Only Allah Knows What Is in the Wombs

The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta

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The first question of Fatwa No. ( 1552 ):

Q1: In issue (205) (p. 45) of *Al-Arabi* magazine, dated December (1975 CE), a question and answer stated that it is the man who determines the type of the fetus. What is the position of the religion regarding this? And does anyone other than Allah know the unseen?
A1: First: Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, is the One who alone forms the fetus in the wombs as He wills, making it male or female, complete or incomplete, and so on regarding the conditions of the fetus. This is not in the hands of anyone other than Allah, the Exalted. He said:

It is He who forms you in the wombs however He wills. There is no deity except Him, the Exalted in Might, the Wise.

هُوَ الَّذِي يُصَوِّرُكُمْ فِي الأَرْحَامِ كَيْفَ يَشَاءُ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلا هُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ

[Ali 'Imran 3:6]

And He the Exalted said:

⁽⁴⁹⁾ To Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth; He creates what he wills. He gives to whom He wills female [children], and He gives to whom He wills males. ⁽⁵⁰⁾ Or He makes them [both] males and females, and He renders whom He wills barren. Indeed, He is Knowing and Competent.

لِلَّهِ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَاءُ يَهَبُ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ إِنَاثًا وَيَهَبُ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ الذُّكُورَ (49) أَوْ يُزَوِّجُهُمْ ذُكْرَانًا وَإِنَاثًا وَيَجْعَلُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ عَقِيمًا إِنَّهُ عَلِيمٌ قَدِيرٌ

[Ash-Shuraa 42:49-50]

So He, Glorified and Exalted is He, informed that He alone is the One who owns the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and that He is the One who creates what He wills, shaping the fetus in the wombs as He wills, whether male or female, and in whatever state He wills, whether deficient or complete, and whether beautiful and handsome or ugly and deformed, among other conditions of the fetus. That is not for anyone else, nor for a partner with Him. The claim that a husband, a doctor, or a philosopher is capable of determining the sex of the fetus is a false claim. The husband and those in his position have no more power than to choose the time of intercourse for the sake of hoping for pregnancy. What he desires may be fulfilled by the decree of Allah, or what he desires may not be fulfilled, either due to a deficiency in the cause or the presence of a preventer, such as pus, infertility, or a trial from Allah for His servant. This is because causes do not have an effect in themselves, but rather they have an effect by the decree of Allah, who ordains their effects upon them. Fertilization is a cosmic matter, and the one obligated has no more power over it than to perform the act by the permission of Allah. As for directing it, shaping it, subduing it, and managing it by ordaining its effects upon it, that is for Allah alone, with no partner for Him. Whoever reflects on the conditions, words, and actions of people will see their exaggeration in claims and their lying and fabrication in words and deeds, out of their ignorance and their excess in considering
modern sciences and their transgression of the limit in relying on causes. Whoever measures things by their measure distinguishes between what is the exclusive domain of Allah among them and what Allah has placed with the created beings by His decree for that. Glorified is He. And success is from Allah. And may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.

Source www.alifta.gov.sa

The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.

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