A man has four sons and wishes to stop having children, being content with the offspring he has so that he may devote himself to worshipping his Lord. Does he sin by doing so or not?

The questioner : A man has four sons and says that he wishes to stop having children and be content with the offspring he has so that he may devote himself to worshipping his Lord, because having many children is a distraction. Does he sin by doing so or not?

The Shaykh : Answer: This is a limited perspective. Raising children is an act of obedience to Allah. If your children are guided through your efforts, they will benefit you in life and after death, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Then we tell him that having many children increases the Muslim community. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) encouraged a person to marry a woman who is fertile and loving in order to have many children. He also informed us that he will boast to the prophets about his community on the Day of Resurrection, taking pride in their numbers. So the questioner should turn away from this inclination and have many children so that his provision increases and so that more people are guided through him. Let these children be a store for him in his life and after his death, and to realize the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) boasting on the Day of Resurrection.