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He did not tell his wife that he had a fertility problem

Question

I have been married for past 6 years and we have no kids due to medical reasons. We are staying abroad in gulf from the time of marriage. Also, due to medical reasons the relationship is reduced. We have undergone lot of medical treatment for having kids but the result was negative. Prior to my marriage i was undergoing treatment with the doctor, the biggest blunder we did was not informing about the treatment to my wife and her parents. My wife was working before but now she is at home and feels very lonely and misses having kids. Kindly advise what should be done since my wife is very depressed & unhappy and i feel like i have cheated her.

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.

Being sterile is not considered among the defects the give the other party the right to invalidate the marriage contract; it is for this reason that the majority of the jurists  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  them are of the view that it is not an obligation (upon the husband) to inform the wife about it.

Hence, we advise you to continue seeking medical treatment. You and your wife should not give up hope; rather, you should supplicate Allaah as much as possible as He answers the supplication of people in distress. It is Allaah Who blessed the Prophet Ibraaheem (Abraham)  may  Allaah  exalt  his  mention with Ismaa’eel (Ishmael) and Ishaaq (Ishaq) while he was an old man, and He blessed Zakariyya (Zachariah) with Yahia (John) and He amended his wife for him and she became fertile after having been barren; may Allaah exalt the mention of all the Prophets and Messengers.

Indeed, the matter of having children is in the hands of Allaah; Allaah Says (what means): {To Allaah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth; He creates what He wills. He gives to whom He wills female [children] and He gives to whom He wills males. Or He makes them [both] males and females, and He renders whom He wills barren. Indeed, He is Knowing and Competent.}[Quran 42:49-50]

Also, we advise both of you to seek the forgiveness of Allaah as much as possible as this is a means of having children; Allaah Says about the Prophet Nooh [Noah] (what means): {And said, Ask forgiveness of your Lord. Indeed, He is ever a Perpetual Forgiver. He will send [rain from] the sky upon you in [continuing] showers. And give you increase in wealth and children and provide for you gardens and provide for you rivers.}[Quran 71:10-12]

On the other hand, it is permissible for you to look for a means to have children by artificial insemination as this is permissible provided some Islamic conditions are met as clarified in Fatwa 84882.

Allaah Knows best.

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