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Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No.(5) “ Ruling of Sharia on Artificial Insemination “

Date Added : 25-01-2018

Resolution No.(5) by the Board of Iftaa`, Research and Islamic Studies:      

“Ruling of Sharia on Artificial Inseminatio“

Date: 25/10/1404 AH; 24/7/1984 AD

 

Question: What is the ruling of Sharia on artificial insemination?

Answer: All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of The Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his Family and Companions.

Almighty Allah Has Honored human beings in His Book where He Says (What means): “We have honored the sons of Adam.“ {70/al-Isra`}.

Part of this honor is embodied in the keenness of Sharia on protecting lineage and preserving fatherhood of fathers, motherhood of mothers and filiation of children by true natural kinship and observance of chastity and virtue in building the family, and forming the community.

Allah Has also Embodied this honor in making legitimate marriage the natural means of forming the family and begetting children, and in forbidding adultery as it leads to mixing lineage, severing kinship ties, and violating honor. He Says in the Noble Quran (What means): “O mankind! reverence your Guardian-Lord, who created you from a single person, created, of like nature, His mate, and from them twain scattered (like seeds) countless men and women;- reverence God, through whom ye demand your mutual (rights), and (reverence) the wombs (That bore you): for God ever watches over you.“ {An-Nissa`/1}.

This honor is a favor and a grace that Almighty Allah Has Bestwed upon His servants; it is the natural means legislated by Him for begetting children, which is amongst the intentions of Sharia from marriage.

 

Allah Creates a child from the insemination of an ovum in a wife`s womb by a husband`s sperm. Allah  Says in this regard (What means): “Verily We created Man from a drop of mingled sperm, in order to try him: So We gave him (the gifts), of Hearing and Sight.“ {Al-Innsan/2}. As a result, the born child leads his/her life having a legitimate relationship of lineage to his/her father, so he/she acquires a natural relationship with his/her parents, brothers, sisters and relatives; consequently, he/she is neither a stranger to them, nor attributed in lineage to a strange person as well. Allah Says (What means): “Call them by (the names of) their fathers: that is juster in the sight of God.“ {Al-Ahzaab/5}.

Allah Has Decreed that people be called by the names of their fathers for He Says in the Noble Quran (What means): “Call them by (the names of) their fathers: that is juster in the sight of God.“ {Al-Ahzaab/5}. Moreover, it was reported that the Prophet (PBUH) said: “If somebody claims to be the son of somebody other than his father knowingly, he will be denied Paradise (i.e. he will not enter Paradise.“ {Bukhari &Muslim}. The Prophet (PBUH) also said: “If somebody claims to be the son of somebody other than his father knowingly, or takes a master other than his real masters will incur the curse of Allah, the angels and all the people, and Allah will not accept his compulsory or optional good deeds.” {Bukhari and Muslim}.

Artificial insemination is either conducted by using the sperm of the husband or someone else`s. Such a procedure is permissible in case of necessity if the wife`s ovum was fertilized with her husband`s sperm, provided that lineage is safeguarded since maximum care must be undertaken while preserving the ovum, and those who carry out this procedure must be very cautious in this regard as well. This is in order for the fertilized ovum not to mix with other fertilized ova because any mistake, or act of carelessness in this regard will lead to serious effects on man, blood ties , and honor. In addition, the staff conducting this procedure must be tightly monitored, and it is better that trustworthy and honorable physicians take charge of it. This way, the aforementioned procedure doesn`t contradict the intentions and the rulings of Sharia, in addition to becoming permissible.

However, if the insemination was conducted by using a sperm other than that of a woman`s husband, then it is considered forbidden absolutely and without the least suspicion. In fact, it is similar to disguised Zina (adultery) since it leads to the mixing of lineage and wasting the favor of having relationships of lineage and marriage, which are a good fruit of lawful marriage. Allah Says in this regard (What means): “It is He Who has created man from water: then has He established relationships of lineage and marriage: for thy Lord has power (over all things).” {Al-Forqaan/54}. Unlawful insemination is a kind of forgery that leads to mixing lineage. Islam has totally rejected it, and came up with a way for putting an end to it once and for all by prohibiting adoption where a man isn`t called by the name of his father. Almighty Allah Says in this regard (What means): “God has not made for any man two hearts in his (one) body: nor has He made your wives whom ye divorce by Zihar your mothers: nor has He made your adopted sons your sons. Such is (only) your (manner of) speech by your mouths. But God tells (you) the Truth, and He shows the (right) Way.“ {Al-Ahzaab/4}.

Artificial insemination between unmarried people poses a greater danger than adoption as far as familial ties and lineage are concerned. It also contradicts the intention of Sharia behind legislating marriage, and paves the way for the emergence of grave evils and sins, which should be dealt with cautiously  and leashed decisively.

There is a moral lesson for Muslims from what is happening to western societies in terms of the deterioration of their familial ties. Nevertheless, the family is the primary pillar in building society and subjecting it to doubts and lack of confidence by questioning the lineage of its members will lead to the destruction and break up of society through losing the bond that ties a child with his father. As Muslims, we should make use of the experiences of others and learn a lesson from the desperate situation of the western society resulting from the break up of familial ties, and we should also adhere to the Sharia of Allah so as to remain on the righteous path.

Since adherence to the Ordainments of Allah, The Almighty, putting them into effect, and abiding by their limits are some of the greatest favors that He Has Bestowed upon us. And Allah Knows Best.

 

The Iftaa`Board

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the ruling of islamic law on statutory (legal) interest awarded by a court?
 

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
It is permissible for a person in whose favor a judge has awarded statutory (legal) interest to deduct the actual litigation costs incurred in filing and prosecuting the lawsuit from these interest funds.
 
Any remaining balance beyond those actual expenses must be returned to the party upon whom the payment was imposed, provided that party is a specific individual. If, however, the paying party is a public entity or state institution, the remaining amount should be spent on the general public interests of Muslims—such as schools, mosques, roads, and similar public utilities shared by the community—or given in charity (Sadaqah) to the poor and needy. And Allah Almighty knows best.

My father has debts and asked me to repay them years ago, and I promised him I would do so upon his death — is it permissible for me to go back on my promise given that I am unable to repay them, especially since he refuses to contribute to repayment on the grounds that the debt has become my responsibility by virtue of my promise?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
The established principle is that a father's debt is to be repaid from his own wealth, if he possesses sufficient means. As for the promise made by the son to repay it on his father's behalf, fulfilling such a promise is strongly recommended, and breaking it is considerably disliked. Shaykh al-Islām Imām al-Nawawī, may Allah have mercy upon him, states: "Fulfilling a promise is emphatically recommended, and breaking it is severely disliked. The evidences for this from the Qurʾān and the Sunnah are well known." [Rawḍat al-Ṭālibīn,Vol. 2/P.278] Shaykh al-Islām Imām Zakariyyā al-Anṣārī, may Allah have mercy upon him, further states: "The reason fulfilling a promise is not obligatory and breaking it is not forbidden is that a promise is in the nature of a gift, and a gift does not become binding except upon receipt." [Asnā al-Maṭālib fī Sharḥ Rawḍ al-Ṭālib,Vol. 2/P.487]
Given that the son does not possess the financial means to fulfil his promise to his father, breaking this promise falls beyond his capacity — and Allah does not burden a soul beyond what it can bear. Since the father himself possesses sufficient wealth to settle his own debt, repayment must be made from his own funds. Should he pass away before doing so, the debt is to be settled from his estate. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

Can a woman perform I‘tikaf in her home?

No, a woman's I‘tikaf is not valid if performed at home, because her home is not a mosque.

What is the ruling on reciting aloud (*jahr*) in a silent (*sirriyyah*) prayer?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
Reciting aloud (jahr) in the Fajr prayer, in the first two rakʿahs of Maghrib and ʿIshāʾ, and reciting silently (isrār) in the Dhuhr and ʿAṣr prayers is a sunnah. If the worshipper recites aloud where silence is prescribed, or the reverse, his prayer is valid, although it is better to follow the sunnah, in imitation of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “In every prayer there is recitation. What the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) let us hear, we let you hear, and what he concealed from us, we conceal from you. If you add nothing to Umm al-Qurʾān (al-Fātiḥah), it suffices, and if you add to it, it is better.” Narrated by al-Bukhārī.
Shaykh al-Islām Imam al-Nawawī (may Allah have mercy on him) said in al-Majmūʿ (Vol.3/389): “The sunnah is to recite aloud in the two rakʿahs of Ṣubḥ (Fajr), Maghrib, and ʿIshāʾ, and in the Friday prayer, and to recite silently in Dhuhr, ʿAṣr, the third rakʿah of Maghrib, and the third and fourth of ʿIshāʾ. All of this is by the consensus of the Muslims, together with the mutually reinforcing authentic ḥadīths on the matter. This is the ruling for the imam. As for the individual worshipper (munfarid), it is sunnah for him to recite aloud according to us and according to the majority… If he recites aloud where silence is prescribed, or the reverse, his prayer is not invalidated, nor is there a prostration of forgetfulness (sujūd al-sahw) for it, but he has committed something disliked (makrūh).” And Allah Almighty knows best.

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