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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 on reciting the Chapter after Al-Faatihah , and what should a worshiper who forgets it do?

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of The Worlds.                                                                                                                                                                  Any other part of Qur'an that a worshiper reads after Al-Faatihah during the first and the second Rak`ahs is a Sunnah, and forgetting to do so doesn`t nullify prayer, and doesn`t require performing Sujood As-Sahw (prostration of forgetfulness). And Allah Knows Best.

What is the ruling on performing the Istikhara prayer after the Witr paryer?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
The Istikhara prayer (Prayer for seeking guidance) is a Sunnah. It consists of two units (rak’ahs) performed outside of the obligatory prayers, after which the person supplicates with the traditionally narrated du’a. It is permissible to perform it before or after the Witr prayer, as the Istikhara prayer is recommended at all times except during the disliked times—the periods in which prayer is prohibited. This is because its specific reason (the Istikhara and supplication) occurs after the prayer itself, and any prayer with a subsequent reason is not permitted during the prohibited times. It should be noted that the two rak’ahs of Istikhara are not fulfilled by performing only one rak’ah, nor by a prostration of recitation (Sajdat al-Tilawah), nor by a funeral prayer (Janazah). And Allah the Exalted knows best.

What are the conditions for a valid Udhiyah?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
First: The age of the animal must meet the Sharia requirements. These requirements vary depending on the type of sacrifice:
 
Camels: Must have completed five years and entered their sixth.
 
Cows: Must have completed two years and entered their third.
 
Goats: Must have completed two years and entered their third. As for Sheep, they must have completed one year and entered their second.
 
Some scholars have permitted goats that have completed one year and entered their second.
 
The Hanafi school, along with an opinion in the Maliki school, permits sacrificing sheep that are at least six months old, provided they are healthy and physically substantial. According to the Shafi’i school, it is permissible if the sheep sheds its front teeth (ajdha') before reaching one year [Al-Iqna’, by Al-Shirbini (Vol.2/P.588)].
 
Second: Soundness and freedom from defects. The animal must be free from any defect that causes a decrease in its meat or market value. This is based on the hadith narrated by Al-Bara' bin 'Azib, that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
 
"Four [defects] are not permissible in sacrifices: A one-eyed animal whose blindness is evident, a sick animal whose illness is evident, a lame animal whose lameness is evident, and an emaciated animal that has no marrow in its bones." [Reported by Abu Dawood and Al-Tirmidhi, who graded it as authentic].
 
These defects are detailed as follows:
 
Evident Lameness: It is not permissible to sacrifice a lame animal if the lameness is severe enough to prevent it from walking to the pasture or seeking food, as this leads to a decrease in its meat. However, slight lameness that does not hinder its grazing is overlooked.
 
Evident Blindness (One-eyed): It is not permissible to sacrifice a sheep, cow, or camel that has a white film over its eye blocking light, or one that has lost an eye entirely. Weak vision that does not affect its ability to eat does not prevent the sacrifice from being valid.
 
Evident Illness: An animal with a clear sickness that prevents it from eating or moving is not valid. This includes severe mange (Jarab) that spoils the meat.
 
Extreme Emaciation: An animal so thin that there is no marrow left in its bones is invalid. The standard for emaciation that invalidates the sacrifice is that which spoils the quality of the meat to the point that people would find it undesirable even in times of plenty.
 
Additional Considerations:
These are the defects mentioned in the Prophetic tradition, and any defect that causes emaciation or reduces the meat or value is compared to them by analogy. This includes animals that are mentally unstable (diseased), those with mange, or those with a missing ear. In contrast, a slit or pierced ear does not affect the validity of the sacrifice. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

Is it permissible to read from the Mus-haf during Tarawih prayer?

Yes, it is permissible to read from the Mus-haf during Tarawih prayer, provided that excessive movements that invalidate the prayer are avoided.
However, it is preferable for the imam to be a memorizer of the Quran and to recite from memory.

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