Did Imam al-Ghazali ﵀ Permit Sterilization?

Question

Question: A person says that five hundred years ago Imam al-Ghazali ﵀ wrote that a woman may undergo sterilization to preserve her beauty. Is this a statement of Imam al-Ghazali ﵀ or not? Is it permissible for a woman to undergo sterilization to preserve her beauty or not?

Answer

There is no mention of sterilization in the books of Imam al-Ghazali ﵀, and attributing this to him is wrong. Moreover, about 900 years have passed since Imam al-Ghazali ﵀; he did not even know such a name — the method of sterilization has only now come about.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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