“Having children” is an ordinary act that can be obligatory, recommended, detested, or forbidden. If it is necessary for the health of oneself or one’s spouse, the survival of the community or the family, or the strength of Muslims and the people of truth, it is obligatory; if it is not necessary for these but still beneficial, it is recommended. Likewise, if there is a likelihood of serious harm, such as the child being born with a disability or the mother being harmed, it is detested; if there is certainty of such harm, or if it occurs through fornication, it is forbidden. Moreover, “having children” is not permissible for someone who, by doing so, would be prevented from fulfilling his Islamic duties or would fall into forbidden acts. Nevertheless, aborting a fetus—even if having children is not permissible to begin with—is not justifiable. Likewise, refraining from having children out of fear of poverty is inappropriate and contrary to reliance on Allah, whereas Allah has said: ﴿وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ﴾[1]; “And believers should rely upon Allah.”

As for the rights of a child upon the father, firstly, he should give the child a good name. Secondly, he should offer aqiqah for the child and, if the child is a boy, see to circumcision; as one of our companions informed us, saying: «سَمِعْتُ الْمَنْصُورَ يَقُولُ: عُقُّوا عَنْ أَوْلَادِكُمْ تَدْفَعُوا عَنْهُمُ الْبَلَاءَ، أَلَمْ تَعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى لَمَّا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَدْفَعَ عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ الْبَلَاءَ، أَمَرَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ فَذَبَحَ عَنْهُ كَبَشًا، ثُمَّ قَالَ: ﴿وَفَدَيْنَاهُ بِذِبْحٍ عَظِيمٍ﴾[2]؟!»; “I heard Mansoor say: ‘Offer aqiqah for your children to ward off harm from them. Do you not know that when Allah Almighty wanted to ward off harm from Isma‘il, He commanded Ibrahim, so he sacrificed a sheep on His behalf, then He said: “And We ransomed him with a great sacrifice”?!’” Thirdly, he should provide the child with lawful food and clothing; as Allah has said: ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَنْفِقُوا مِنْ طَيِّبَاتِ مَا كَسَبْتُمْ﴾[3]; “O you who believed! Spend from the pure things which you earn.” Fourthly, he should teach the child to read and write. Fifthly, he should familiarize the child with the principles and foundations of Islam. Sixthly, he should teach the child the Quran and make the child aware of Allah’s caliph on the Earth. This is because all of these are essential to save the child from the fire, and Allah has said: ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا قُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيكُمْ نَارًا﴾[4]; “O you who believed! Save yourselves and your families from the fire.” Seventhly, he should encourage the child to perform prayer and, if the child is a girl, to observe hijab; as Allah has said: ﴿وَأْمُرْ أَهْلَكَ بِالصَّلَاةِ﴾[5]; “Command your family to perform prayer,” and He has said: ﴿قُلْ لِأَزْوَاجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَاءِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنْ جَلَابِيبِهِنَّ﴾[6]; “Tell your wives, your daughters, and the wives of believers to draw close their outer garments over themselves.” Eighthly, he should prevent the child from associating with bad company and from associating with the opposite gender, and keep the child under supervision; as one of our companions informed us, saying: «سَمِعْتُ الْعَالِمَ يَقُولُ: عَلَى الْوَالِدَيْنِ أَنْ يَأْخُذَا وَلَدَهُمَا إِلَيْهِمَا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَبْلُغَ الْحُلُمَ فَإِنَّ الْوَلَدَ إِذَا جَنَى أَوْ أَذْنَبَ قَبْلَ بُلُوغِهِ كَانَ إِثْمُهُ عَلَى وَالِدَيْهِ، فَلْيَأْخُذَاهُ إِلَيْهِمَا وَلْيُنْبِتَاهُ نَبَاتًا حَسَنًا! قُلْتُ: جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ، أَتَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَى؟! قَالَ: لَا وَلَكِنَّهُ مِنْ وِزْرِ الْوَالِدَيْنِ إِذْ لَمْ يَقُومَا بِمَا عَلَيْهِمَا»; “I heard the scholar say: ‘Parents should keep their child by their side (i.e., under supervision) before puberty; because if the child commits a crime or something evil before reaching puberty, the sin falls on his parents. So they should keep him by their side (i.e., under supervision) and raise him well!’ I said: ‘May I be sacrificed for you, does anyone bear the sin of another?’ He said: 'No, but that is (not from the sin of the child, but) from the sin of the parents who did not fulfill their duty.’” Ninthly, he should place the child under a teacher to learn the beliefs and rulings of Islam before reaching puberty. Tenthly, he should discover the talent that Allah has placed within the child and guide the child along its path.

These are ten duties of the father; if he fulfills them, he has fulfilled his child’s rights. However, if he fails to fulfill any of them, he has wronged the child to that extent and will be accountable on the Day of Judgment. And one must seek help from Allah.