Thursday 6 Jumada al-ula 1446 - 7 November 2024
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Spouses want to carry out artificial insemination during Ramadan

Question

We have been married for some time, and Allah has not blessed us with children until now. We are going to carry out an artificial insemination procedure, but the appointment for this procedure will be in the blessed month of Ramadan. This is because of the ovulation cycle. This means that my wife and I will not be in a state of tahaarah (purity) and we will break our fast during Ramadan. I do not know what to do. Will Allah forgive us because we have to do this, and is there any expiation?.

Answer

Praise be to Allah.

Firstly:  

Artificial insemination involves many things that are wrong. It has been proven that some doctors deliberately switch the sperm, either because they are evil themselves, or because they are certain that the man’s sperm is not fit for fertilization, and their greed for money leads them to do this. 

It has been proven that in many hospitals mistakes have been made and samples have been switched. Hence the scholars’ view on this matter is strict and they have stated that it is not permissible if the samples are stored and inserted into the woman’s uterus at a later date. Others have said that it is not allowed at all, because of the inherent dangers of error in this method which may lead to mingling of lineages and many other evils. 

Secondly: 

This insemination is not a case of necessity whereby a man and his wife may break their fast. It can be delayed until night or until after Ramadan. 

What we advise you to do is to be patient and accept the decree of Allah, and to apply the shar’i means of producing offspring. If you insist on artificial insemination then you have to take the strictest precautions to keep an eye on the sample and ensure that it is inserted immediately in your wife’s uterus by a female doctor whose religious commitment is trustworthy. And you should avoid doing this during the day in Ramadan because there is no urgency. 

And Allah knows best.

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Source: Islam Q&A