Islamic marriage advice and family advice

Is sperm donation to infertile relative allowed in Islam?

artificial insemination, fertilization

Assalaamu alaykum dear brothers and sisters,

I am having a very complicated issue, I hope you can guide me through this issue. My brother is having a problem conceiving a child with his wife. The latest tests' results show that it is a problem from the husband, and the doctors offer the only solution to conceive is by donor semen.

My brother addressed for my help (with my semen, as I am the closest by blood to him). Me and my wife have been blessed with a beautiful and healthy child, alhamdulillah.

I am really willing to help, I am willing to donate and let my brother enjoy the fatherhood as I am enjoying mine now. But I am afraid of Allah's punishment if I am doing a wrong thing. Please, guide me through, this is really bothering me.

Thank you in advance,

Hamza


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43 Responses »

  1. Brother Hamza, As Salamualaikum,

    I am sorry, but sperm donation is not allowed in Islam, because it involves mixing of lineages which is one of the reasons why Zina is Haraam.

    There is a Hadith in Sahīh al Bukhari in which Allah's Messenger Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said:

    “There is no sin after shirk (polytheism) greater in the eyes of Allah than a drop of semen which a man places in the womb which is not lawful for him.”

    Dr. Ahmad Muhammad Kan`aan, the Head of the Infectious Diseases Department affiliated to the Primary Medical Care Administration in the Eastern Region in Saudi Arabia, states the following: In the recent years, scientists have succeeded in making use of the sperms donated and kept in banks at a very low temperature; these sperms were used for insemination. All Islamic Fiqh academies have rejected the idea especially when some Muslim countries began applying the idea. The simple reason for this rejection lies in the great dangers and evils that emanate from it. In this regard, all these academies have demanded that in carrying out the process of insemination, the sperm of the husband himself must be used.

    Furthermore, these academies
    required that insemination must occur right after the sperm is taken from the husband not after depositing the husband’s sperm in bank.

    Therefore, we say that as it is not
    lawful to carry out insemination on a wife, using the sperm of a dead
    husband, and it is not permissible to
    use the sperm of any person other
    than the husband himself, for such thing will lead to mixture and confusion of lineage. As Muslims, we are asked to keep the whole society (whether Muslims or non-Muslims)
    clean and pure from everything that
    spreads corruption in it.

    (end quote from islamonline)

    And Allah Knows Best

    Muhammad Waseem
    IslamicAnswers.com Editor

  2. I agree with brother waseem, If your brother and his wife want children they can adopt!!!

    • I asked a question a long time ago but no one replied......
      what if the woman don't want to adapt and what if she wants to go through the process of pregnancy to child birth and what if the thought of adapting child haunt her..

      then what...???

      • Then it is clear that she has to remain calm and keep her in mind that ALLAH has not bless her a child. As in Qur'an: ALLAH say that " HE bless some one only girls and some one only boys and some one both boys and girls and some one nothing". (Forget exact meaning and Surat).
        And if she badly wanted to have children she can take divorce and married other man who is physically healthy for the purpose.

        • Great advice! MahsaAllah Brother Ahmad.

          Perhaps you were referring to the Ayah below?!

          "To Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. He creates whatever He wills. He grants daughters to whomever He wills, and He grants sons to whomever He wills. Or He combines them together, males and females; and He renders whomever He wills sterile. He is Knowledgeable and Capable." (Quran 42: 49-50)

          • this is horrible advice! Why would you encourage divorce in this circumstance. Did any of the prophet's wives divorce because they couldn't bear children? Seriously use friggin common sense

          • He can adopt a baby...instead of having an illegal one....this might fulfill his own desires,,,and a good deed that can lead him to jannah...in this way he can promote the kindness to orphans and needy...cos the baby born into his wives womb is as same as that orphan (if it's an inseminated)

        • Surah 42 shura/ consultation verses no 49-50.
          " To Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens & earth, He creates what he wills.He gives to whom He wills female(child) ,& He gives to whom He wills males.

          Or He makes them (both) males & females, & He renders who He wills barren. Indeed he is knowing & competent."

          Translated from ----shahid international.

      • She has all the rights to divorce her husband who is medically impaired to the extent that she is becoming impatient to go for the forbidden option. And she may marry a healthy husband who could do the needful - only if she is impatient enough to become a sinner. Otherwise stay with the first one for Allah's sake and stay loyal.

        • My question: Can anybody provide me a name of any procedure by which a wife will find out before mariage whether her would be husband, handsome and physically healthy, will be fertile or infertile ?
          The only test I know is sperm count, but is that too allowed in Islam before mariage ? If allowed then how ?

      • I agree with you because i am islamic and If I ever have any problems and I had to pick between adopting and a sperm donor I'll go for a sperm donor because if I want a child I would want I would want the baby to be from my blood and for me to experience the process of being pregnant

        • @Fefeb,

          So you are willing to disobey Allah (Subhanahu Wa Talaa) cause a sin and cause confusion of lineage, deprive the child from a stable two family home for your selfish need? If the child is a female you are giving her a signal and teaching her to fulfill her desires at all cost and no matter what and no matter who you hurt and if you are a male child you are teaching him he is not needed and unnecessary and if something wrong with you, he can be replaced by some sperm bank and the woman get to continue her gene but not him? It seems you are only focused on yourself. Your husband too would love to have his bloodline continued but he cannot, it is not only just female to fulfill her reproductive desires.

          My recommendation if your husband is impossible to fix his issue is to divorce him and find another man who can fulfill your and HIS need as well.

  3. My recommendation to you brother is to tell your brother if he wants to be father adopt a child which will give that child a life a better life and your brother and in law will be rewarded with deeds also tell your brother to have lot of Zinc like Zinc vitamin or pumkins seeds or so on inshallah he will be okay just support him. Thank you.

  4. Adoption could be one option. But then, he can not give his name to the adopted child. As a child has to be known by its father's name, in Islam.

    Muhammad Waseem
    IslamicAnswers.com Editor

  5. ASSALAMALAIKUM-
    is donating plasma or sperm allowed for muslims
    blood donation, tissue donation and organ donation for medical purposes when no harm comes to the donor (either because they're dead or because the removal of the donated tissue/blood does not harm a living person) and they are freely given by the donor (including permission given prior to death) or donor's family - this is allowed

    selling organs and using organs that will result in the loss of life or disability to the donor is not allowed.

    Sperm and egg donation is not allowed, because of the problem of confusing family lines. All forms of fertility treatment that involve the husband's sperm and the wife's egg are allowed.

    Fatwas:

    Organ and blood Donation: http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/107690/organ%20donation

    Being pregnant with baby concieved by a sperm or egg that is not her own/her husbands as fertility treatment: http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/22126/sperm%20donation and http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/21871

  6. But if the donor is of the same family line, where does the confusion lie? It is not a random donor from a sperm bank after all. It is of the same line, father-wise. There would be a closer lineage with sperm donation in this case, than with adoption. The family would have to remain cognizant of the crossover if first cousin marriages are applicable within their family, as the children of these couples wouldn't be cousins, but half-siblings. They would have to decide whether or not to share this with their children as they grew up. There are things to figure out prior to insemination. If it was the wife who had fertility issues, those could be cleanly resolved by the husband taking a second wife. As it is in Islam, the wife cannot take a second husband, soooooo if they want a child, and if the husband wants the child to have his name/family ties then a decision needs to be made as to how this will be done.

    • Even I had the same thought, sister Lydia. But we should remember that when our Lord Rules something, we never give a second thought.
      If you think logically, can a brother have sexual relations with his brother's wife? Why is it still Zina while there won't be confusion about the lineage? In the same way, the sperm of one can not replace the other's.

      And Allah Knows Best.
      Muhammad Waseem
      IslamicAnswers.com Editor

      • Yes, I understand what you and Amy have both brought up regarding the confusion that could erupt around such a matter as one brother donating sperm for another. I do get that, and am not trying to be quarrelsome. I am however confused about the options of husbands vs. wives in Islam when there is an issue of infertility. If the wife had the issues regarding fertility, the husband would have the option of taking a second wife as there is a religious imperative to procreate. The wife (in any religion) has no such option when the infertility issues lie with her husband. So my questions are: What are the wives' options in a case such as this? And if a wife who is fully capable of having children, remains in a marriage with a man who is infertile and chooses to forgo her ability to have children, is she absolved of her religious duty to procreate?

        Also, regarding what brother Ali posted below:

        It is not befitting for a believer, man or woman, when a matter has been decided by Allah and His Apostle, to have any option about their decision: if anyone disobeys Allah and His Apostle, he is indeed on a clearly wrong path. (Surah Al-Ahzab, 33:36)

        If this is trully the case, why are men allowed to marry another woman if their first wives cannot bear children? Has not the wife's infertility been decided by Allah? I just cannot wrap my mind around it all.

        • Salam sister Lydia,
          Islam does not say that a woman must stay with her husband if he is infertile (I have never read this in authentic Hadith, Quran & Sunnah or authentic fatwas). I have seen such cases and to my little understanding it is social or cultural thing certainly not religious. I have read a few fatwas which state that infertility is enough reason for a wife to request/seek divorce but no where have I read that wife to stay with such husband.
          You can do some research to find out more on this issue.

          And Allah knows best:).

          Muhammad1982,
          Editor, islamicanswers.com

          • But that does not solve the problem, is a infertile man to remain single for the rest of his life. I am sure Islam is a logical religion and that there is a solution for this.

      • I believe carrying out zina and donating your sperm are two different things if you poder upon it.

  7. ASSALAMALIKUM
    But if the donor is of the same family line, where does the confusion lie?
    REPLY-
    It is not befitting for a believer, man or woman, when a matter has been decided by Allah and His Apostle, to have any option about their decision: if anyone disobeys Allah and His Apostle, he is indeed on a clearly wrong path. (Surah Al-Ahzab, 33:36)

  8. Salaams,

    I think the prohibition is very clear, as brother waseem outlined. That's not something any of us have the liberty to quarrel with.

    But even if it was not a factor, this is still a situation that is inviting multiple complications. It would be hard to imagine that you, as the biological father, would never have some type of angst watching a child you know is yours being raised by your brother and his wife, no matter how well you get on. After all, your child's rights are traces back to you just the same...so that will invite a lot of drama that no one will be wanting to deal with. Also, the child may at some point rather be in your care (knowing you are their father) and this could create hardship on your brother and sister in law.

    Everyone thinks these situations are ideal and will work out until they get going and start getting complex in ways no one anticipated. Then, resentments start to grow and the child is put in the unfortunate position of having to choose an emotional loyalty to the raising father or the biological one. Things can go even worse if your brother and sister in law are raising the child in a way you don't care for, or want to reduce your contact with the child when you would rather be increasing it. I don't think you can honestly say you would have no care for any issues like this because it's only natural for parents to have these feelings---even if someone else is raising the child.

    The bottom line is that it's better to stick to the guidelines Allah gave us for such matters, and look at alternative solutions that are permissible.

    -Amy
    IslamicAnswers.com Editor

  9. If Allah wish,any time your brother can have blessing from Allah.

    Try by consulting genuine Allah fearing Unani doctors.

    Good Luck

  10. Salaam, it's been checked and a fatwa was issued recently by a scholar who strictly follows Qur'an & authentic ahadith & he said it's Haraam as [briefly] it's just like having sex with another woman [by using someone Else's womb is Haraam!!] besides you'll cause both women harm as biological mother will love the baby more than the one who cannot conceive so FEAR Allah & be patient with how Allah made you!!

  11. Nabi Ibrahim could not have children. This was by the will of Allah and he accepted it. Because Allah was testing him and had a greater plan and that was Nabi Ismail in his older years.

    Do you ever think that if you are infertile, it is because Allah has a reason? It might even be a blessing. We should not let the emotion, based on our limited vision and knowledge, override Allah's rule, for God plans best.

    • Zaheer, your answer is the best, it's the god plan and he should pray ask allah for help and be patient, who knows he may have a baby anytime when the god wants to .....

  12. I dont agree with this.

    When an egg is donated, that is the only thing that is donated - not the womb, when the egg fertilises in the womb, the umbilical cord is attached to the mother who is carrying the child. So there shouldnt be a question of linege here because the only thing from outside is the egg, the rest comes from the sperm inc the genetics, whether the child is male or female which will be from the father. The mother will be carrying the child.

    I understand where you are saying about donor sperm.

    Without looking at the roles of both eggs and sperm, you are ruling this out. Using donor eggs, some sisters can fall pregnant and enjoy motherhood.

  13. If you have little bit pure eemaan for Allah in your heart than dua is the best solution because we are the last ummah of Muhammad peace be upon him or the last generation of humans on earth and as we all know Allah subhanahuwatala make Adam and havva alaysalam without father and mother and also the birth of Jesus Christ Isa ibn e mariyam alaysalam which is also the best example and as we know there are four holy books of Allah and first david or dawood alaysalam have God giving speciality at that time that dawood alaysalam recite the words of Allah with beautifull voice and with several instruments or sounds and that was allowed at his time only or at his shariah and with the help of this every living bieng prays Allah and Allah gaves everything which they wants and need for ummah of Dawood and for others the hallal things at that shariah and everyone prays Allah with the help and techings of Dawood alysalam and second moses or musa alaysalam have God giving speciality that Allah gaves him asa with the help of asa moosa cammands and order to asa and Allah done what moosa odered for help and that musa talks or kalaam Allah directly and Allah talks or kalaam to moosa directly voice to voice so this is for moses or moosa at that time only and with the help or teachings of moses everyone prays to Allah and Alah gaves everything which ummah of musa wants or need the halaal thing of that time and third Jesus christ Isa ibne mariam or mother marry peace be upon him have God giving speciality the birth of Isa with the help of spirit of God and this is the emaan for peoples at that time and Isa alaysalsalm heal the blind and deaf and dumb and dead once with the wiping of his hand and with the help of or teachings of Isa everyone prays to Allah and then Allah gaves everything which they wants or need the halaal things at that time and now the fourth and the last revelation and the word of God is Quran and the last prophet Muhammad peace be upon him and the last generation and the last ummah so First of all i clearify that Muhammad is the simple person like as we all are now physically and spiritually bcz if u read the life of Muhammad which i know very little is that he have not a voice like dawood but voice like a normal person but speciality of dawood is present and not have asa and not kalaam to Allah directly but with help of gibrael and but speciality of musa is present
    and Muhammad also not like a jesus bcz Muhammad birth is natural by parents and also have not a healling power also but speciality of jesus present ..........sooooooo there were thousands of prophets and messengers of Allah comes Adam To Jesus Every one have speciality or a God giving power or gift in him for small example Adam have thousands of childrens it means physically strong and sulemon alaysalam who talks every human bieng or jinn in there languages and yusuf the most beautifull person in humans Lat prophet have none of the speciality or gift like all prophets or messengers and my point is that Allah gave him a gift or powers which are the powers itself so why Allah loves the Muhammad most and all the prophets and messengers of Allah also loves and have a belief that Muhammad is or was a simple person
    not have any speciality like i but all prophets know that Allah is the best planner and i m now to the point that Allah gives Quran the last words to Muhammad and told him to convey the message to all ears of humans or jinns on earth without without strength of adam,beautiness of yusuf,languages of sulemon ,voice of dawood,moses asa,jesus healing power so how it is possible only to convey a message only and convice the word of God to peoples ,only give messsage of god to the ears of peoples and live a life like What Quran says. so answer is practice the five time prayers in a day only and after ibadah do dua for those who are on wrong path and do dua for you and for before you and for after you soooooooooooo Sallat is the biggest gift of Allah to the last ummah of Muhammad who have all the specialities but hidden spiritually and salaat is the spiritual relation with Allah and in the time of slaat or sajud person is very near to Allah like two fingers of your single hand so pray namaz for Allah and do dua for solution and do dua for me also....This is the life of Muhammad which is equals to the words of Allah the Quran and we all are normall person and we are also from muhammads generation the last so both are same physically or spiritually and brother as you are a muslim so you the life of sahabas abu bakr umer othman ali hassan hussain and others radiallahutalaajmaeen and after them there are imaams and so go on Allah gaves him a gift with help of Quran teaching and sunnah so Pray 5 time a day do dua bcz life of Muhammad is complete and best example of our life...and finally if i wriote any wrong statement so plz do dua k Allah forgives me

    • yes brother you are right i know that every person of this ummaah have all the God gifted powers of prophets but they use with the help of eeman and taqwah but in face of dua and to make eeman you have to read quran for basics and follow sunnah and pray to Allah and copy and paste the life of Muhammad in our life and after all make dua for your problem and brother you know that Allah at several places ask with the help of angels that oh Muhammad order me so i will destroy all of your enemies but Muhammad never ordered the angels and do ibadah and dua oh Allah forgive them all. So for the love or sake of Muhammad for peoples, Allah change there minds and hearts of enemies of Muhammad then they becomes the followers of Muhammad.

      • I suspect you are the same person as hamzah, the previous commenter. As I said to him, have some respect for the Messenger of Allah and refer to him by his title, or at least as Prophet Muhammad (sws).

        Wael
        IslamicAnswers.com Editor

        • Yes brother both are me and brother it was my mistake for not giving a respect and not use a proper title for Him but brother I use at once or one more and brother there are several types of persons having different level and types of eeman and taqwa and thaughts and brother respect like you to use a proper title for Prophet Muhammad SWS but it is in the eyes of you not in the eyes of everyone and brother if i say Prophet Muhammad SWS is also not the proper title to define so see (Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad Sal Allah Hu Alaihi Wasallam) so hows that and there are many more titles for the personality of Muhammad by Sufia ikraams and Buzurgaane Deen which are more sweet titles but all the titles are useless when there is no beautiness of heart of you for Muhammad and Brother Muhammads Sunnahs or habbits are the best durood and proof of love if we follow and aplly it in our life so my point is giving a proper title is not cumplsory or the proof of respect but at once and at the end this comment brother all the above things which i wrote above you already know all but i only i reminds you and at last....Beautiness of heart and and pureness of love proof is that k Prophet Muhammad Peace be upon him which i early wrote in my answer for the topic of dua is for you and left which are without the titles are for Allah and for his Muhammad........

    • hamzah, a few points:

      1. If you are saying that if the brother has faith then Allah will give him a miracle as he did for the prophets, then that's not a realistic solution. Those were prophets. We are not. It's true that Allah has power over all things, and with strong faith and powerful dua', Allah may indeed grant a miracle. On the other hand, He may not. You cannot rely on that. Instead you must look for a realistic course of action, such as adoption or fostering a child.

      2. Actually the Prophet Muhammad (sws) performed many miracles. It's true that the Quran is the greatest living miracle. but in fact he (the Prophet sws) healed people and performed other miracles.

      3. Do not refer to the Messenger of Allah (sws) as "Muhammad", as if he is your buddy from down the street. He is a Prophet and Messenger. You should refer to him as Prophet Muhammad (sal-Allahu-alayhi-wa-sallam) or Messenger of Allah, or The Messenger. His closest companions and friends called him Rasulullah. They never referred to him by his first name.

      Wael
      IslamicAnswers.com Editor

      • 1 answer....Brother every Prophets have faith and high end taqwah and eeman on Allah and they do not do on there own but with will of God for e.g Moses asa so asa was wooden stick or piece like object and when Moses PBUH hit the ground and then sea split or crop into 12 paths so before doing this Moses faith is upon Allah not on asa asa it is the sabab and Jesus christ peace be upon him heals with the wiping of hand on humans with help of faith on God not on miraculous hand and without faith there is nothing and many examples on which today we make debate on which are in the subject of miracles but these are in the subject of pure faith of Prophets on God and all these examples are for the last Prophet Muhammads Ummah peoples and have a message that do good deeds and make faith on God piosly and purely and build sabab and if after all there is no result so dont become depress because you have so many examples of Prophets that there faith not on sabab only on God Allah helps and in Muhammad SWSLM all the miraculous powers were presents but He did not use bcz He already knows that if i used them then it makes a difference from me and my ummah and then my ummah said this help was by Allah for Prophets only and we are not like Prophet Muhammad so for the for this reason Muhammad SWS live a life like normal person and he is no one personality and Imaam ul Ambia and normal nature person spiritually and physically like us so apply the Qurans teaching and sunnats of Muhammad SWS in our life then make faith on Allah so Allah help us like He help his prophets or sahabas or followers of sahabas and imaams or tabayeen or taba tbaiyeen or sufia ikraams and buzurgaane deens so at the end dont become depress if adoption is also a big problem for the brother of this chapter so paray salah or namaz and do dua so biggest gift and in other word miracle is namaz for this ummah and make faith on Allah bcz Allah is awwal or aakhir.

  14. Another best solution for the brother who questioned is if women is sterile so the man married another woman for children it means 2 wifes and it is jaiz in shariah and if man having same conditions like women sterile and did not gave divorce on asking of his wife bcz of love or any other reason so man can marry to another women who already have young or small childrens it means an other woman who is widow or whose husband was died or a women of martyr husband so this is the solution......and plz ask any Aalim or Mufti of your fiqah for your question.
    Allah forgive us all if we commit any mistake...

  15. Salaam to my brothers and sisters. May Allah swt give you all emaan and strength. I am not sure to the extent of this dialogue, but I ask if we are allowed to donate blood and organs to treat a medical condition, and those carry dna of the donor, then why is it not reviewable for scholars to have donor eggs or sperm. If the solution for an infertile woman or man is to remarry or divorce because it is haram for this, then we really need to think clearly about this issue. I just feel this is not right. A woman or a man with the invention of technology should have the ability to have children. Using differ dna blood and differ dna organs is no different. Adopting is not the same as having a lineage through mother or father.
    I just hope the Muslim scholars are open to this interpretation.
    Jazakullah khair

  16. Hamza the best thing you can do for your brother is that you and wife could plan and give that child to your brother
    I'm saying this because your brother wanted your seamen for his wife but that's haram
    So this is the best way and the child when is meature at the age of 7 tell him
    We had the same situation with one of our family member
    This the child is yet with the parents who bought him up

    May god bless ur brother
    And do go to a Aamil
    Just to check on your brother
    If there is someone who has done some kind of magic on him or just to take some help regarding your brothers problem

    Nawaz

  17. whatever,,your brother will still not a father ,,he will be the uncle of the child.....logically if you think,,,,if he really wants a child he can adopt one of your child in a legal way,,,why not he does like this ....because he is being Slavs of his ego ,,to show the world that he is man ....? Let the things go straightforward,,,,m the adopted one too ,,..but aleast I know who is my father ...... your brother has the ego problem,,, he just don't wanna accept the GODS will.,,..just wanna show off the world...rather than adopting a child

  18. Assalamualaikum brother,

    As a matter of fact, ALLAH is the planner for everything on this earth. We see many children who have no parents so that doesnt mean ALLAH has no mercy on these children. Some way or the other to balance the equilibrium Allah makes childless couple so that you adopt and give the parentless kid love and affection.This is one of the test by ALLAH.
    Hope not to hurt anyone.

  19. Hi...
    Can I be surrogate mother for my sister and husband
    Because she’s being pregnant but it is not staying
    So can I put her and her husband sperm in my womb
    Is it permissible in Islam

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