Date : 27-08-2023

Question :

My daughter is facing ovarian problems, and medically, it's impossible for her to conceive. She wants to receive an ovarian transplant from a donor, even if it's after the donor's death. Is this permissible for her?


The Answer :

All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.


The preservation of lineage is one of the higher objectives of Islamic law and a necessity it has commanded to safeguard. It is a blessing bestowed by Allah upon His servants. Allah The Almighty Says (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-Furqan/54].


One of the means of preserving lineage is through the legislation of marriage. Through marriage, genetic traits are passed down from the spouses to their offspring. Allah, The Almighty, has distinguished between males and females through their reproductive glands: the testes in males and the ovaries in females. The ovaries in females are responsible for producing eggs, which are considered the seeds carrying the genetic characteristics of the female. These traits are transmitted to her descendants.


Transplanting ovaries in this manner could lead to mixing lineages. Offspring born to the woman who received the transplanted ovary would genetically carry traits from both the original ovary owner and the recipient. To prevent the mixing of lineages, the transplantation of ovaries is prohibited. In this regard, the International Islamic Fiqh Academy has issued a decision stating that ovarian transplantation is prohibited. This is because the ovary is a component of the female reproductive system, analogous to the testes in males. The ovary has two main functions:


 


The first function is producing hormones necessary for a woman's femininity.


The second function is producing eggs from the age of puberty to menopause, which are essential for conception in the presence of male sperm.


Since both the testes and ovaries continue to carry and secrete genetic traits (genetic code) from their original owner, even after being transplanted into a new recipient, the transplantation of ovaries is prohibited according to Islamic law.


In conclusion, the transplantation of ovaries from a donor, whether during the donor's lifetime or after their death, is prohibited due to the potential mixing of lineages. And Allah The Almighty Knows Best.