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I have been married for eight years and have not had any children. I want to have artificial insemination, but because of my circumstances I will be doing the procedure to implant embryos during the day in Ramadan. Does this invalidate the fast? Do I have to offer expiation for that day or not?
Praise be to Allah.
What is meant by artificial insemination is fertilizing the woman’s egg with the sperm of the man, without having intercourse.
Artificial insemination may be done internally or externally.
The sperm is injected inside the wife’s uterus via a thin tube that transfers the sperm to the cervix (neck of the womb).
We have previously explained the ruling on artificial insemination in a number of fatwas. Please see the answer to question no. 3474 .
In order to understand the effect that artificial insemination has on the fast, we must explain a number of rulings:
Therefore the man must avoid this during the day in Ramadan .
Neither of these methods is regarded as breaking the fast.
Modern medicine has proven that the woman’s vagina is not connected to the digestive system at all, so anything that enters the woman’s vagina cannot be regarded as breaking the fast.
Al-Bahuti said: “Rather her fast is broken if a man’s penis penetrates her vagina, because that is intercourse, and intercourse breaks the fast because it is likely to lead to ejaculation.” (Sharh Muntaha al-Iradat, 2/364)
This is what the Islamic Fiqh Council based its view on when it stated that anything that enters the vagina is not regarded as breaking the fast. In their statement it says: The following things are not regarded as breaking the fast:
Insertion of semen via this method is not regarded as intercourse; hence an-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “If she inserts semen via her vagina or rear passage, she is not required to do ghusl.” (Rawdat al-Talibin, 1/85)
An-Nafrawi said: “The woman does not have to do ghusl if semen enters her vagina without her maniy also being emitted.” (Al-Fawakih al-Dawanah, 1/117)
Based on that, artificial insemination procedures, whether they are done inside or outside the body, and implanting embryos in the uterus, do not spoil the woman’s fast.
But it is better for the woman to avoid doing that during Ramadan if possible, so as to guard her fast and avoid any areas of doubt.
For more, please see this answer: What Breaks Your Fast .
And Allah knows best.