Be fruitful and multiply

In Judaism, Christianity, and some other Abrahamic religions, the commandment to "be fruitful and multiply" (referred to as the "creation mandate" in some denominations of Christianity) is the divine injunction which forms part of Genesis 1:28, in which God, after having created the world and all in it, ascribes to humankind the tasks of filling, subduing, and ruling over the earth.

The text finds an immediate interpretation in the opening chapter of the book of Exodus as the description of the Israelites in Egypt are alluded to as, "fruitful, increased greatly, multiplied, and extremely strong, so that the land was filled with them.

For example, Richard Friedman in his Commentary on the Torah (2001) claims that the mandate "be fruitful and multiply and fill the Earth" has "been fulfilled.

[2] Despite "be fruitful and multiply" being the most important mitzvah, contraception is permitted in some sects of Judaism in appropriate circumstances such as difficult family situations.

The text of surat al-Baqarah 2:187,[8] in the Qur'an, enjoins the listeners (presumably male) to be intimate with their wives and do "that which God has decreed for them", a statement defined by commentators to refer to having children: Ohilla lakum laylata assiyamiarrafathu ila nisa-ikum hunna libasunlakum waantum libasun lahunna AAalima Allahuannakum kuntum takhtanoona anfusakum fatabaAAalaykum waAAafa AAankum fal-ana bashiroohunnawabtaghoo ma kataba Allahu lakum wakuloo washraboohatta yatabayyana lakumu alkhaytu al-abyadumina alkhayti al-aswadi mina alfajri thumma atimmoo assiyamaila allayli wala tubashiroohunna waantum AAakifoonafee almasajidi tilka hudoodu Allahi falataqrabooha kathalika yubayyinu Allahu ayatihilinnasi laAAallahum yattaqoon Below is a list of some instances where the injunction has been used in modern media, music, and literature.