What does Islam say about having daughters?

The short answer

Daughters are a gift from Allah and a path to Paradise. The Quran condemned the pre-Islamic practice of grieving over, and even burying, baby girls, and the Prophet ﷺ promised that whoever raises daughters well will be close to him on the Day of Resurrection and shielded from the Fire.

Evidence 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Explanation

Before Islam, some Arabs felt shame at the birth of a girl. The Quran describes a father whose "face becomes dark" at the news, who hides from people and wonders whether to keep her in humiliation "or bury it in the ground", and it declares, "evil is what they decide" 1. On the Day of Judgment, the girl who was buried alive will be asked "for what sin she was killed" 2, a question that condemns those who did it.

Allah reminds us that children of either sex are His decision: "He gives to whom He wills female [children], and He gives to whom He wills males" 3. Notice that daughters are mentioned first.

The Prophet ﷺ turned daughters into a source of great reward. Aisha told him about a poor mother who received a single date and split it between her two daughters. He said, "Whoever is in charge of (put to test by) these daughters and treats them generously, then they will act as a shield for him from the (Hell) Fire" 4. He also said that whoever raises two girls until they grow up will be with him on the Day of Resurrection like two interlaced fingers 5. Another narration mentions three daughters whom a parent feeds, gives drink and clothes with patience 6.

He himself showed this love openly. He carried his granddaughter Umamah on his shoulder even while praying 7.

So celebrate the birth of a daughter as warmly as a son. Educate her, protect her, spend on her generously, and treat her with the same fairness as her brothers. Every act of care is an investment in your Hereafter.

The evidence

  1. 1
    Quran An-Nahl · 16:58–59

    The Quran condemns grieving at a daughter's birth and burying girls.

    وَإِذَا بُشِّرَ أَحَدُهُم بِٱلۡأُنثَىٰ ظَلَّ وَجۡهُهُۥ مُسۡوَدࣰّ ا وَهُوَ كَظِيمࣱ‏ ۝٥٨ يَتَوَٰرَىٰ مِنَ ٱلۡقَوۡمِ مِن سُوٓءِ مَا بُشِّرَ بِهِۦٓۚ أَيُمۡسِكُهُۥ عَلَىٰ هُونٍ أَمۡ يَدُسُّهُۥ فِي ٱلتُّرَابِۗ أَلَا سَآءَ مَا يَحۡكُمُونَ ۝٥٩

    58 And when one of them is informed of [the birth of] a female, his face becomes dark, and he suppresses grief 59 He hides himself from the people because of the ill of which he has been informed. Should he keep it in humiliation or bury it in the ground? Unquestionably, evil is what they decide

  2. 2
    Quran At-Takwir · 81:8–9

    The buried girl will be asked for what sin she was killed.

    وَإِذَا ٱلۡمَوۡءُۥدَةُ سُئِلَتۡ ۝٨ بِأَيِّ ذَنۢبࣲ قُتِلَتۡ ۝٩

    8 And when the girl [who was] buried alive is asked 9 For what sin she was killed

  3. 3
    Quran Ash-Shura · 42:49

    Allah gives daughters or sons to whom He wills.

    لِّلَّهِ مُلۡكُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ يَخۡلُقُ مَا يَشَآءُۚ يَهَبُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ إِنَٰثࣰ ا وَيَهَبُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ ٱلذُّكُورَ ۝٤٩

    To Allah 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

  4. 4
    Hadith Sahih al-Bukhari 5995
    Sahih Bukhari

    Daughters treated generously will be a shield from the Fire.

    Narrated `Aisha:(the wife of the Prophet) A lady along with her two daughters came to me asking me (for some alms), but she found nothing with me except one date which I gave to her and she divided it between her two daughters, and then she got up and went away. Then the Prophet (ﷺ) came in and I informed him about this story. He said, "Whoever is in charge of (put to test by) these daughters and treats them generously, then they will act as a shield for him from the (Hell) Fire

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْيَمَانِ، أَخْبَرَنَا شُعَيْبٌ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ أَبِي بَكْرٍ، أَنَّ عُرْوَةَ بْنَ الزُّبَيْرِ، أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ عَائِشَةَ زَوْجَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم حَدَّثَتْهُ قَالَتْ جَاءَتْنِي امْرَأَةٌ مَعَهَا ابْنَتَانِ تَسْأَلُنِي، فَلَمْ تَجِدْ عِنْدِي غَيْرَ تَمْرَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ، فَأَعْطَيْتُهَا، فَقَسَمَتْهَا بَيْنَ ابْنَتَيْهَا، ثُمَّ قَامَتْ فَخَرَجَتْ، فَدَخَلَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَحَدَّثْتُهُ فَقَالَ ‏ "‏ مَنْ يَلِي مِنْ هَذِهِ الْبَنَاتِ شَيْئًا فَأَحْسَنَ إِلَيْهِنَّ كُنَّ لَهُ سِتْرًا مِنَ النَّارِ ‏"‏‏.‏

  5. 5
    Hadith Sahih Muslim 2631
    Sahih Muslim

    Whoever raises two girls to maturity will be close to the Prophet ﷺ on the Day of Resurrection.

    Malik reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:He, who brought up two girls properly till they grew up, he and I would come (together) (very closely) on the Day of Resurrection, and he interlaced his fingers (for explaining the point of nearness between him and that person)

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنِي عَمْرٌو النَّاقِدُ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أَحْمَدَ الزُّبَيْرِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي بَكْرِ بْنِ أَنَسٍ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ مَنْ عَالَ جَارِيَتَيْنِ حَتَّى تَبْلُغَا جَاءَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَنَا وَهُوَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ وَضَمَّ أَصَابِعَهُ ‏.‏

  6. 6
    Hadith Sunan Ibn Majah 3669
    Sahih graded by Al-Albani

    Whoever has three daughters and provides for them patiently, they will shield him from the Fire.

    Uqbah bin Amir said, I heard the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) say:"Whoever has three daughters and is patient towards them, and feeds them, gives them to drink, and clothes them from his wealth; they will be a shield for him from the Fire on the Day of Resurrection

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنَا الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ الْمَرْوَزِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ، عَنْ حَرْمَلَةَ بْنِ عِمْرَانَ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عُشَّانَةَ الْمَعَافِرِيَّ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عُقْبَةَ بْنَ عَامِرٍ، يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ يَقُولُ ‏ "‏ مَنْ كَانَ لَهُ ثَلاَثُ بَنَاتٍ فَصَبَرَ عَلَيْهِنَّ وَأَطْعَمَهُنَّ وَسَقَاهُنَّ وَكَسَاهُنَّ مِنْ جِدَتِهِ - كُنَّ لَهُ حِجَابًا مِنَ النَّارِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

  7. 7
    Hadith Sahih al-Bukhari 5996
    Sahih Bukhari

    The Prophet ﷺ prayed while carrying his granddaughter Umamah.

    Narrated Abu Qatada:The Prophet (ﷺ) came out towards us, while carrying Umamah, the daughter of Abi Al-As (his granddaughter) over his shoulder. He prayed, and when he wanted to bow, he put her down, and when he stood up, he lifted her up

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْوَلِيدِ، حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدٌ الْمَقْبُرِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ سُلَيْمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو قَتَادَةَ، قَالَ خَرَجَ عَلَيْنَا النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَأُمَامَةُ بِنْتُ أَبِي الْعَاصِ عَلَى عَاتِقِهِ، فَصَلَّى فَإِذَا رَكَعَ وَضَعَهَا، وَإِذَا رَفَعَ رَفَعَهَا‏.‏

This answer was compiled with the help of AI, using only the verified texts shown here. Every reference links to its source. If you find a mistake, please report it. Updated 2026-09-24

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