Is it permissible to refrain from marriage for fear that one's wife may become a co-wife in the future, bearing in mind a strong disinclination towards motherhood?
Marriage falls under the five legal rulings [obligatory, recommended, permissible, discouraged, forbidden], and it may be obligatory for one who fears falling into fornication. It is a means of achieving many worldly and otherworldly benefits, including: fulfilling desires, increasing progeny, striving for the Hereafter, fulfilling Allah's will for the continuation of the human species, obeying the command of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and ensuring righteous descendants. Performing it, when one has desire, is better than voluntary acts of worship because of its benefits, such as protecting one's chastity, having offspring, and increasing the Muslim nation. These benefits should not be forfeited due to intense jealousy or fear of the husband marrying again in the future. A woman has the right to stipulate to her husband that he will not marry another, and Allah may remove jealousy. An unwillingness to experience motherhood does not justify abandoning this and forfeiting the aforementioned benefits.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/178016
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 178016
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy