Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed:
There is nothing wrong with marrying an infertile woman, and she must not be despised or belittled because she cannot have children. Although marrying a loving and fertile woman is preferable when this can be known, because the objectives of marriage are numerous and having children is not its only objective.
It is not correct to regard an infertile woman in an Islamic society as an outcast, even though such behavior may occur in some environments. In reality, many people marry women who cannot have children, and their marriages continue while the husband is aware of his wife’s condition.
The Islamic texts encourage marriage in general and do not make the ability to have children a condition for a valid marriage. Allah Almighty says:
﴿And marry off those among you who are unmarried and the righteous among your male and female servants. If they are poor, Allah will enrich them from His bounty. And Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing.﴾ [An-Nur: 32]
And He says:
﴿Then marry those women who seem good to you, two, three, or four.﴾ [An-Nisa: 3]
These texts do not distinguish between a fertile woman and a woman who cannot have children. Rather, they emphasize righteousness and good choice.
A person may marry for several purposes. He may seek religious commitment, beauty, good character, noble lineage, wealth, or he may find in marriage the fulfillment of chastity, stability, affection, and mercy.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“A woman is married for four things: her wealth, her lineage, her beauty, and her religion. So choose the one who is religious, may your hands be rubbed with dust.” Narrated by al-Bukhari (5090) and Muslim (1466).
Having children is an important objective of marriage, but it is not the only objective. Therefore, the inability to have children does not mean that marrying an infertile woman is useless or impermissible.
Infertility is not limited to women; it may occur in men as well as women. Allah Almighty says:
﴿To Allah belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. He creates what He wills. He grants female children to whom He wills, or He grants them both males and females, and He makes whom He wills infertile. Indeed, He is All-Knowing, All-Powerful.﴾ [Ash-Shura: 49–50]
Allah has attributed infertility to His decree and wisdom. Therefore, a Muslim should not make childlessness a reason for mockery, belittlement, or blame.
Whoever taunts an infertile person for their infertility is dealing with something beyond that person’s control. This is similar to mocking someone for being tall or short; creation and decree belong to Allah Almighty.
A believer should be content with Allah’s decree and understand that what Allah decrees for His servant may contain goodness that the person cannot perceive.
Allah Almighty mentions, in the story of the boy whom al-Khidr, peace be upon him, killed:
﴿As for the boy, his parents were believers, and we feared that he would overwhelm them with transgression and disbelief. So we intended that their Lord replace him with one better than him in purity and closer in affection.﴾ [Al-Kahf: 80–81]
This story teaches that a person may dislike something while Allah’s decree contains wisdom and goodness that he does not know.
It is authentically reported that the Prophet ﷺ said:
“Marry the loving and fertile woman, for I will boast of your great numbers before the nations.” Narrated by Abu Dawud (2050); graded Hasan by al-Albani.
This hadith indicates that it is recommended to choose a loving and fertile woman when this can be known, because having many children brings various Islamic benefits, including increasing the number of believers.
However, this recommendation does not mean that marrying an infertile woman is prohibited or that the marriage is invalid. The texts encouraging marriage are general, and the objectives of marriage are numerous.
Ibn Raslan, may Allah have mercy on him, mentioned in his commentary on the hadith “Marry the loving and fertile woman” that the recommendation to marry a fertile woman may be excluded when there is a benefit in marrying someone who is not fertile, such as when a person does not seek children from the marriage.
Shaykh Ibn Baz, may Allah have mercy on him, also said:
“There is nothing wrong with marrying an infertile woman. It is permissible and there is no harm in it. However, marrying a fertile and loving woman is better and more appropriate.”
He may marry her for several valid purposes, such as chastity, affection, mercy, stability, companionship, good marital relations, and other legitimate objectives.
If the man knows the woman’s condition before marriage and accepts it, there is nothing wrong with him marrying her. She should not be viewed as being of lesser worth or status because she cannot have children.
Marrying an infertile woman is permissible, and there is nothing wrong with it. Infertility is not a defect that justifies despising or belittling her. It is recommended to marry a loving and fertile woman when this is possible, because children bring benefits and increase the number of believers. However, this does not negate the permissibility of marrying an infertile woman, since marriage has other recognized objectives.
Infertility is part of Allah’s decree. A believer should respond to it with contentment and submission, treat those afflicted by it with kindness, and never shame them for something they cannot change.
And Allah knows best.