Fatwa ID: 03480

Answered by: Maulana Mustafa Umar​

Question

Someone is asking if not having children is a sin?

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Islam encourages having children. A man came to the Prophet (PBUH) and said: I have found a woman of rank and beauty, but she does not give birth to children. Should I marry her? He said: No. He came again to him, but he prohibited him. He came to him the third time, and he (the Prophet) said: Marry women who are loving and fertile, for I shall be proud of your large numbers over other communities.[1]

It is allowed to delay having children for a while or spacing out children, if there is some good reason for that, such as if the wife is ill or weak. However, it should not be done out of fear of poverty. Allah says, “Do not kill your children for fear of poverty. We shall provide for them as well as for you…” [17:31]

So, in a nutshell, it is not sinful to not have children, as long as it is done for a good reason. Consult scholars to determine if your reason is good or not.

Only Allah knows best

Written by Maulana Mustafa Umar

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham