In his talk to the Imams and female preachers of Zanzibar, Al-Azhar Grand Imam’s Deputy, "The child’s right of upbringing and education is a duty of the family and society".
- "Family planning is a legitimate right in case of inability to fulfill paternity duties."
Sheikh Ṣaliḥ ‛Abbās, Al-Azhar Grand Imam's Deputy, said that Islam is keen on exalting the value of responsibility. Every human being is responsible for whatever assigned tasks he can afford. He stressed that the role of the family in taking the responsibility of bringing up children properly, including the commitment to care for their health, is a pivotal role in the rise of society and the protection of family members.
During his talk to the Imams and female preachers of Zanzibar on family planning, Sheikh Ṣaliḥ ‛Abbās added that the children's basic rights of family upbringing, education and care of all kinds, most notably health care, are a mutual duty of the family and the society. Such rights should be made available and protected so that no child is deprived of them anywhere.
Al-Azhar Grand Imam’s Deputy explained that Islam cares for developing man, his personality and his body so that he may be qualified to perform his assigned job. There is no doubt that the good human being is able to master his work, the case which positively reflects itself on the nations and leads to their rise and progress.
Sheikh Ṣaliḥ concluded his speech noting that whoever cannot afford marriage burdens and responsibilities should hold on to patience till marriage conditions are made available to them. In addition, those who are unlikely to carry out the duties of paternity, it is right for them to seek legitimate means to delay the procreation temporarily, to family plan, given that the spouses agree to do that, and when they both are satisfied with that in order to best serve the interests of the family.
It is worth mentioning that the visit of Al-Azhar Grand Imam’s Deputy and the accompanied delegation to Zanzibar comes within the joint cooperation between the International Center for Population Studies at Al-Azhar University, and the southern countries of Africa. This cooperation deals with family planning from an Islamic perspective, with the aim to enhance knowledge and understanding about Islam and reproductive health. It is also meant to educate religious leaders on the accurate interpretation of Islam, family planning and other issues related to reproductive health and the right to procreate.