(asked from Glasgow, UK) Can a Muslim couple decide for themselves how many children they want, or does Islam have a ruling on this?
Answered by
Dr. Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, Shaykh Ibn Uthaymin, Islamic Fiqh Council
Islam does not prescribe a fixed number of children every couple must have, meaning there is no verse in the Quran or authentic hadith that mandates two, three, or any specific number as an obligation every Muslim family must meet regardless of their circumstances. However, the Prophet ﷺ clearly expressed his love for a large and noble Muslim ummah, encouraging Muslims to marry and have children in numbers that would make him proud on the Day of Judgement, showing that the general Islamic direction strongly favors welcoming children rather than limiting them for reasons of comfort or lifestyle preference alone. Scholars agree that limiting children for genuine valid reasons such as serious health concerns, financial inability to provide properly, or the physical well-being of the mother falls within acceptable Islamic boundaries since Islam never places a burden on a soul beyond what it can bear. What scholars consistently caution against is limiting children purely for worldly reasons such as maintaining a certain lifestyle, avoiding the difficulty of parenting, or following cultural trends that treat large families as outdated or burdensome. The couple's sincere intention and genuine circumstances are what Allah looks at, not the final number itself. Allah knows best.
Sourced by D'amour Muslim
