Helping one’s wife during childbirth

Question

Question: The respected Nur Muhammad, the imam of the mosque, a resident of the small town of Bandh in Rawalpindi District, helped his pregnant wife at midnight at the time of delivering the child: because of the cold of the night and other impediments he could not call the midwife (qabila), and husband and wife together carried out the task. After bathing the boy, he gave the adhan in his ears.

Answer

According to the Shari‘a this act is not haram and impermissible; those who call it impermissible are in error. Treating the imam with such humiliation on account of such an act is gross foolishness and ignorance — indeed, a sin (ma‘siya). It is wajib for these villagers and village ‘ulama to repent and to ask the imam’s forgiveness.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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