Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Dear brother Burhan,

Salaam alaikum. I have a question specific to children being born disabled.

Science says that normally children are born disabled if the mother is malnourished or proper pre-natal care is not taken. Some Shia sects have it written in their religious books that if the parents have intercourse on certain nights, then the child born from that action will be disabled, either deaf, have extra limb, short limb, etc., etc.

My wife and I are planning on having a baby soon. Is there any advice from the Quran or from the Hadiths of our Propher (p.b.u.h) that I could follow to ensure that the child born will be free from any birth defects or disabilities?

Thank you.

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Disabled children

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Statement: Science says that normally children are born disabled if the mother is malnourished or proper pre-natal care is not taken.

Beloved brother, there are some medical theories which hold the opinion that a child might be born disabled if the mother is malnourished or proper pre-natal care is not taken….and although it is possible and probable that these may be the physical causes or ‘asbaabs’, but the Absolute and Undeniable Truth is that it is Allah Subhanah Alone Who Decrees and Forms and Bestows Life upon each individual as and when and how He Alone Wills and Pleases.

It is also possible that disabled children are born even of very well-nourished mothers who have taken excellent pre-natal care!

Your Statement: Some Shia sects have it written in their religious books that if the parents have intercourse on certain nights, then the child born from that action will be disabled, either deaf, have extra limb, short limb, etc., etc.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 7 Surah Aaraaf verses 189-199:

189 It is He (Allah) Who created you from a single person, and made his mate of like nature in order that he might dwell with her (in love). When they are united she bears a light burden (pregnancy) and carries it about. When she grows heavy, they (the parents) both pray to Allah their Lord (saying): "if Thou givest us a goodly (and sound) child we vow we shall (ever) be grateful (to Allah Alone)."

190 But when He (Allah) gives them a goodly (and sound) child, they ascribe to others a share in the gift they have received! But Allah is Exalted High above the partners they ascribe to Him!

191 Do they indeed ascribe to Him as partners things that can create nothing but are themselves created?

192 No aid can they (their self-invented partners) give them, nor can they aid themselves!

193 If ye call them to guidance they will not obey: for you it is the same whether ye call them or ye hold your peace!

194 Verily those whom ye call upon besides Allah are servants like unto you: call upon them and let them listen to your prayer if ye are (indeed) truthful!

195 Have they feet to walk with? or hands to lay hold with? or eyes to see with? or ears to hear with? Say: "Call your god-partners and scheme (your worst) against me and give me no respite!

196 For my protector is Allah Who revealed the Book (the Al-Quran), and He will choose and befriend the righteous.

197 But those whom ye call upon besides Him (Allah) are unable to help you and indeed to help themselves."

198 If thou callest them to guidance they hear not. Thou wilt see them looking at thee but they see not.

199 Hold to forgiveness; command what is right; but turn away from the ignorant!

Your Statment: Some Shia sects have it written in their religious books that if the parents have intercourse on certain nights, then the child born from that action will be disabled, either deaf, have extra limb, short limb, etc., etc.

Allah is our witness brother, there is no night, no day, no person, no thing, ABSOLUTELY NO NOTHING in creation which has the power to bestow life to one, or cause one’s child to be born sound and good, or cause one’s child to be born disabled… but Allah Subhanah Alone, and we reiterate Allah subhanah Alone, possesses all Power and all Strength.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verse 17:

17 If Allah touch thee with affliction none can remove it but He; if He touch thee with happiness He hath power over all things.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 35 Surah Fatir verse 2:

2 What Allah out of His Mercy doth bestow on mankind, there is none who can withhold (His Mercy): what He doth withhold, there is none who can grant apart from Him: and He is the Exalted in Power, Full of Wisdom.

Allah is our witness brother, if Allah Wills to bestow a sound child to one in His creation, no combination of anything in creation has the power in the least to withhold Allah’s gifts and mercies; and Allah Subhanah is our witness, if the Lord All-Wise Wills to put one amongst His creation in a trial by bestowing them with a disabled child, no combination of anything in creation can change or avert the Decree and Plan of Allah Subhanah! Thus the true believers who sincerely believe in Allah and the Last Day, must keep their full trust and belief and hope in their Lord Creator and Sustainer, Allah Subhanah Alone!

If one were ignorant enough to believe or fear that the conceiving of a child on a certain night has the ability by itself to make a child sound or disabled, then Allah is our witness, such a belief and fear is tantamount to the abomination of ‘shirk’ or associating partners with Allah Subhanah in his God-head!!!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 10 Surah Yunus verses 106-107:

And do not call besides Allah, any being that can neither do you any good nor any harm. For if you will do so, you shall be one of the doers of wrong (shirk). If Allah afflicts you with a calamity, there is none to remove it, but He Himself. Likewise, if Allah wills to bestow a favor on you, there is none to withhold Allah’s bounty. He bestows His bounty on anyone of His servants He wills. And He is The Forgiving, The Merciful.

Beloved brother in Islam, believe with absolute and total conviction that no night, no day, no thing, ABSOLUTELY NO NOTHING in creation has the power or ability to harm or bring benefit to anyone in the ‘unseen’!!! All Power and All Strength belongs to none except our Lord Creator, Allah Subhanah! Exalted and High is Allah our Lord far above the things the ignorant associate with Him!

Your Question: My wife and I are planning on having a baby soon. Is there any advice from the Quran or from the Hadiths of our Propher (p.b.u.h) that I could follow to ensure that the child born will be free from any birth defects or disabilities?

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 42 Surah Shura verses 48-50:

48 ……….. Thy duty is but to convey (the Message). And truly when We give man a taste of Mercy from Ourselves He doth exult thereat; but when some ill happens to him on account of the deeds which His hands have sent forth, truly then is man ungrateful!

49 To Allah belongs the Dominion of the heavens and the earth! He creates what He Wills (and Plans). He bestows (children) male or female according to His Will.

50 Or He bestows both males and females, and He leaves barren whom He Wills: for He Alone is Full of Knowledge and Power.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 9.561 Narrated by Abu Huraira

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: ‘Allah's Prophet Sulaimaan (a.s.) who had many wives, once said, "Tonight I will have sexual relation with all my wives so that each of them will become pregnant and bring forth (a boy who will grow into) a cavalier and will fight in Allah's Cause." So he slept with his wives and none of them (conceived) a child, except one, who brought forth a deformed boy. Prophet Mohamed (saws) then said, " If Sulaimaan (a.s) had only said; 'If Allah Wills' (along with his intention), then each of those wives would have delivered a (would-be) cavalier to fight in Allah's Cause!"

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 8.397 Narrated by Ibn Abbas

The Prophet (saws) said, "If anyone of you, when intending to have a sexual intercourse with his wife, says: 'Bismillah, Allahumma jannibna-sh-shaitan, wa jannibi-sh-shaitan ma razaqtana (In the name of Allah. O Allah! Protect us from the Shaytaan, and also protect what you bestow upon us (i.e. the coming offspring) from the Shaytaan); and if the couple are destined to have a child (out of that very sexual relation), then the Shaytaan will never be able to harm that child."

Dear and beloved brother in Islam, all you need to do is keep your full trust, belief, and hope in none save The One and Only Lord and Creator, Allah Subhanah; seek refuge in Him and Him Alone from the evil and accursed Shaytaan, and conclude your intentions always with the declaration of ‘Insha Allah’; if Allah Subhanah then Wills and Pleases, He will bestow upon you what your heart desires.

If one trusts, obeys, and follows the guidance and commands of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of never ever being misled; but if one believes, obeys and follows any other guidance, other than that of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of being led astray.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan