Dr. Mufti Syed Ziauddin Naqshbandi Mujaddidi Qadri

Shaykh Ul Fiqh, Jamia Nizamia; Founder - Director


Abul Hasanaat Islamic Research Center

Mufti Maulana Syed Zia Uddin Naqshbandi Quadri

Shaik-ul-Fiqh - Jamia Nizamia


Abul Hasanaat Islamic Research Center

Scholarly Articles

Answering some doubts about in vitro fertilization


<p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="text-align: left; direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br /> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:embed">In vitro fertilization or as it is more popularly known, test tube babies, is an advanced medical technique used to help infertile couples conceive. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes">&nbsp;</span>Here we answer some doubts about IVF.<br /> <i>&nbsp;</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi: embed"><b><i>Is using IVF changing the creation of Allah?</i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi: embed">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi: embed">The creation of Allah cannot be changed at all.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">&nbsp; </span>As Allah Ta&rsquo;ala says in Surah Rum:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi: embed">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi: embed">The nature created by Allah will never be changed. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes">&nbsp;</span>Surah Rum(30:30)</p> <p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi: embed">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi: embed">Using IVF is an extraordinary case.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">&nbsp; </span>This might lead some to think that this is like changing the creation of Almighty Allah or a violation of nature.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">&nbsp; </span>However this thought is not correct.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">&nbsp; </span>Changing Allah&rsquo;s creation would be if the features i.e. the face, eyes, nose, ears, etc. are mutilated or disfigured the way it was done in the pre-Islamic days.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">&nbsp; </span>It would have been a violation of nature when the scientists were &lsquo;creating&rdquo; something on their own.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">&nbsp; </span>In this case, what happens is that when due to some disease the embryo cannot be formed inside the body, it is being formed outside in the laboratory using IVF and then implanted into the womb of the wife.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">&nbsp; </span>This is not against nature as the phases of conception, pregnancy, etc. are the same.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">&nbsp; </span>Neither is a new way of giving birth to children being invented here.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">&nbsp; </span>The weakness found in the man and/or woman is being compensated for using an advanced medical technique.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">&nbsp; </span>However, because of prohibited acts, there is some degree of undesirability in this.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi: embed">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi: embed"><b><i>Impermissible uses of IVF</i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi: embed">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi: embed">(1)<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">&nbsp; </span>If the husband&rsquo;s sperm are not potent enough or if he has no sperm at all and sperm of some other man (not the husband) are used to fertilize the wife&rsquo;s ovum.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">&nbsp; </span>This is impermissible as a stranger&rsquo;s semen is being put in the womb of somebody else&rsquo;s wife which is forbidden.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi: embed">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi: embed">(2) <span style="mso-spacerun:yes">&nbsp;</span>The wife cannot conceive for some reason.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">&nbsp; </span>The husband&rsquo;s sperm and the wife&rsquo;s ovum are fertilized using IVF and the embryo is planted in another lady&rsquo;s womb.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">&nbsp; </span>This is also impermissible as the woman in whom the embryo is being implanted is not the man&rsquo;s wife.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi: embed">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi: embed">(3)<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">&nbsp; </span>There is some problem with the ovary of the wife.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">&nbsp; </span>The husband&rsquo;s sperm are combined with another lady&rsquo;s ovum and the embryo is implanted in the wife&rsquo;s womb.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">&nbsp; </span>This is also impermissible as the lady from whom the ovum is being taken is not the wife of the man.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">&nbsp; </span>It is not permissible for the woman either to give her consent for her ovum to be fertilized by a stranger&rsquo;s sperm.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">&nbsp; </span>It is neither permissible for the man to combine his sperm with the ovum of a lady who is not his wife.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi: embed">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi: embed">(4)<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">&nbsp; </span>The husband and wife both cannot conceive.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">&nbsp; </span>Sperm and ovum of two strangers are combined and implanted in the womb of the lady.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">&nbsp; </span>This is also impermissible.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">&nbsp; </span>The reason for their impermissibility is clear that the embryo of two strangers is being implanted in the womb of a lady who is herself a stranger.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi: embed">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi: embed">(5)<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">&nbsp; </span>The husband does not have potent sperm and the wife has no ovary and physically as well the wife is unable to bear the stress of a pregnancy.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">&nbsp; </span>Then sperm and ovum of some other man and woman are combined and the embryo is implanted into the womb of the wife or some other woman.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">&nbsp; </span>This is also impermissible.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi: embed">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi: embed">(6)<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">&nbsp; </span>The husband has no potent sperm.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">&nbsp; </span>The wife has ovaries but cannot bear a child.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">&nbsp; </span>The sperm of stranger and ovum of the wife are combined and implanted into the womb of another wife.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">&nbsp; </span>This is also obviously forbidden.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi: embed">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi: embed">(7)<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">&nbsp; </span>The wife is not able to bear the stress of pregnancy.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">&nbsp; </span>The husband&rsquo;s sperm and wife&rsquo;s ovum are mixed and the embryo is implanted into another wife of the same husband.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">&nbsp; </span>This is also forbidden.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">&nbsp; </span>Although both the ladies are wives of the same husband, but when the Shariah has forbidden intercourse with one wife in presence of another, implanting one wife&rsquo;s ovum into another&rsquo;s is all the more forbidden.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi: embed">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi: embed">In the aforementioned cases, the sperm and ovum of the husband and wife are being implanted in the womb of a third woman whereas the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) has expressly forbidden it.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">&nbsp; </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi: embed">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi: embed"><b><i>Combining the sperm and ovum of strangers is akin to adultery</i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi: embed">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi: embed">In the described situation, unrelated (i.e. not of a husband and wife) sperm and ovum are being used, which is impermissible in light of the Hadith.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">&nbsp; </span>The way sexual relations between unrelated, (i.e. not husband and wife) man and woman and impregnating somebody else's wife constitutes adultery, in the same way mixing the sperm and ovum of a man and woman, who are not husband and wife, has the same ruling with respect to its result.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">&nbsp; </span>Though on mixing of sperm and ovum in this, the Shariah punishment will not be given, as the punishments given by the Shariah are not given even if there is the slightest of doubt and in this case, physical contact is not found at all, but it has the same ill-effects as adultery.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">&nbsp; </span>It shreds the fabric of modesty and destroys the system of parentage and ancestry.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="text-align:left;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi: embed">&nbsp;</p>