🧭 Preparation & choosing a spouse · #60

My prospective spouse has told me they are infertile or do not want children. How should I decide?

Value their honesty, then assess honestly whether you can accept a life without children of your own; both choices are valid in the Shariah.
Allah grants sons, daughters or both to whom He wills, and makes barren whom He wills (ash-Shura 42:49–50). Infertility is no shame, and the Prophet ﷺ had no children with most of his wives. Yet the wish for children is a legitimate right, and the Prophet ﷺ encouraged choosing a loving and fertile spouse (Sunan Abu Dawud 2050). Discuss: has the condition been confirmed by a doctor and is there treatment; are there options such as adoption or caring for nieces and nephews; and if they "do not want" children, what is the reason? Do not marry hoping they will change their mind. See Fertility.

Sources

Surah asy-Syura 42:49Surah asy-Syura 42:50Sunan Abu Dawud 2050 (sahih)

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This answer is general reference, not a fatwa. For your situation, consult the religious affairs office, a Syarie lawyer or your state Syariah Court.

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