<![CDATA[The decision of married couples to remain childfree has increasingly become a social phenomenon that has sparked considerable public debate. From the perspective of Islamic law, having children is regarded as one of the objectives of marriage, closely related to the preservation of lineage (hifz al-nasl). Consequently, the decision to remain childfree warrants a comprehensive legal analysis. This study aims to identify the factors influencing married couples' decisions to remain childfree and to examine the legal status of such decisions under Islamic law. This research employs a qualitative method using a library research approach. Data were collected from the Qur'an, Hadith, classical Islamic jurisprudential texts, fatwas, books, scholarly journals, and relevant previous studies. The data were analyzed through data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion drawing. The findings reveal that childfree decisions are influenced by personal, psychological and medical, economic, and philosophical factors. From the perspective of Islamic law, having children is regarded as a recommended act (mandub) and an important objective of marriage, but it is not considered a legal obligation. An analysis of the practice of 'azl (coitus interruptus), along with the views of classical and contemporary Muslim scholars, indicates that the decision to remain childfree is generally permissible when it is based on mutual agreement between spouses and supported by legitimate considerations of public benefit (maslahah), although it is viewed as foregoing the virtue of having offspring. Therefore, the legal status of childfree may be classified as mubah (permissible) or makruh (discouraged), depending on the underlying reasons and circumstances..]]>
