Oleh: Ayu Apriliya Kusuma 

Lately, couples have begun to adopt a lifestyle through marriage with a commitment not to want to have children. The term trend is called childfree, which was deliberately for various reasons, ranging from health, mental, economic, and social factors behind the couple's decision to do so. Childfree refers to a person's refusal to have children that has been planned from the start as a consequence of a marriage.

The global urban community is beginning to appreciate this childfree lifestyle for social, economic, health, and mental reasons such as aversion to having children from fathers and mothers with tumultuous family backgrounds, economic security, and being free of the shackles of pregnancy and childbirth. Maafi, Deputy Secretary of the PBNU Bahtsul Masail Institute (LBM), asserts there was a problem with Ulama making mistakes.

According to KH Mahbub Maafi, as Deputy Secretary of the PBNU Bahtsul Masail Institute (LBM), some academics believe that if this problem is well-done, the marriage would be lawful, and these conditions will be null and void. These conditions that are canceled, according to Kiai Mahbub, are deficiencies in the continuity of marriage that must to avoided. Other experts believe that doing so would result in an invalid marriage, so the reason has convinced to violate the core of the marital contract: Having children is one of the most important aspects of marriage.

Afterwards, what did the Prophet Muhammad's utterance, which directed him to marry a fertile lady, mean? When humans marry, they protruded to have children. Kiai Mahbub explained. One of the most important aspects of marriage is having children. This was also the utterance of the Prophet, who commanded that fertile women be married, as continued by Kiai Mahbub. One of the essences of marriage is to have children, this is also the message of the Prophet who ordered to marry fertile women.

He also noted that if a husband and wife plan to be reluctant to have children while being biologically viable, they have met the essential conditions of marriage. Pregnancy and childbirth, especially for Muslim women, are a natural part of life that must obey. In terms of the economic motivations that follow childless perpetrators, it is thought that he cannot be justified, both in terms of fiqh and logic.

If that is the case, according to Kiai Mahbub, the person in question is minimizes Allah SWT's role in determining the fate and sustenance of each of His servants. Humans are becoming increasingly complicated, as though they do not believe in God's provision. He responded: This is the same as underestimating God. Childlessness for economic reasons is distinct from limiting the number of children, often known as Planned Parenthood or Keluarga Berencana in Indonesia (KB).

In addition, Kiai Mahbub asserts that planned parenthood is permissible for economic and social purposes because it does not violate the essence of marriage and human nature. Childlessness for economic reasons is distinct from limiting the number of children, that most popularly known as Planned Parenthood in Indonesia. Kiai Mahbub further highlighted that humans, particularly Muslims, are obligated to have offspring to prolong their life on the planet.

"Tazawwajuu al-waduda fa-innimukaasyirun bikumul-umam." as the Prophet Muhammad SAW put it. In addition, Prophet Muhammad asserts that: Marry a lady who loves and is capable of haven many children, since I shall be proud of (the number of) you in front of the previous peoples. This argument is widely seen as a powerful motivator for Muslims to have children when they marry. He further emphasized that anybody who lives on this planet has Allah SWT orchestrated all of his sustenance and destiny. In addition, do not be concerned about the economy, our descendants' good or poor fortunes, or anything else related to heredity. Allah SWT will not allow a single material on earth to escape the power of Allah Almighty.