Infertility problems

5-2-2002 | IslamWeb

Question:

What is the Islamic Fatwa on people who have infertility problems - are they allowed to have treatment using modern techniques such as test tube babies?

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Answer:

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the World; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.

Contemporary Fuqaha (Muslim jurists) with the participation of medical specialists discussed what is known as "Test-tube babies" in many juristic conferences. Such conferences brought forth the following:
Artificial fertilization is carried out through seven ways and all of them are Haram in Islamic Fiqh. So, a Muslim should not turn to any of them since they contribute to intermixing of lineage.
From an Islamic point of view, Fuqaha and doctors legalized the following two ways:
1) To take a husband's sperm and wife's ovum and to fertilize them outside, and then to put such a fertilized entity in the wife's womb.
2) To take the husband's semen and then to inject it into the suitable spot of the wife's vagina or womb for the sake of internal fertilization.
According to the Fiqh Assembly, a Muslim can resort to such a solution if there is need, taking into his/her consideration every necessary precaution.
For more details, please consult the book of 'al-Iqtisad al-Islami (Islamic Economy) by Dr. 'Ali al-Saloos.
Allah knows best.