Is the wife sinful for not taking birth control pills – even though the doctor informed her of the necessity of taking them because her pregnancy could result in a hysterectomy, and the husband’s opinion agrees with the doctor’s – despite her reliance on Allah and her resorting to means of supplication and charity? And is she sinful if she tells her husband that she took them when she did not?

Childbearing is an innate desire and one of the objectives of marriage. It is permissible to seek legitimate medical treatment if it is not occurring, for Allah has not sent down a disease except that He has sent down a cure for it. The majority of jurists hold that medical treatment is not obligatory, and that abstaining from it while relying on Allah is better. However, if its benefit is highly probable and refraining from it would certainly cause harm, then the preponderant opinion is that it becomes obligatory. If the doctor who advised her to take medication to prevent pregnancy is trustworthy, then it is not permissible for her to abandon it, as she would be exposed to harm. It is also not permissible to lie to the husband about taking the medication, unless euphemisms (ma'arid) are used. We advise the questioner to be content with what Allah has decreed and to be certain that He knows best what is good for His servant.