Divorce is the most hated permissible thing in the sight of Allah. If spouses have difficulties and problems, they should be patient and forbearing. They have to try to work out their differences and seek help from their relatives, friends or professional counselors before seeking divorce.
Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states: “Marriage is a contract which entails mutual duties and responsibilities. Procreation or seeking offspring is one of the stated objectives of marriage in Islam, and it is a legitimate right of each of the spouses in Islam. Just as it is her legitimate right, it is your legitimate right to desire to have children. If she refuses to cooperate with you in this matter, she is guilty of denying one of your basic rights and she is being unfair to you. Therefore, she is best advised to agree to accommodate your desire and help fulfil it.
If, prior to marriage, she had agreed to have children within 2 years, then it was a condition she had contracted the marriage with. By reneging on that she is guilty of a breach of the marriage contract.
If in spite of your persistent attempts to convince her to agree to your request, she is stubborn in her refusal to have children, then it is up to you to think of divorce as a final recourse. Her refusal constitutes a legitimate ground for divorce. But you should not rush to do that, rather you should try to exhaust all the means to convince and persuade your wife and remove her fears. Sometimes, she may be suffering from some type of phobias concerning conception and childbirth. If that is the case, proper counselling may be the best route to follow before rushing to divorce her.”