Childfree Perspective Imam Syafii and Ulama Jamaah Tabligh in Bandar Lampung City

Abstract

The childfree phenomenon has sparked debates in Indonesian society for its pronatalist and religious values. The act of choosing to be childfree is feared to create a crisis in future human resources. This study aims to describe the views of Imam Shafi’i and compare them with the views of scholars from the Tabligh Jamaat in the city of Bandar Lampung regarding childfree. This research adopts a qualitative comparative approach, with informants being scholars from the Tabligh Jamaat in the city of Bandar Lampung. Data were obtained through interviews. The results of the study indicate that Imam Shafi’i did not specifically discuss childfree; he linked it to the practice of ’azl as a means of preventing pregnancy. Imam Shafi’i allows individuals to not have offspring, but such an act is considered leaving behind virtues and not following the Prophet’s Sunnah. On the other hand, scholars from the Tabligh Jamaat believe that childfree is not prohibited in Islam, but Islam strongly encourages the multiplication of offspring. The existence of the Muslim community is essential for the development and expansion of Islamic da’wah. Having righteous children is the greatest investment that will eventually intercede for their parents. The common ground between the two opinions is that both allow for childfree and view it as an act that forsakes marital virtues. The difference lies in the fact that Imam Shafi’i merely considers it as leaving behind virtues and opposing human nature, while scholars from the Tabligh Jamaat perceive Muslims who choose to be childfree as incurring great loss. The act of being childfree contradicts the concept of tanâsul, which entails permanently cutting off progeny.
 Keywords: Childfree, Imam Syafi’i, Ulama Jama’ah Tabligh