عنایت شریفی

Given the importance of increasing and decreasing procreation, the present study aims to address contradictory verses and narrations on this topic using a descriptive and analytical method and answer the question: ‘What are the solutions for resolving contradictory verses and narrations regarding the increase and decrease of procreation?’ The research findings show that by applying two solutions, namely governmental decrees and the rules of conflict, balance, and preference, the conflict among the verses and narrations in the field of prolificacy and population control is resolved. In the first approach, the verses and narrations of prolificacy and population control, based on the primary principle and rule, indicate the preference and desirability of increasing procreation. However, if the individual and social conditions of the Islamic community change, the primary rule may change. The ruler and the supreme jurisprudent can issue a decree according to the circumstances of the time. Consequently, both an increase and a decrease in procreation may occur in different times and conditions in the Islamic community, thus avoiding a conflict. In the second approach, considering that the contradictory verses and narrations in the field of prolificacy and population control are divided into three categories: Conflict between verses of prolificacy and verses of population control, conflict between verses and narrations of prolificacy and population control, and conflict between narrations of prolificacy and narrations of population control. In the conflict between verses of prolificacy and verses of population control, the verses of prolificacy are preferred. In the conflict between verses and narrations of prolificacy and population control, two scenarios are possible: Sometimes the verses of prolificacy conflict with the narrations of population control, in which case the verses of prolificacy are preferred because they are definite in meaning ( Dalālah ) and definite in origin ( Ṣudūr ), while the narrations of population control are speculative in meaning ( Dalālah ) and speculative in origin ( Ṣudūr ); and sometimes, the verses of population control conflict with the narrations of prolificacy. The narrations of prolificacy are preferred because the verses of population control do not indicate procreation and increasing progeny. In the conflict between narrations of prolificacy and narrations of population control, since the conflict between these narrations is of the type of absolute and restricted conflict, the narrations of population control are restricted by the narrations of prolificacy. Accordingly, according to the verses and narrations, the abundance and increase of procreation are desirable.