Lentera:Indonesian Journal of Multidisciplinary Islamic Studies
Vol 8 No 1 (2026): Lentera: Indonesian Journal of Multidisciplinary Islamic Studies

Financial Literacy, Career Ambitions, and Childfree Decisions among Millennial Couples in Pidie Jaya: A Maqāṣid al-Sharī‘ah Perspective

Muhammad Jafar (STIS Ummul Ayman Pidie jaya)
Miftahul Jannah (Universitas Islam Negeri Ar-Raniry)



Article Info

Publish Date
24 Jun 2026

Abstract

This study examines the phenomenon of childless living among millennial couples in Pidie Jaya Regency, a region characterised by strong Islamic and Acehnese cultural values. The research aims to analyse how financial literacy and career ambitions influence couples’ decisions to remain childless, using Maqāṣid al-Sharī‘ah as a critical analytical framework. Employing a qualitative descriptive method, data were collected through in-depth interviews with ten selected millennial couples. Empirical findings indicate that financial literacy and career aspirations contribute to a risk-mitigation approach to family planning among the informants. Rather than signifying a total paradigm shift in society, this phenomenon reflects micro-level adaptation by specific couples facing the complexities of the modern economy. Analysed through Maqāṣid al-Sharī‘ah, the findings reveal a dynamic tension between the traditional priority of ḥifẓ al-nasl (preservation of lineage) and the couples’ direct focus on ḥifẓ al-māl (protection of property) and ḥifẓ al-nafs (protection of life/mental well-being). This study concludes that the decision not to have children among these particular couples constitutes a renegotiation of individual family planning, driven by financial and psychological readiness. This research contributes to sociological studies of Islamic family law by providing empirical evidence of how traditional theological narratives are critically navigated by the millennial generation in semi-rural societies.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

lentera

Publisher

Subject

Religion Humanities Economics, Econometrics & Finance Education Law, Crime, Criminology & Criminal Justice Social Sciences

Description

LENTERA invites scholars, researchers, and students to contribute the result of their studies and researches in the areas related to Islam, Muslim society, and other religions which covers textual and fieldwork investigation with various perspectives of law, philosophy, mysticism, history, art, ...