Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

IS ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION(INVITRO FERTILIZATION) ALLOWED IN ISLAM IN WHICH HUSBAND`S SEMEN IS INSERTED IN WIFE`S OVARY, ARTIFICIALLY?

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Artificial insemnation

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

It is obvious that such modern medical technology like artificial insemination, test-tube procedure, or IVF treatments, etc. were not available at the time when the Quran was being revealed, thus the Quran and the Sunnah are obviously silent on the issue. With the advancement of modern technology the scholars and jurists in Islam have strived to derive an opinion regarding its permissibility in light of the guidance of the Quran and the Sunnah.

In the opinion of the majority of the scholars in Islam, there is no harm if when one has a low sperm or egg count or any other medical or physical condition, and one wishes to use modern medicine and technology or means of artificial insemination to try to conceive a child, provided the sperm and the egg used to fertilize the ovum are from the same married couple. The child derived from artificial insemination will be recognized as the legal and lawful off-spring of the couple in the Sight of Shariah Law.

But the scholars in Islam have voiced their opinion and declared it absolutely impermissible for the couple to try to conceive a child, where the sperm or the egg is from any one other than their very own (donor or surrogate father or mother, etc.).

And Allah Alone Knows Best.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan