Title: ISLAMIC TEACHINGS ON REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND FERTILITY TRANSITION IN MUSLIM-MAJORITY COUNTRIES
1ISLAMIC TEACHINGS ON REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND
FERTILITY TRANSITION IN MUSLIM-MAJORITY COUNTRIES
- Mehtab S. Karim, Ph.D.
- Head, Reproductive Health Program
- Professor of Demography
- Department of Community Health Sciences
- Aga Khan University
- mehtab.karim_at_aku.edu
2-
- As societies transform from a predominantly
traditional to a predominantly modem system they
tend to experience considerable demographic
changes. Ansley Coale (1984) notes that this
"transformation is the substitution of slow
growth achieved with low fertility and mortality
for slow growth maintained with relatively high
fertility and mortality rates."
3- During the 1960s and 70s while trying to
explain persistently high fertility in the
developing during, most Western Demographers had
taken the view that high fertility was generally
embedded in cultural and religious factors,
which encouraged high fertility in most countries
of Latin America, Africa and Asia. -
- In this respect, much more has been written
about high fertility among Muslims than about the
followers of any other religion.
4- For example even when no considerable
fertility decline was noted in any developing
country, Dudley Kirk (1966) in his review of
Muslim fertility, observed that - Muslim populations tended to have high
fertility, that there was no evidence of decline,
and that in a given country, Muslims tended to
have higher fertility than adherents of other
religions.
5- Caldwell took a similar view about sub-Saharan
Africa, arguing that high fertility rates in the
region , "have much to do with a religious
belief system, that operates directly to sustain
high fertility. - He further contended that in his study of several
developing countries, the commonest factor in
explaining high infant mortality was the
predominance of Muslim countries. He argued that
high infant mortality in these countries was due
to lower status assigned to women in theses
predominantly Muslim countries, which also leads
to higher fertility .
6- However, taking a broader view, Bongaarts, in his
theory of proximate determinants of fertility
postulates, that due to socio-biological factors,
fertility is likely to be lower than its
maximum value as a result of
? delayed female age at marriage, ?
higher use of contraception, ? high
prevalence of induced abortion and, ?
prolonged practice of breastfeeding
7- In Islamic scriptures, as recorded in the
revealed book the Quran and Hadith (sayings of
the Prophet), views on each of the four
proximate determinants of fertility are
available. - These issues have also been widely debated in the
writings of the early Muslim jurists and
scholars.
8- ISLAMIC TEAHINGS ON FAMILY PLANNING
9- In Islamic scriptures, as recorded in the
revealed book the Quran and Hadith (sayings of
the Prophet, PBUH), views on each of the four
proximate determinants of fertility are available
in the writings of the early Muslim jurists and
scholars.
10On Marriage
- Among His signs is this, that He created for
you mates from among yourselves, that you may
dwell in tranquillity with them The
Quran, Surah 3021 - The Prophet (PBUH) discouraged celibacy and
encouraged all Muslim males and females to get
married.
11- One finds general references in the Quran and
Hadith regarding marriageable age and the age of
sound judgment, without specifying a fixed age. - However, some scholars have argued that, if a
girl is married at too young age, an element
mentioned in the Quran of dwelling in
tranquillity could be missing.
12- Thus, Imam Abu Hanifa suggested an age of
marriage of 18 years for boys and 17 for girls. - Subsequently, these were adopted in the Ottoman
Family Law before the First World War.
13On Lactation
- Mothers shall suckle their children for two
whole years The Quran,
Surah 2233 - Imam Al-Ghazali was of the opinion that since
mother must breastfeed the children for two
years, therefore, while the mother is lactating,
to avoid another pregnancy, couples should
practice birth control.
14On Contraception
- In Hadith, azl (coitus interruptus) is mentioned
either as a saying of the Prophet or as his tacit
approval. The Prophets (PBUH) companion Jabir
relates - We used to have recourse to azl during the days
of the Prophet while the Quran was being
revealed. He came to know of it but he did not
prevent us from doing so.
15- Throughout the Middle Ages, Muslim physicians
instructed people on contraceptive methods. - Thus the most well known Muslim physician al-Razi
gave illustrations of the different methods of
contraception in his book Al-Hawi. He suggested
three ways for preventing conception - ? withdrawal
- ? prevention of ejaculation or
- ? apply to the uterus a tampon or a certain
- spermicide.
16 In sum, there was a general consensus among
early Muslim scholars that contraception is
permitted in Islam. However, most scholars
accept that contraception is not acceptable in
two situations ?if it is used to avoid having
female children or ? if it is used to avoid
parental responsibilities
17On Abortion
- Those who support abortion quote the following
verse - We created man from a product of wet earth.
Then placed him as a drop (of seed) in a safe
lodging. Then fashioned We the drop a clot,
then fashioned We the clot a little lump, then
fashioned We the little lump with bones, then
clothed the bones with flesh, and then produced
it as another creation.... The Quran,
Surah 2314
18Imam Bokhari quotes a Hadith of the Prophet
- All of us have been kept as a drop of seed which
remains in the shape of a drop in the mothers
womb for 40 days. Then for another 40 days, it
remains in the form of a clot of blood. Then
another 40 days it remains in the form of a lump
of flesh. Then an angel is sent to the fetus who
blows spirit (life) in to it.
19- The most recent formulation on abortion,
given by the grand Mufti of Egypt and Rector of
Al-Azhar reads as follows - During the first four months, fetal life is
not believed to be human. Thus, juristic
consensus exists only to the point that abortion
after four months amounts to taking a life, but
this limit may be set aside, if the mothers life
is at risk.
20Opposing Views
- Maulana Maududi, a highly respected scholar
from the Indian sub-continent makes the
following arguments in his book Birth control,
first published in 1943 - The birth control movement is a plot against
Islam. - To import birth control methods into developing
countries would be tantamount to ushering in
moral malaise and, - Women would feel free to join the labor force and
abandon their traditional roles.
21- Maulana Maududi, however, allowed the practice
of birth control if a couple so desires for
personal reason but not as a concern for
population growth
22Do Muslim countries have a typical demographic
pattern?
- In The Demography of Islamic Nations, Weeks
(1988) found noticeable regional and temporal
diversity in fertility among Muslim countries.
He argued that, - The single most remarkable demographic aspect of
Islamic societies is the nearly universal high
level of fertility.
23 Samuel P. Huntington in his well publicized
book, The Clash of Civilizations states The
Resurgence of Islam has been fueled by equally
spectacular rates of population growth
Population growth in Muslim countries, provides
recruits for fundamentalism, terrorism,
insurgency, and migration. thus demographic
growth threatens Muslim governments and
non-Muslim societies alike and Each of these
challenges is having and will continue to have
into the 21st century a highly destabilizing
impact on global politics
24- In a monograph on Reproductive Behaviour in
Muslim Countries (1997), which I prepared for
UNFPA in 1997, based on the analyses of DHS data
from 12 Muslim countries, I had had taken the
view that - while poor socioeconomic conditions might have
played an important role in maintaining high
fertility in Muslim countries, more recently
effective family planning programs coupled with
high female literacy seem to have become major
factors in achieving fertility transition in
these countries.
25- Post 9/11 there has been considerable
interest in Muslim population living around the
World. - For example, the Economist of London came out
with a special issue on 13th September, 2003,
with an estimated population of 1.5 billion and
the following regional distribution
26Distribution of Muslim Population by Region
27I am of the view that
- Demographic transition begun in most of the
Muslim-majority countries at some time over the
past two decades, and in some, it has moved very
rapidly. Elsewhere, there is only little evidence
of the onset of fertility decline. - I support my view with the following data and
illustrations
28AN OVERVIEW OF DEMOGRAPHIC TRANSITION IN MUSLIM
MAJORITY COUNTRIES 1970-2000
- of countries with CDR
- of 1970 2000
- 25 10 0
- 20-24 6 4
- 15-19 12 7
- 10-15 10 6
- 5-9 5 18
- lt5 0 8
- Total 43 43
- of countries with CBR
- of 1970 2000
- 45 28 6
- 40-44 4 8
- 35-39 8 4
- 30-34 2 3
- 25-29 1 7
- 20-24 0 8
- lt20 0 7
- Total 43 43
29Trends in Fertility Decline 1960-2000
- Till the early 1960s, fertility rates in
almost all Muslim countries were fairly high.
During the past 40 years many countries have
experienced substantial declines. The most
dramatic regional declines occurred in North
Africa, where Egypt began with the greatest early
decline, quickly joined by Tunisia, Morocco, and
Algeria. All three South-East Asian countries
experienced similar declines. -
30- Thus, in a majority of countries in the
Muslim world, there is considerable evidence of
demographic transition, particularly in
fertility, during the past 25 years. - Muslim countries in East and West Africa saw
only modest declines in fertility, while in Asia,
Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen and Oman were the
exceptions. The most remarkable recent declines
on the other hand, were experienced by Bangladesh
and Iran. - Regional trends in fertility declines are
demonstrated in the following illustrations.
31Fertility Decline in North and North-East African
Countries
32Fertility Decline in West African Countries
33Fertility Decline in West Asian Countries
34Fertility Decline in South-Central Asian
Countries
35Fertility Decline in South-East Asian Countries
8
6.7
6.7
7
6
5.4
4.7
5
4.4
4.2
4
TFR
2.9
2.5
3
2.4
2
1
0
1960-65
Malaysia
Indonesia
1975-80
Brunie
Daressalam
2000-05
36(No Transcript)
37IN CONCLUSION
There appears to be no typical pattern of
reproductive behavior which could be described as
Islamic. Islam as such seems to be neither a
hindrance nor a stimulating factor in fertility
decline. It seems that governments in most
Muslim countries, due to a pragmatic thinking
have adopted a positive approach to birth
control. However, with a few exceptions,
contraceptive use rate is low and consequently
fertility is high in some Muslim countries,
similar to other countries in the same region.
38- Recently Prof. Mehtab Karim co-edited a book
with Prof. Gavin Jones on Islam, the State and
Population. Hearst Co. London. 2005