary source material on this subject: hadiths, Islamic jurisprudence, popular literature. Unfortunately it is not possible to get much of a statistical sense from these sources, but it does seem that both Islamic law and popular opinion sanctioned birth control. This included coitus interruptus, contraceptive devices, popular remedies, and abortion prior to four months (the point at which the fetus was believed to become ensouled). Information about contraception was widely available.

[G J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting short read that might defy your expectations on how permissive and progressive Islamic views on sex were before the modern century. I'll never get over the right of women to sexual fulfillment was used as a legal argument - hard to imagine our own courts doing the same!

[Zainab Bint Younus · Rating 5 out of 5]

This summer was the summer of picking up random fascinating Muslamic books from used bookstores across Canada, and this is one of the coolest finds!

"Sex and Society in Islam: Birth Control Before the 19th Century" was published in 1983, and provides a fascinating overview of the practice of birth control in the medieval Islamic era. Drawing upon classical fiqh, medical literature, and adab works, the author notes that the practice of birth control (via various methods) was not just well-known, but widely practiced.

The findings of this book portray a very different take on birth control practices than we usually get served up in "Islam and family" type talks. It was actually Muslims who spread medical knowledge about birth control to the West; fuqaha considered it absolutely reasonable not to want to have too many kids (for reasons varying from a woman's looks/ physique remaining unaltered by pregnancy to "have you seen this economy?!"); Christians outright censored chapters on birth control from medical texts obtained from Muslims; and *men* were particularly concerned about the matter. Also an 11th century joke that still holds strong today.

I really enjoyed that the author really took the time to discuss the study of demographics and provided arguments and counter-arguments that were fairly easy to follow.

Lots of food for thought, and I'd love a follow-up publication exploring the usage/ changes in birth control practice amongst Muslim populations in the post-medieval era, up to contemporary times, with a particular focus on the dramatically different thought processes and legal language around contraception.

Highly recommend that all imams/ shuyookh/ scholars read this book before giving us yet another spiel about how it's sunnah to have 9723487632 kids, birth control is a feminist plot to poison the women of the Ummah, and that it's better to die in childbirth than to use regular birth control/ choose to stop having kids.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes, more a catalogue, i.e. the listing of herbs, flowers etc. that prevent contraception.
Interesting tidbits, like Japanese post partum contraception. Alas, he beats to death the Prophet on what is allowed because that is really the theme of the book, but in the end, the most known and probably most practiced methods : oil (lubrication) and withdrawal (Coitus interruptus) are sure ways for avoidance. Good footnotes which are 60 pages in themselves.

[Ila · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars