I have read that in Islam best women are those who are loving and can have lot of children. I can understand the loving side but women don’t have any control on how many children they can have. Why the women who can have children are superior to women who cannot have children. Prophet (peace be upon him) stopped one of his companions marrying a woman who could not have children and I have also read that Hazarat Umar divorced two of his wives because they were barren. Why are women punished for something which is not under their control? How will they be able get married? It seems that women who cannot have children are sort of outcast as I have read some scholars consider it Mukroh to marry a woman who cannot have children. Why this restriction only applies to women and not men? Men can be infertile too.

All praise be to Allah, and may His peace and blessings be on His last and best messenger, Muhammad and his purified household and honorable companions. It is not true that in Islam the best women are the ones who can bear a lot of children. What is true is that they are the best women to marry, which is common sense, plus it was recommended by the Prophet in the hadeeth you alluded to in which he said; “Marry the compassionate and fertile women…” There is a difference here. It is not a secret that there are qualities other than one’s religiosity and manners that would make him or her a better candidate for marriage such as the appearance, the wealth, and others. That does not mean that prettier people are closer to Allah, for the Prophet said: “verily Allah does not consider your appearances or bodies but your hearts and actions.” The younger man who is about to marry is encouraged to marry a fertile not a barren woman for one of the objectives of marriage is to have children and make a family. That young man is not prohibited to marry a barren woman if he decides to do so, and the Prophet did not prohibit anyone from this, but encouraged them to seek a fertile woman. As for that barren woman, she can be someone’s second wife or marry someone who had children from a previous marriage or someone older or even a younger man if he decided to marry her. Allah knows best.