What is the ruling on test-tube babies?
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The questioner : In our laboratory, we are currently conducting a research project known as the test-tube baby program. We take the man's semen and the woman's egg to fertilize it outside the womb, and after a certain period, meaning after two weeks or a specific time, we return the egg to the woman's womb. What is the ruling in Islam?
The Shaykh : Of course, this is not permissible. It has been discussed extensively. The least of the issues with this is the exposure of the woman's 'awrah (nakedness). Is it possible to obtain an egg without exposure?
The questioner : No, of course not.
The Shaykh : What is built upon a defective foundation is defective, and what is built upon what is forbidden is forbidden. Is it possible to obtain the man's semen without exposing the 'awrah?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : How so?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: It is possible. This is the first obstacle in the path that prevents the permissibility of this procedure: that it be performed by a Muslim husband and wife. The second obstacle is that there is no guarantee that there will be no mixing; mixing means the wife's egg with the semen of a man other than her husband, and the husband's semen with the egg of a woman other than his wife. This could happen, at least by mistake. Or what do you think, is this impossible?
The questioner : Of course not.
The Shaykh : Therefore, preserving lineage is a very obligatory matter, and anything that is feared to lead to the disruption or mixing of lineages should be avoided, especially since the issue is built upon the commission of a forbidden act from its very first step. Therefore, this action is not permissible.
The Shaykh: Yesterday, we were asked about this issue and we spoke about it, and we said: It is not possible for anyone to perform this procedure except the husband and wife, provided one of them is a doctor.
The questioner : Is it permissible if the man is a doctor?
The Shaykh : Yes, or she is.
The questioner : Or she is a female doctor.
The Shaykh : Or she is, for example.
The questioner : I understand that the door of prohibition is that the prohibition lies in the exposure of the woman's 'awrah, and secondly, the mixing of lineages.
Another questioner : And if the woman who is being examined is... Shaykh?
The questioner : I mean, if the doctor is a woman?
The Shaykh : The question is wrong. What is the difference?
The questioner : That this might raise the same question, Shaykh.
The Shaykh : How do you mean?
The questioner : I mean, if a woman needs to examine another woman?
The Shaykh : I mean, why is it not known that a woman examining a woman is forbidden?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Fine; all roads lead to the mill. What I know is that, and from the example I gave you, the issue is not prohibited because it is strange, and because now... because the Europeans do it; no, it is not like that. The issue is that there are precautions, and you have known them. However, if we assume a Muslim husband and wife, one of whom is a doctor, and it does not matter whether the husband or the wife is the doctor; because if the doctor is the husband, he extracts the egg from her instead of putting his semen in her. Is there any prohibition in that? There is no prohibition! And conversely, if she extracts this semen from the husband and performs this technical assembly, and they proceed with the steps, and no tube is connected to another tube, and no tube is mixed with another tube, and nothing else, and Allah is sufficient for the believers in fighting.
The questioner : Fine; what is the benefit of this, Shaykh? What is the benefit of this procedure?
The Shaykh : The benefit is clear: the woman does not have the capacity to carry the fetus in her womb, and she is an expert in the subject, so she understands more than I do. Explain the answer to her.
The questioner : Sometimes the ejaculation of the sperm does not reach the woman's egg in the woman, so they try to extract the egg and fertilize it outside... this is one case. Secondly, sometimes the tubes that lead to the egg are closed and do not descend to the fertilization area in the uterus during intercourse with the man, so they try to open this area by surgery and extract the egg outside, then fertilize it.
The Shaykh : Of course, this is not permissible. It has been discussed extensively. The least of the issues with this is the exposure of the woman's 'awrah (nakedness). Is it possible to obtain an egg without exposure?
The questioner : No, of course not.
The Shaykh : What is built upon a defective foundation is defective, and what is built upon what is forbidden is forbidden. Is it possible to obtain the man's semen without exposing the 'awrah?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : How so?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: It is possible. This is the first obstacle in the path that prevents the permissibility of this procedure: that it be performed by a Muslim husband and wife. The second obstacle is that there is no guarantee that there will be no mixing; mixing means the wife's egg with the semen of a man other than her husband, and the husband's semen with the egg of a woman other than his wife. This could happen, at least by mistake. Or what do you think, is this impossible?
The questioner : Of course not.
The Shaykh : Therefore, preserving lineage is a very obligatory matter, and anything that is feared to lead to the disruption or mixing of lineages should be avoided, especially since the issue is built upon the commission of a forbidden act from its very first step. Therefore, this action is not permissible.
The Shaykh: Yesterday, we were asked about this issue and we spoke about it, and we said: It is not possible for anyone to perform this procedure except the husband and wife, provided one of them is a doctor.
The questioner : Is it permissible if the man is a doctor?
The Shaykh : Yes, or she is.
The questioner : Or she is a female doctor.
The Shaykh : Or she is, for example.
The questioner : I understand that the door of prohibition is that the prohibition lies in the exposure of the woman's 'awrah, and secondly, the mixing of lineages.
Another questioner : And if the woman who is being examined is... Shaykh?
The questioner : I mean, if the doctor is a woman?
The Shaykh : The question is wrong. What is the difference?
The questioner : That this might raise the same question, Shaykh.
The Shaykh : How do you mean?
The questioner : I mean, if a woman needs to examine another woman?
The Shaykh : I mean, why is it not known that a woman examining a woman is forbidden?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Fine; all roads lead to the mill. What I know is that, and from the example I gave you, the issue is not prohibited because it is strange, and because now... because the Europeans do it; no, it is not like that. The issue is that there are precautions, and you have known them. However, if we assume a Muslim husband and wife, one of whom is a doctor, and it does not matter whether the husband or the wife is the doctor; because if the doctor is the husband, he extracts the egg from her instead of putting his semen in her. Is there any prohibition in that? There is no prohibition! And conversely, if she extracts this semen from the husband and performs this technical assembly, and they proceed with the steps, and no tube is connected to another tube, and no tube is mixed with another tube, and nothing else, and Allah is sufficient for the believers in fighting.
The questioner : Fine; what is the benefit of this, Shaykh? What is the benefit of this procedure?
The Shaykh : The benefit is clear: the woman does not have the capacity to carry the fetus in her womb, and she is an expert in the subject, so she understands more than I do. Explain the answer to her.
The questioner : Sometimes the ejaculation of the sperm does not reach the woman's egg in the woman, so they try to extract the egg and fertilize it outside... this is one case. Secondly, sometimes the tubes that lead to the egg are closed and do not descend to the fertilization area in the uterus during intercourse with the man, so they try to open this area by surgery and extract the egg outside, then fertilize it.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.