Is it permissible for a patient suffering from delayed conception to masturbate in order to provide a sample of his semen for analysis by a doctor, if he has come, for example, from another country without his wife?
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The questioner : Another question.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : Patients come to me complaining about delayed conception, meaning infertility.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : And the first thing we need is an analysisThe questioner : of the semen.
The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.
The questioner : I ask my patients to have normal intercourse with their wives, and then when he is about to ejaculate, he withdraws and puts it in a bottle and brings it to me.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : He does not use masturbation.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : But sometimes cases come to me where a man has traveled from Abha, nine hundred kilometers, seven hundred kilometers, specifically to see me from a far place, leaving his wife there, and he comes to check on his health.
The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.
The questioner : Or he is from Yemen, a Yemeni with his wife, and for him, I need to analyze his semen to make a decision, because that is the deciding factor.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : So, in truth, he says to me, and I tell him, "Bring your wife," and he says, "My wife... by Allah, I know that masturbation is not permissible, and so on. You are free, meaning, I analyze the semen. If you want to have it analyzed in your country, in Yemen, or wherever you want, bring me the report. Knowing that I do not have everyone analyzed, because not every laboratory’s analysis satisfies me, as there are specific things involved.
The Shaykh: Perfect.
The questioner : So he ends up going to masturbate. In such a case, do we also consider it a dire necessity, and is it permissible for him to masturbate due to the absence of his wife, or is it not permissible?
The Shaykh : No, by Allah, it is not a dire necessity.
The questioner : It is not permissible.
The Shaykh : No, no, because the issue of infertility is, meaning, that is the decree of the Almighty, the All-Knowing. I mean, if it were possible for a person to beget a child from himself, if that were the case, it could be said that there are dire necessities that permit the prohibited. But if our Lord says in the Noble Qur'an, "And He makes whom He wills barren," then that is the creation of Allah.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : So, treatment within the limits of the permissible is recommended by the Shari'ah, but in the path of committing what Allah has forbidden, that is not permissible.
The questioner : Yes, meaning, do not think that delayed conception is one of the diseases, and many times, by the grace of Allah, Allah (Mighty and Majestic) has not taught us to treat it, and the problem ends?
The Shaykh : If you believe that infertility is one of the diseases, I may not say for certain that I agree with you.
The questioner : Yes, I am confident it is one of the diseases, and there are some patients for whom we cannot do anything; he remains infertile for his whole life.
The Shaykh : Then.
The questioner : ... they improve by the grace of Allah.
The Shaykh : So, so I understand from your answer, and you are a doctor, that infertility, or more precisely, not all infertility is a disease.
The questioner : Delayed conception, let us not say infertility; infertility means one hundred percent infertile.
The Shaykh : Good, so how does the doctor know that this is the infertility that cannot be treated?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : From delayed conception, how does he know that? Of course, he has his methods and means. I say I have no objection to adopting these methods and means, as long as the doctor does not expose himself to violation.
The questioner : Yes, let us return to our topic. So I say delayed conception is a medical problem, and I am investigating whether it is final infertility, and I tell the patient, "Do not look for a cure," or whether it is a disease that I can treat, by the permission of Allah, because there are surgeries we perform, varicocele in the testicle, we do it, some strengthening treatments, by the grace of Allah, they work. But the main point is the semen analysis. So if we have now agreed that this is a disease, is it permissible, meaning, does this dire necessity permit this man who has come from a long journey and has been searching for years for someone to treat him, does the Shari'ah permit us to allow him to perform the act of masturbation?
The Shaykh : The answer has already been given: No.
The questioner : Meaning, even if it were a disease, meaning, even if you stood with me and considered it a disease.
The Shaykh : Doctor, here you will have a role to play to know that this is infertility that cannot be treated, or delayed birth, to reach this truth, you must engage in these causes.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Is that not so?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Well, so here we say, if these causes are permissible, then the procedure is permissible, but if there is something in it that contradicts the Shari'ah, like obliging the patient to masturbate, then this is a cause that is not permissible.
The questioner : Well, am I sinful if he goes, I told him, "Uncle, go have intercourse with your wife," and so on, and he went and performed the act of masturbation, is there anything on me?
The Shaykh : If you know that, then do not cooperate in sin and transgression.
The questioner : I warn him, I say, "It has nothing to do with you, do not do this, and this is forbidden."
The Shaykh : Yes, but you know that he did it.
The questioner : Well, he did it and brought me the analysis, what do I do, do I dismiss him?
The Shaykh : Yes, you dismiss him, you tell him, but you did not inform meAl-Halabi : you dismiss him, no, rather you offer him the advice you mentioned. If he comes to you and has masturbated, you tell him, "I told you beforehand, I do not approve of this act in the Shari'ah."
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : And that is all.
The questioner : Yes, I do not approve of it in the Shari'ah, and go out... the second time for the examination, and he goes to someone else, a doctor who does not fear Allah and steals from him, and so on, and so on.
The Shaykh : Yes, do not be a follower of the crowd, saying, "If the people do good, we do good, and if they do evil, we are wronged." But set your hearts to do good if they do good, and if they do evil, do not wrong. Do not let your position be like the position of some rulers of the Muslims who claim to say to you, "If I were not an employee, for example, at the customs or the tax collection or the taxes or in any sensitive place in the state's jobs, a Christian or a Ba'athist or a Communist would come and exploit this position and harm the Muslims. No, I say, an employee is there and I mitigate the harms from those Ba'athists or disbelievers. So I say, do not be you the scapegoat."
The questioner: Yes, good.
The Shaykh : If Allah wills.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good, I am not taking much of your time, and I have a patient sitting waiting for me...
The Shaykh : Yes, good, if Allah wills.
The questioner : May Allah reward your effort, and if Allah wills, I will call to complete the rest of the questions.
The Shaykh : Welcome.
The questioner : If Allah wills, pray for me, may Allah spare me... in some matters, but I am now learning some things.
The Shaykh : Yes, O Allah, teach us and benefit us.
The questioner: Amen, O Lord.
The Shaykh : And increase us and you in knowledge. Peace be upon you.
The questioner : And upon you be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : Patients come to me complaining about delayed conception, meaning infertility.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : And the first thing we need is an analysisThe questioner : of the semen.
The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.
The questioner : I ask my patients to have normal intercourse with their wives, and then when he is about to ejaculate, he withdraws and puts it in a bottle and brings it to me.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : He does not use masturbation.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : But sometimes cases come to me where a man has traveled from Abha, nine hundred kilometers, seven hundred kilometers, specifically to see me from a far place, leaving his wife there, and he comes to check on his health.
The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.
The questioner : Or he is from Yemen, a Yemeni with his wife, and for him, I need to analyze his semen to make a decision, because that is the deciding factor.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : So, in truth, he says to me, and I tell him, "Bring your wife," and he says, "My wife... by Allah, I know that masturbation is not permissible, and so on. You are free, meaning, I analyze the semen. If you want to have it analyzed in your country, in Yemen, or wherever you want, bring me the report. Knowing that I do not have everyone analyzed, because not every laboratory’s analysis satisfies me, as there are specific things involved.
The Shaykh: Perfect.
The questioner : So he ends up going to masturbate. In such a case, do we also consider it a dire necessity, and is it permissible for him to masturbate due to the absence of his wife, or is it not permissible?
The Shaykh : No, by Allah, it is not a dire necessity.
The questioner : It is not permissible.
The Shaykh : No, no, because the issue of infertility is, meaning, that is the decree of the Almighty, the All-Knowing. I mean, if it were possible for a person to beget a child from himself, if that were the case, it could be said that there are dire necessities that permit the prohibited. But if our Lord says in the Noble Qur'an, "And He makes whom He wills barren," then that is the creation of Allah.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : So, treatment within the limits of the permissible is recommended by the Shari'ah, but in the path of committing what Allah has forbidden, that is not permissible.
The questioner : Yes, meaning, do not think that delayed conception is one of the diseases, and many times, by the grace of Allah, Allah (Mighty and Majestic) has not taught us to treat it, and the problem ends?
The Shaykh : If you believe that infertility is one of the diseases, I may not say for certain that I agree with you.
The questioner : Yes, I am confident it is one of the diseases, and there are some patients for whom we cannot do anything; he remains infertile for his whole life.
The Shaykh : Then.
The questioner : ... they improve by the grace of Allah.
The Shaykh : So, so I understand from your answer, and you are a doctor, that infertility, or more precisely, not all infertility is a disease.
The questioner : Delayed conception, let us not say infertility; infertility means one hundred percent infertile.
The Shaykh : Good, so how does the doctor know that this is the infertility that cannot be treated?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : From delayed conception, how does he know that? Of course, he has his methods and means. I say I have no objection to adopting these methods and means, as long as the doctor does not expose himself to violation.
The questioner : Yes, let us return to our topic. So I say delayed conception is a medical problem, and I am investigating whether it is final infertility, and I tell the patient, "Do not look for a cure," or whether it is a disease that I can treat, by the permission of Allah, because there are surgeries we perform, varicocele in the testicle, we do it, some strengthening treatments, by the grace of Allah, they work. But the main point is the semen analysis. So if we have now agreed that this is a disease, is it permissible, meaning, does this dire necessity permit this man who has come from a long journey and has been searching for years for someone to treat him, does the Shari'ah permit us to allow him to perform the act of masturbation?
The Shaykh : The answer has already been given: No.
The questioner : Meaning, even if it were a disease, meaning, even if you stood with me and considered it a disease.
The Shaykh : Doctor, here you will have a role to play to know that this is infertility that cannot be treated, or delayed birth, to reach this truth, you must engage in these causes.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Is that not so?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Well, so here we say, if these causes are permissible, then the procedure is permissible, but if there is something in it that contradicts the Shari'ah, like obliging the patient to masturbate, then this is a cause that is not permissible.
The questioner : Well, am I sinful if he goes, I told him, "Uncle, go have intercourse with your wife," and so on, and he went and performed the act of masturbation, is there anything on me?
The Shaykh : If you know that, then do not cooperate in sin and transgression.
The questioner : I warn him, I say, "It has nothing to do with you, do not do this, and this is forbidden."
The Shaykh : Yes, but you know that he did it.
The questioner : Well, he did it and brought me the analysis, what do I do, do I dismiss him?
The Shaykh : Yes, you dismiss him, you tell him, but you did not inform meAl-Halabi : you dismiss him, no, rather you offer him the advice you mentioned. If he comes to you and has masturbated, you tell him, "I told you beforehand, I do not approve of this act in the Shari'ah."
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : And that is all.
The questioner : Yes, I do not approve of it in the Shari'ah, and go out... the second time for the examination, and he goes to someone else, a doctor who does not fear Allah and steals from him, and so on, and so on.
The Shaykh : Yes, do not be a follower of the crowd, saying, "If the people do good, we do good, and if they do evil, we are wronged." But set your hearts to do good if they do good, and if they do evil, do not wrong. Do not let your position be like the position of some rulers of the Muslims who claim to say to you, "If I were not an employee, for example, at the customs or the tax collection or the taxes or in any sensitive place in the state's jobs, a Christian or a Ba'athist or a Communist would come and exploit this position and harm the Muslims. No, I say, an employee is there and I mitigate the harms from those Ba'athists or disbelievers. So I say, do not be you the scapegoat."
The questioner: Yes, good.
The Shaykh : If Allah wills.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good, I am not taking much of your time, and I have a patient sitting waiting for me...
The Shaykh : Yes, good, if Allah wills.
The questioner : May Allah reward your effort, and if Allah wills, I will call to complete the rest of the questions.
The Shaykh : Welcome.
The questioner : If Allah wills, pray for me, may Allah spare me... in some matters, but I am now learning some things.
The Shaykh : Yes, O Allah, teach us and benefit us.
The questioner: Amen, O Lord.
The Shaykh : And increase us and you in knowledge. Peace be upon you.
The questioner : And upon you be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.