<![CDATA[The childfree movement has emerged as a contemporary issue that sparks debate in modern society, including within the framework of Islamic law. A married couple’s decision not to have children is influenced by various factors, including economic considerations, career, mental health, individual freedom, and concerns about social and environmental conditions. This study aims to examine women’s reproductive rights in marriage and to analyze the childfree movement directly through the maqāṣid al-sharī‘ah approach, connecting contemporary childfree choices with the objectives of marriage (maqāṣid al-nikāḥ), the principle of benefit (maṣlaḥah), and the changing social context. The method employed is normative legal research (qualitative) conducted through library research, treating the Qur’an, hadith, classical and contemporary fiqh, and works on maqāṣid al-sharī‘ah as authoritative legal sources rather than as mere data. The results show that, although the continuation of progeny constitutes one of the principal objectives of marriage, the preservation of progeny (ḥifẓ al-nasl) operates at the level of maqāṣid and does not automatically impose upon every couple a legal obligation to procreate. Women’s reproductive rights are best understood in relation to the reciprocal rights and obligations of the spouses, mutual consent, and maṣlaḥah. Temporary reproductive regulation, such as ‘azl and the spacing or postponement of pregnancy, is permissible when it rests on valid grounds such as protecting the mother’s health and does not contradict the principles of sharī‘ah, whereas a permanent refusal of progeny generates divergent scholarly views. The study advances the discussion by proposing that a permanent childfree decision is not subject to a single fixed ruling: it may be judged permissible, restricted, or requiring further juristic consideration depending on the couple’s motives, circumstances, and consequences, assessed through the interaction of ḥifẓ al-nasl, maṣlaḥah, lā ḍarar wa lā ḍirār, spousal consent, and family responsibility. Accordingly, the childfree movement should be understood proportionally through a contextual fiqh assessment rather than through absolute acceptance or rejection.]]>
