Reframing Ḥifẓ al-Nasl: Childfree Discourse among Indonesian Celebrities in the Perspective of Maqāṣid al-Usrah

Ahmad Musadad; Alfa Zaidanil Fauzi; Shofiyun Nahidloh; Rudi Hermawan; Muttaqin Choiri

doi:10.52496/mjhki.v3i2.35

Authors

Ahmad Musadad Universitas Trunodjoyo Madura, Indonesia Author
Alfa Zaidanil Fauzi Universitas Trunodjoyo Madura, Indonesia Author
Shofiyun Nahidloh Universitas Trunodjoyo Madura, Indonesia Author
Rudi Hermawan Universitas Trunodjoyo Madura, Indonesia Author
Muttaqin Choiri Universitas Trunodjoyo Madura, Indonesia Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.52496/mjhki.v3i2.35

Keywords:

Childfree, Maqāṣid al-Usrah, Reproductive Autonomy, Islamic Family Law, Ḥifẓ al-Nasl

Abstract

The shifting marriage paradigm toward individual autonomy has triggered the childfree trend, challenging Indonesia’s normative-pronatalist values. This study addresses whether childfree constitutes a betrayal of ḥifẓ al-nasl or a contextual realization of maqāṣid when parenting capacity is compromised. The research gap lies in the polarization between sociological and normative studies that fail to integrate socio-legal analysis with family-specific maqāṣid. This qualitative study employs a socio-legal approach, analyzing the narratives of five Indonesian celebrities via virtual loci and a coding framework based on Jamāluddin ‘Aṭiyyah’s Maqāṣid al-Usrah. Findings indicate that childfree among these celebrities is a contextual maqāṣid realization, not a betrayal of ḥifẓ al-nasl. There is a shift from quantitative regeneration (al-tanāsul) to quality of life (al-injāb). This choice serves as a preventive instrument (sadd al-dhari’ah) to avoid parenting injustice and maintain sakīnah amid mental or financial unreadiness. Reframing ḥifẓ al-nasl as a qualitative commitment to human dignity allows contemporary Islamic law to balance individual autonomy with social stability. Consequently, the government should formulate maqāṣid-based family policies prioritizing parenting quality and mental health over fertility targets.

Author Biographies

Ahmad Musadad, Universitas Trunodjoyo Madura, Indonesia

Universitas Trunodjoyo Madura, Indonesia
Alfa Zaidanil Fauzi, Universitas Trunodjoyo Madura, Indonesia

I am an alumnus of the Islamic Business Law Study Program, Faculty of Islamic Studies, Trunodjoyo University, Madura
Shofiyun Nahidloh, Universitas Trunodjoyo Madura, Indonesia

I am a lecturer in the Sharia Business Law Study Programme, Faculty of Islamic Studies, Trunodjoyo Madura University.
Rudi Hermawan, Universitas Trunodjoyo Madura, Indonesia

I am a lecturer in the Sharia Business Law Study Programme, Faculty of Islamic Studies, Trunodjoyo Madura University.
Muttaqin Choiri, Universitas Trunodjoyo Madura, Indonesia

I am a lecturer in the Sharia Business Law Study Programme, Faculty of Islamic Studies, Trunodjoyo Madura University.

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