Fatwa ID: 05881

Answered by: Maulana Yusuf Khan

Question:

My question is troubling me for some time. Any guidance is much appreciated with reference to the Holy Quran and hadith: if there is absolutely no chance of conceiving naturally, is it permitted to spend money to seek support through IVF? NHS funding is not available. My concern is that we will be questioned by Allah ﷻ for how we used our money in the duniya & that children are a worldly desire however, the idea of not pursuing fertility support is heartbreaking & I desperately wish for a family. Pls kindly advise & thank you in advance. I have already performed regular istakhara, tajjahud and fasting, sadaqah seeking Allah’s guidance. I don’t want to displease Him ﷻ but I constantly read in the Quran that noblemen have sought children & I assume this isn’t vanity but a genuine desire to be a parent.

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer:

IVF is when the egg is removed from the woman’s ovaries and fertilized with the sperm in a laboratory setting. The fertilized egg is then returned to the woman’s womb to grow and develop.

This process is something people turn to when they cannot conceive out of necessity naturally so it will be permissible as both the sperm and egg belong to the married couple. ^[1]

In relation to it being a desire of a person, that is correct however, it is something that is sacred to a person. It is not like any other desire because the child of a person carries on their lineage. If one does not exhaust his efforts in establishing in his lineage then he would only be filled with regret after.

Only Allah knows best

Written by Maulana Yusuf Khan

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham

[1] Al-Qawaa’idu Al-Fiqhiyya- P.43

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