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Wants to stop having more children to serve his religion

Question

salaams.I want to spend my time in the path of allaah as much as possible like dawaah,social activities,etc.Alhamdulillaah,I have all we need in this capitalist world from money,status,Job,good wife,2 kids with a busy life and good health.I live in UK and dont have much social support personally.I am hesitating for more children as that would definitely affect my planned activities in the near and distant future.Life is very short and i am already 33 years and had not done anything concrete for the sake of deen and allaah.My wife who also has a busy life herself,does not agree with me as she thinks it is not permissible to restrict children,as it is a blessing from Allaah.I like to be pragmatic.I dont want to find myself more involved than what i am now in family life and i am as such very poor in time management.I dont wish for permanent contraception but a continuous temporary contraception.If she gets pregnant accidentally it is allaahs decision anyway.My intention is very clear.Whether i would be able to acheive it is a different aspect.The worst scenario is i am not having more kids and not able to do anything for islam?.I do know that allaah says not to do such things for fear of poverty and he would provide my children as he provides me ,but this is not the case of poverty,alhamdulillaah.I dont want to see myself how my dad and uncles finding themselves in.Hope u understood my dilemma.Thanx for ur time.allaah hafiz.

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

First of all, we thank you for being keen on working for the sake of Allaah and His Religion, and we ask Him to reward you and enable you to achieve this target.

You should know that having children is a right of both spouses, so it is not permissible for you to refrain from having children without the permission of your wife. This is if we presume that you are really in necessity for temporary contraception, but we think that you are not at all in need for it. The existence of the children is not an obstacle from performing Da’wah or doing good to people. The righteous predecessors used to have many children and that did not prevent them from practicing Da’wah, enjoining good and forbidding evil, and even making Jihaad (fighting in the Cause of Allaa). On the contrary, Allaah may bless you with children who would do all this and you will get a great reward.

Look at what the Prophet Sulaymaan (Solomon)  may  Allaah  exalt  his  mention said when he was keen to have more children; the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) said: ''Sulaymaan ibn Daawood (David) said: “I will go around (have sexual intercourse with) seventy wives of mine, and each of them will conceive a warrior who would fight in the Cause of Allaah.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

In any case, we advise you not to consider having children as an obstacle from practicing Da’wah.

Finally, you should try to solve the problem which you mentioned in the question and which is your weakness in organizing your time as this is the real obstacle for you. For more benefit, please refer to Fataawa 90092 and 84086.

Allaah Knows best.

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