I am asking this question on behalf of a friend. Let me give you some background about her:
She is a 30 year old medical doctor and was raised (and lives) in a liberal European country. She has had a carefree upbringing with several relationships with male friends/partners, but has recently converted to Islam, and has even started practicing hijab. As a result of her conversion, she has become a social outcast; her parents have turned against her and her peers in the society refuse to interact with her.
Now she desires to have her own child, and her problems are two-fold: no males in her (predominantly non-Muslim) culture are interested in her, and neither is she interested in any kind of relationship with a man, not even as a husband.
Given that she doesn’t want to get married, and wants her own child (not adopted), is there any possibility that is compatible with Islam?
Answer
This sister of ours is going through a trial, which she should endure with full faith in the Almighty. Our sacrifices in His way are never left unrewarded by Him. She should be confident, in times of difficulty, that whatever she is doing is being done for His and His pleasure only; that she is sacrificing her wants and desires for a higher purpose.
As for achieving her objective of bearing and raising her own child, I am afraid there seems no permissible way without taking a man as her husband. The only viable possibility was for her to adopt a child – abandoned by its parents, or for some reason, left without guardians – a child who could grow up to support her in her old age; but since she wants her own, I cannot think of any possibility which is Islamically legitimate outside of a relationship with her husband.
She is probably thinking of conceiving a child in her womb, through some artificial, unnatural manner like, for instance, Artificial insemination or test-tube babies. The principle is that no matter what method/technology is adopted, if it involves sperm from a male who is not her husband, then it is forbidden for her, from an Islamic point of view.
The fact that she is living with sacrifices for the sake of the Almighty should be of great comfort to her. If she doesn’t want to keep a husband, she will have to make yet another major sacrifice, in not being able to have a child. Insha’Allah, God will come to her rescue and help her through her time of trial.