Is there no good in a barren woman? And is she rewarded for being deprived of bearing a child who would be raised with an Islamic upbringing?
Al-Bayhaqi narrated the hadith, "The best of your women are the affectionate (al-wadud), the fertile (al-walud), the compliant (al-muwatiyah), the sympathetic (al-muwasiyah), if they fear Allah. And the worst of your women are the openly beautified (al-mutabarrijat), the conceited (al-mutakhayyilat), and they are the hypocrites. None of them will enter Paradise except like the 'as'am raven," with two mursal (indirect) chains of narration. Al-Albani authenticated it based on the totality of its various chains. The meaning of "al-muwatiyah al-muwasiyah" is compliant with marriage, and "al-ghurab al-a'sam" (the 'as'am raven) refers to something rarely found, meaning that few of the openly beautified women will enter Paradise. The hadith does not imply that a barren woman is without goodness; rather, if she is more pious, she is better than a fertile woman. If she patiently endures deprivation of offspring, she will have the reward of patience. It is incumbent upon one who is deprived of procreation to supplicate to Allah and frequently seek forgiveness.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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