A Review of the Mental Readiness of Married Couples from an Islamic Law Perspective as a Reason for Choosing Childfree
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59944/743738Keywords:
Childfree, Kesiapan Mental, Hukum Islam, Pasangan Suami IstriAbstract
The phenomenon of childfree, whether temporary or permanent, occurs in modern society due to financial considerations, health issues, and the mental unpreparedness of prospective parents. This phenomenon triggers a legal dilemma because the choice to refuse to have children fundamentally clashes with the principle of preserving offspring (ḥifẓ al-nasl) in Islam. This study aims to analyze the legal position of Islamic law regarding childfree decisions based on mental readiness and to balance these psychological considerations within the framework of Maqashid syari’ah. The research method used is a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) using the PRISMA 2020 flow that includes the stages of identification, screening, eligibility, and inclusion. Data searches were conducted through the Google Scholar database with inclusion and exclusion criteria to filter relevant scientific articles published in the last five years. The results of the literature synthesis indicate that childfree decisions are driven by an accumulation of internal driving factors, while marital readiness and relationship success are largely determined by emotional, mental, and financial maturity, as well as the quality of interpsychological communication between partners. In addition, Islamic law and positive law both show a flexible view and make a strict distinction between the act of temporarily postponing pregnancy and permanently refusing the presence of a child. In conclusion, although permanent childfree without a valid reason is contrary to ḥifẓ al-nasl, Islamic law provides relief through the principle of protection of life (ḥifẓ al-nafs), so that a temporary postponement is permitted on the basis of an agreement and permanent sterilization is permitted if it is based on an urgent syar'i reason to prevent greater harm.
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