The world today is at a crossroads. The words above, shared by a parent, investor, and community leader, ring true for millions of families—from Abu Dhabi to Karachi, Riyadh to London. We are witnessing a quiet but devastating crisis: the death of the traditional family in the digital age. Technology connects us more than ever, yet families grow further apart. Fertility rates are dropping in Muslim countries and beyond, and the spiritual heart of our homes is under threat.

This essay explores how we reached this point, what hidden dangers have accelerated this decline—including processed foods, capitalist market priorities, and recent global health crises—and how the time-tested, divine guidance of Islam offers the most powerful solution to revive the family and rebuild hope for generations to come.

The Fertility Crisis: More Than Just Numbers
As reflected in the Friday khutbahs and the conversations among leaders and scholars, the fertility crisis is real, urgent, and deeply troubling. The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Korea, Singapore, and large parts of Europe face shrinking populations. But this is not just a matter of economics or biology. It is a signal that something foundational is eroding in our societies—a loss of purpose, of intimacy, of meaning in building a family.

And yet, we must ask: What are the hidden causes? Why, in a time of wealth and technology, are so many young couples struggling to have children, or choosing not to?

Hidden Threats to Fertility: Processed Foods, Chemicals, and Global Health
Industrial Foods and Chemical Invaders
As highlighted above, today’s foods are not the foods of our parents and grandparents. Multinational corporations and capitalist food industries have filled markets with processed, packaged, and chemically treated products. These foods are:

High in artificial preservatives, colors, and sweeteners
Containing plasticizers, pesticides, and hormone-disrupting chemicals
Linked to drops in sperm count, rising infertility, hormonal imbalances, and even early puberty

This is not accidental. For profit and convenience, the food system has shifted away from natural, wholesome, and blessed meals to “factory foods” that may look appealing but damage our health at the deepest level. Islamic countries are not immune. Fast food chains, packaged snacks, and soft drinks are now common from Casablanca to Karachi, Jeddah to Jakarta.

Capitalist Priorities Over Public Health
In the drive for greater profit, capitalist markets have often ignored the long-term impact of these foods on the human body and soul. Warnings from scientists are silenced by marketing and media. Our traditional, healthy foods—rich in grains, fruits, halal meats, and home-cooked blessings—are replaced by empty calories and chemical cocktails. The result is visible:

Young couples facing infertility in record numbers
Birth defects and pregnancy complications
Generational health problems never seen before

Covid-19: The Pandemic’s Unseen Effects
The Covid-19 pandemic added new challenges. It brought:

Stress and uncertainty, delaying marriages and family plans
Direct effects on fertility for some, as shown in emerging medical studies
Loss and trauma, raising heart attack deaths—even among the young

During lockdowns, families ate more processed foods, exercised less, and spent more time isolated in digital worlds. The result: more obesity, more health issues, and even weaker immune systems.

Heart Attacks and Young Deaths: An Alarming Trend
Perhaps the most alarming sign: The sharp rise in heart attacks and sudden deaths, even in younger people, across both Western and Muslim societies. Doctors trace these to a combination of:

Unhealthy processed foods
Sedentary digital lifestyles
Pandemic-related stress and long Covid effects

These trends are killing parents and breadwinners too soon—leaving children orphaned, families grieving, and the cycle of family decline accelerating.

Spiritual, Cultural, and Existential Loss
But as the opening narrative reminds us, the problem is even deeper than health statistics. The true crisis is existential: in the age of “likes” and “followers,” we have lost sight of what truly matters.

We chase career milestones but miss out on the milestones of childhood and family life.
We glorify busyness, neglecting the peace and fulfillment found in nurturing a home.
We measure success in numbers, forgetting that each child is a unique rizq (sustenance), a test, and a blessing from Allah.

As the author writes, “There is no peace like that of just looking at her [my daughter]. And in our faith, we know: even that gaze is worship.” This is a reminder that Islam’s perspective on family is not just practical—it is sacred.

Islam: The Only Proven Model for a Happy, Healthy Family
Islam stands as the only global faith that offers a complete system for family happiness—protecting not just physical health, but also spiritual, emotional, and generational well-being.

Every member of the family—mother, father, child, grandparent, relative—has rights and responsibilities, defined by divine wisdom.
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ declared that the best people are those who are best to their families.
The Qur’an repeatedly urges us to honor parents, cherish children, maintain kinship ties, and avoid all that is harmful—whether in food, company, or habit.

In this system, family life is worship. To feed your children with halal, tayyib (pure) food, to look after your spouse, to care for your elders, and to raise the next generation in faith—all are paths to Allah’s pleasure.

The Way Forward: Bringing Family, Fertility, and Faith Back to the Heart
It’s time, as the author urges, to put family, fertility, and faith back at the center of our vision for the future. This is not “backward” or anti-progress. It is the root of all true progress—spiritual, social, and even economic.

Practical Steps
Eat Pure, Live Pure Return to traditional, wholesome foods. Support local farmers and home cooking. Limit processed, capitalist-driven foods that harm fertility and health.
Protect the Home from Digital Invasion Set clear rules for screen time. Prioritize real conversation, shared meals, and joint prayer over individual digital distraction.
Honor Every Family Member Follow the Sunnah in respecting parents, investing in marriage, loving and raising children with mercy, and caring for elders.
Face Modern Health Challenges Together Educate your family on the dangers of processed foods and unhealthy habits. Make healthy, faith-based choices together.
Bring Intimacy and Faith Back Build homes filled with love, forgiveness, and worship. Remember that success is not what you own, but who you raise.

Regards

IHSAN ULLAH KHAN