Hysterectomy... what does Islam say about this?

Question

3 members of my family had severe dysmenorrhoea & endometriosis & got a hysterectomy.

In my last Q

http://au.answers.yahoo.com/question/?qid=20080724192547AASgA79

people said that sterilisation is not an acceptable birth control in Islam. What if the sterilisation is done for health reasons?

My mother also was sterilised after having 8 children. She has asthma. While pregnant with her 7th child she had pneumonia & nearly died (pregnancy drained her too much). While pregnant with no. 8, she got pneumonia & chicken pox (the 2nd time) & also was very close to death. She said she knew she could have chosen to let go of life. The doctors said she must not have any more children, so she was sterilised.

Also... what if the mother has fragile mental health/physical (me). I have prayed about this. I feel in my ♥ that 5 children is what God wants me to have, & I might not be able to care for them if I have more.

Do you believe there are exceptions when sterilisation would not be wrong?

Answer 1

If it were benifical to her health I don't believe it's haram. Just like if you need to break your fast during Ramadan because you are very sick and need medicine, you can. Allah doesn't want you to be sick, just like with your mother.

Answer 2

one has right to protect his/her life from disease,therefore this procedure is not disallowed,but if you fear that you may not feed your children due to poverty,then do not go through this procedure,if one is healthy

Answer 3

In the days of Muhammed there was no surgery even dreamed of as we have now so there is no Qur'anic or hadith verse which can help you no matter what men may tell you.  

It is my personal feeling that if a woman wants to be sterilised by her own choice..NOT forced upon her be family or religion or anything else but on the discussion between her and her own physician NOT directed by any man  ...then it is permissable.

Answer 4

Ask a scholar..better yet a Mufti because you're always going to get different answers from here. Only Mufti's are allowed to give fatwahs. Trust me it will be better off if you ask a scholar.

Answer 5

Me mam had to have a hysterectomy about 4yrs ago, we asked the Imam about it, he said if the woman's life is in danger then there is nothing wrong with it.

Answer 6

As the other answerers say, Islam has get-out clauses for when health is concerned. (It also has them for eating forbidden foods when the Muslim is starving.)

I am sure sterilisation is permissible, both for the sake of yourself and your children. However, speaking entirely apart from Islam for a moment, the big H is a major operation (I speak from the experience of women I know) and there are other methods of sterilisation your doctor can tell you about.

Answer 7

Birth control is not wrong in Islam under any circumstances.

And especially if there are health propblems that my occur, then there's nothing wrong with sterilization.

Answer 8

if for health reasons & a  womans life is in danger, yes hysterectomys are premissable.

Answer 9

why r u that religous????? do what ever u want....