Childfree: Between the Sacredness of Religion, Law, and the Social Reality

Abstract

One of the problems that arises as a result of cultural shifts in this contemporary era is the emergence of a social phenomenon known as childfree, a voluntary choice of married couples not to have children. This phenomenon is interesting to note because if this tendency is carried out by every family, human population on this world will continue to decline to a critical point. For that reason, religion, law and societal norms must appear in response to these social developments because, so far, the child's position in religious teachings, law and society has been a major component in the formation of future generations. This study aims to examine the childfree phenomenon through the perspective of Islamic law, national law and societal realities. This study is classified as a descriptive study, using a socio-religious approach. The results of this study concludes that the childfree phenomenon, if studied from the perspective of maqâshid syarî'ah and the living value in society, is contrary to the main goals and mission of marriage, where one of the purposes of marriage is to have children.