icdbd-QA/0009: Should a pregnant mother continue her involvement in academic activities

Question:icdbd-QA/0009

Assalamualaikum, please give us a guideline regarding the following:

• whether a pregnant mother should still continue her involvement in academic activities (even an Islamic one) which requires her to go to distant university in the later stage of the pregnancy. it resembles those sisters who do not practice deen and go to their corporate office even week before the delivery. This is in the greater interest of increasing the number of Muslim community in future where the earning of knowledge can be deferred. Also whether completing studies in a worldly discipline or a Deeni one is any excuse to delay consummation of marriage and family planning. Please answer with respect to situation in Bangladesh.

Answer: [by Dr. Manzur-e-Elahi]

Alhamdulillah.

First : A pregnant mother should stop her academic activities at the later stage of the pregnancy. There is a hadeeth “ لا ضرر ولا ضرار” repoted by Imam Malik, Hakim, Baihaqi, Dara Qutni and Ibn Majah (Hasan hadeeth) which means “No harm should be done”. So the pregnant women should not work in a way which will be harmful for her. Sometimes it causes to the death of the baby. And Allah SWT says, “ولا تلقوا بأيديكم إلى التهلكة” (Al-Baqarah : 195) “And do not throw yourselves into destruction”. After passing this kind of crucial situation one may pursue her studies.

Second : Marriage of a girl should not be delayed with an excuse of completing studies. This is contrary to the Sunnah. The prophet SWS said,  إذا أتاكم من ترضون دينه وخلقه فأنكحوه   It means, If anybody comes to you whose deen and character you like, arrange his marriage (with any of your girls). In another hadeeth the prophet SWS  said   يا معشر الشباب ، من استطاع منكم الباءة فليتزوج ، فإنه أغض للبصر وأحصن للفرج which means, ‘o community of the youth, if anyone of you has the ability to marry, then he should marry. It is the best way to lower his gaze and the best protection of his chastity’. So, education should be in no way, the barrier to marry or to be married.

Third : Family planning on the permanent basis is not allowed according to the consensus opinion of the Muslim scholars. However, if it is for a short span of time in a darurah situation then it is permitted according to many scholars and Fiqh council of Muslim World league.

Allah SWT knows the best.