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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

Is it a condition for the mosque where I‘tikaf is performed to hold Jumu‘ah prayers?

No, it is not a condition for the mosque where I‘tikaf is performed to have Jumu‘ah prayers. However, if a person vows to perform continuous I‘tikaf, and Jumu‘ah occurs within that period, then they must observe I‘tikaf in a mosque where Jumu‘ah is held so that they do not break their continuity by leaving for Friday prayer.

A pregnant woman has iron deficiency. When she showers, she becomes very tired and feels cold. What is the ruling on tayammum in this situation?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
One should not resort to tayammum (dry ablution) as a substitute for the obligatory ghusl (ritual bathing) so long as it remains possible to use water — for example, by heating the water, warming the place where the bathing takes place, or taking other similar precautions. However, if such measures prove ineffective, or are simply not possible to carry out, and performing ghusl [with cold water] would result in severe harm, then tayammum becomes permissible in that case, due to genuine inability to use water on account of the harm that would result, as described in the question. That said, she must make up (qaḍā') the prayers she performed using this tayammum.
It is stated in Bushrā al-Karīm: "One should not perform tayammum on account of cold unless warming the limbs fails to remove the aforementioned harm, and no means are available to heat the water — such as a vessel, firewood, or fire — and one fears [that using cold water would result in] any of the harms mentioned earlier in the discussion on illness: danger to life, loss of function in a limb, the onset or worsening of an illness, delayed recovery, or the [visible bodily] blemish mentioned in that discussion on illness. In such a case, tayammum becomes permissible due to the harm involved, but the prayer must still be made up afterward (qaḍā'). If, however, warming the body proves effective, or the means to heat the water are available, or none of the aforementioned harms are feared — then tayammum is not permissible, even if using the water causes some degree of discomfort or pain, since mere discomfort alone does not permit resorting to tayammum." And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

How is the Night Prayer (Qiyam al-Layl) performed?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
Night Prayer (Qiyam al-Layl) refers to the voluntary (Nafl) prayers performed by a person after the Sunset prayer (Maghrib) and before the Dawn prayer (Fajr). As for Tahajjud, it is the voluntary prayer performed during the night specifically after waking up from sleep, as an act of devotion to Allah. Allah the Exalted says {what means}: "And from [part of] the night, pray with it [i.e., recitation] as additional worship for you." (Al-Isra/79). Thus, in terms of reward,Tahajjud is superior to voluntary prayers performed before sleeping. And Allah the Exalted knows best.

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Therapeutic injections administered under the skin or into the muscles do not break the fast, as they do not enter the body cavity (jauf) through an open passage.
However, intravenous (IV) injections that provide nourishment do break the fast because they function like food and drink in effect.

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