This is a very good site, keep up the good work!!!! Both my husband and I are Muslim. We have been married for 9 years.  We would both like to have children very much but we have fertility problems. We have been trying for 8 years now. I can't think about anything except becoming a mother.  Everyone around me is having a baby. I get so jealous. So we are thinking of going through in vitro fertilization. So my question is: does ISLAM permit this in vitro fertilization? Thank you every much.

Answer

Yes, generally speaking, it is my view that your type of problem has to be treated like a medical problem. So with this approach, any solution aimed at resolving medical/health problems is lawfully permissible and is even recommended and advisable in Islam.

From my understanding of the technical procedures involved, there is nothing unlawful with in vitro fertilization except that you must use the wife's eggs and the husband's sperm. Click here to see an article which discusses this as well as other fertility issues on our website. Here is another article on our website which discusses Infertility and the Qur'an.

An incidental legal problem that arises from this relates to the procedure for acquiring the husband's sperm for this purpose. If his sperm is to be acquired through masturbation, which is unlawful under normal circumstances, it becomes lawful in these special circumstances, namely for the purpose of solving medical/health problems. In this regard, please see this article for more information on the subject.

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P.S.   I wonder whether it has occurred to you to try to get help from the Holy Qur'an. Some knowledgeable people could suggest a particular appropriate verse from the Qur'an as a chant or for recitation in certain ways in order to obtain cures for physical diseases. The Holy Qur'an is very explicit in saying that it contains shifa' (cures) for diseases. I would say that 'shifa' is such a broad general word that it covers not only spiritual diseases, but also physical diseases. If you have not tried this, then why not consider that alternative as well.