❀ ʿAzl: Sharʿi Clarification of Wād Khafī and Muʾaddah Ṣughrā ❀
Source: Ahkam wa Masail, Nikah ke Masail, Vol. 1, Page 323
❖ Question
In one Hadith it is mentioned that ʿazl is wād khafī:
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim – Kitāb al-Nikāḥ – Bāb Jawāz al-Ghīlah wa Hiya Waṭʾ al-Murḍiʿ wa Karāhah al-ʿAzl)
Whereas in another Hadith it is mentioned that the Jews said that ʿazl is muʾaddah ṣughrā, so the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“كذبتِ اليهودُ“
(Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī – Abwāb al-Nikāḥ – Bāb Mā Jāʾa fī al-ʿAzl)
These two Ahadith apparently seem contradictory. However, to my knowledge there is no contradiction. One states that it is wād khafī, while the other denies it being muʾaddah ṣughrā. Meaning, ʿazl is not muʾaddah ṣughrā, and muʾaddah ṣughrā refers to wād jalī, whereas the Hadith describes ʿazl as wād khafī.
❖ Answer
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu waṣ-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, Ammā Baʿd!
You have understood the matter correctly. The reality is as follows:
◈ The Jews regarded ʿazl as wād jalī — an obvious form of killing offspring.
◈ In truth, however, ʿazl is not wād jalī but rather wād khafī — a concealed method.
For this reason, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ rejected the claim of the Jews and said:
«كذبتِ اليهودُ»
(Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī – Abwāb al-Nikāḥ – Bāb Mā Jāʾa fī al-ʿAzl)
Meaning: The Jews have lied — because they considered ʿazl as muʾaddah ṣughrā (a type of killing offspring), which falls under the category of wād jalī. However, Shariʿah has classified it as wād khafī.
Thus, there is no contradiction between the two Ahadith, rather both are harmonious in meaning:
◈ One Hadith explains the nature of ʿazl (that it is wād khafī).
◈ The other Hadith refutes the misconception of the Jews (that it is muʾaddah ṣughrā, which belongs to wād jalī).
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
