Ruling on one who says that the poverty of Muslims is because they have too many children

We think that this opinion is wrong, because it is Allah, may
He be exalted, who grants abundant provision to whomever He wills or grants
it in scant measure. The reason is not the large size of the population,
because there is no creature on earth but its provision is granted by Allah,
but Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, gives and withholds on the basis
of wisdom. 

Our advice to the one who holds such views is that he should
fear Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, and give up this false belief.
He should understand that no matter how much the population of the world
increases, if Allah so willed, He could grant them all abundant provision,
but Allah says in His Book (interpretation of the meaning):

“And if Allah
were to enlarge the provision for His slaves, they would surely rebel in the
earth, but He sends down by measure as He wills. Verily! He is in respect of
His slaves, the Well-Aware, the All-Seer (of things that benefit them)”

[ash-Shoora 42:27]. 

Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) 

Fataawa ‘Ulama’ al-Balad al-Haraam
(p. 1084)

Undoubtedly calling for restrictions or reductions on the
numbers of children one has is contrary to the command of the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) who said: “Marry women who are
loving and fertile, for I shall be proud of your large numbers before other
nations.” Narrated by Abu Dawood (2050); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in
Irwa’ al-Ghaleel (1784)

Allah, may He be exalted, has guaranteed provision for all
creatures, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And no
(moving) living creature is there on earth but its provision is due from
Allah”

[Hood 11:6].

Opposing population increase, whether by imposing means of
contraception or abortion or otherwise, based on the belief that resources
are not sufficient for an increased population, or that the interests of
humanity dictate reduction in population growth, this is explicitly denying
the Lordship of Allah and His care for His creation, and the abundance of
His provision. It is akin to the beliefs of the polytheists, who used to
kill their children for fear of poverty. Allah, may He be exalted, says
(interpretation of the meaning):

“kill not
your children because of poverty – We provide sustenance for you and for
them”

[al-An‘aam 6:151]

“And kill not
your children for fear of poverty. We provide for them and for you. Surely,
the killing of them is a great sin”

[al-Isra’ 17:31].

The large size of the ummah is one of the blessings of Allah,
may He be exalted, for which He deserves to be thanked and He alone deserves
to be worshipped. Hence Allah, may He be exalted, tells us that His Prophet
Shu‘ayb (peace be upon him) reminded his people of some of the blessings
that Allah had bestowed upon them, as he said (interpretation of the
meaning):

“And remember when you were but few, and He multiplied you”

[al-A‘raaf 7:86].

The large size of the ummah is one of the means of its
strength and victory over its enemies. Hence Allah, may He be exalted, says
concerning the Children of Israel (interpretation of the meaning):

“Then We gave you once again, a return of victory over them.
And We helped you with wealth and children and made you more numerous in man
power”

[al-Isra’ 17:7].

According to a future study about Egypt, Dr Muhammad Sayyid
Ghallaab said:

Population increase has never been a burden, and it is not
right to regard it as such in the coming century, for it is what allowed
Egypt to achieve progress in all eras.

According to another study, Dr Mustafa al-Fiqqi indicates
that one of the most important factors that allowed Egypt to play an
influential role in the Arab world is that it is regarded as the storehouse
of human resources.

Prof Khurshid Ahmad, the expert economist, says:

In the future, prevalence and power can only be on the side
of countries that enjoy an increase in population and at the same time are
advanced in various scientific fields. There is nothing that could enable
the Western nations to maintain their international dominance and leadership
apart from trying to support the movement that promotes population control
and contraception in Asia and Africa. For that reason, the Western countries
today are striving their utmost to increase their own populations, but at
the same time they are resorting to the best media and propaganda methods
that they have in order to support the population control movement in Asian
and African countries.

He also said:

How true are the words of Organski [an American thinker] who
said: In the future, power will only be on the side of the camp that has the
greater number of people.

He also said:

It is obvious to the student of history that population size
is of fundamental political significance. Therefore every civilisation or
superpower has focused its efforts on increasing its population during the
stages of its rise and development. Hence the well-known historian Prof.
Will Durant regards having a large population is one of the most important
means of civil progress. Prof Arnold Toynbee also regards increasing the
population size as one of the most important challenges to be met in order
for any human civilization to exist and progress.

In order to avoid any misinterpretation of what is stated
above, we should note that population increase on its own is not sufficient
to achieve progress, establish a civilisation and prevail over the enemy.
Rather it is an essential means of achieving that, but it is not the only
means, because it should be accompanied by a strong education system, sound
upbringing of the new generation, the establishment of justice and security
in society, and fighting corruption, and –  over and above all of that –
faith and piety. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the
meaning):

“And if the
people of the towns had believed and had the Taqwa (piety), certainly, We
should have opened for them blessings from the heaven and the earth, but
they belied (the Messengers). So We took them (with punishment) for what
they used to earn (polytheism and crimes, etc.)”

[al-A‘raaf 7:96].

The voices of the enemies of Islam have begun to cry out,
warning against the large numbers of Muslims, and saying that this is one of
the main dangers that threaten them.

In a book entitled Changes in the Geography of the Middle
East by Prof. Arnon Soffer (1984 CE) – which is a textbook in the Jewish
state that is regarded as a reference work for specialists there – the
writer states that the high population increase in Egypt is of concern to
Israel, because of the possibility of establishing a strong army.

On 19/1/1988 the Daily Telegraph newspaper published
an article entitled “The Population Time-Bomb in the Mediterranean Basin”,
in which the author discusses this issue that gives the West sleepless
nights, namely the great population increase in the countries to the
south-east of the Mediterranean, and the population decline of the countries
to its north. The article quotes a report of the United Nations Environment
Program which states that two-thirds of the inhabitants of the Mediterranean
in the nineteen-fifties were European, in countries extending from the
Straits of Gibraltar to the Bosporus, but this picture will be reversed by
2025, when the Mediterranean will become an Islamic – if not Arab – sea.

This article indicates, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that
the one who propagates the issues of population control and restricting
population increase among the Muslims, and supports all activities that are
striving to achieve that under many slogans, such as family planning, social
planning and so on… We say that the one who supports that is only serving
the enemies of Islam and the Muslims and is working in their interests,
whether they are aware of that or not.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

As for the view that supports population control, this is
undoubtedly one of the plots of the enemies of the Muslims, who want the
Muslims not to increase in number, because the very idea scares them, for
the Muslims will become self-sufficient and will not need anyone else; thus
the Muslims will be able to produce their own food and establish their own
businesses, and that will lead to improvement in the economy and serve other
interests and aims. But if the Muslims remain few, they will become
humiliated and will need others in everything. End quote.

Tafseer Soorat al-Baqarah
(2/88)

Finally, we need to increase the population, along with
Islamization of development plans, Islamization of regulations, and
Islamization of laws, in addition to benefitting from modern sciences. 

For more information, please see the book Harakat Tahdeed
an-Nasl (Birth Control Movement) by Abu’l-A‘la al-Mawdoodi (Maududi) (p.
178-186); Majallat al-Bayaan (issue no, 11/107, 191)

And Allah knows best.