Sex and Society in Islam: Birth Control Before the Nineteenth Century (Cambridge Studies in Islamic Civilization)

About this book

In this study of birth control in the classical Islamic world Basim Musallam demonstrates the wide range of evidence available to dispel many assumptions that are rampant in many peoples beliefs. Medieval Arabic discussions of contraception and abortion in Islamic jurisprudence medicine materia medica belles lettres erotica and popular literature show that birth control was sanctioned by Islamic law and opinion. Contraceptive methods were available throughout pre-modern times and were used to meet social economic personal and medical needs. Sex and Society in Islam considers the impact of birth control as a factor in demographic change and therefore in social history.