IVF and Islam
IVF and other assisted reproductive techniques are widely spread worldwide and are able to treat most types of infertility. Islamic world has been enclosed to modern techniques for many years, delaying thus the implementation of modern reproductive technologies due to the prejudice that Islamic teachings would disapprove assisted reproduction.
In short, Islam, a monotheistic religion, emerged 1400 years ago, based on the teachings of the prophet Muhammad (570 – 632 B.C). Basically the word Islam means “submission” and at the core of this religious belief lays human’s complete surrender under the power of Allah. Islamic dogmas blend the dogmas of the Christianity and Judaism but consider those religions a distortion of the word of God. Born in Mecca, the prophet lived his early life as a salesman, as he was travelling in the desert he had an epiphany- Allah revealed himself to Mohammed as the one and only God and instructed him to carry on his eternal message to the world.
According to the Islamic law, a law based on Muhammad’s teachings, Sharia, the Muslim man is polygamous and marriage is a social contract between a man and another man who sells him a woman, therefore the man becomes the owner of the woman, just as he is the owner of his land and other goods. Moreover he cam have as many women as he wants, there are no laws to limit the number of wives that one Muslim can have, there are however rather economical limitations.
The Muslim woman, however must to be monogamous and she cannot marry a person of other religion, unlike the Muslim man who is allowed to marry a Jewish, Christian, etc. woman.
In the nowadays Islamic societies there are laws which try to better the woman’s social status, Quaranic legislation:
Forbids the pre-Islamic tradition of burring alive a female new-born.
Marriage became a respected institution which gained dignity and importance.
There have been created laws which allow the women to have possessions.
There are laws which allow a woman to take care of her own health, prior to the marriage, during the marriage and after divorce.
The woman’s right to be fed, and dressed on her husband’s expense. In the law of the divorce, in order to better women’s situation, a 3 months accommodation period called idda, is stipulated.
Islamic laws are extremely strict when it comes to sexual intercourse; sex is the privilege of the married couples, premarital and extramarital sex is strictly forbidden. Sex must be avoided with all costs during menstruation, after the birth, after diseases or disabilities. Homosexual intercourse is strictly forbidden. Adultery is still severely punished, starting with house detention, public dispraise and verbal humiliation.
The Islamic belief associates marital sex with family values and procreation, therefore it supports only the sexual act which involves man’s penis penetrating woman’s vagina, as it is the only sexual act which can lead to pregnancy, moreover oral and anal sex as well as masturbation are strictly forbidden.
When it comes to assisted reproduction, Islam offers its total support; when natural procreation fails, the treatment is seen as the couple’s duty and the Islamic laws forbid adoption.
IVF and ET are only permitted between husband and wife, a third part- the donor is not accepted weather it is a sperm donor, a surrogate mother, an embryo, or an oocyte.
In the case of divorce or the death of the husband, artificial insemination cannot be made with husband’s sperm. Any medical procedure which involves a donor is considered adultery.
Unnecessary and /frozen embryos can either be used by the couple or donated for scientific research. Genetic therapy must be confined to diagnosis and therapeutic indications.
Also, in many Islamic countries contraception is forbidden, as well as abortion and there are only few Islamic countries which allow abortion in extreme life-threatening cases.
The writings above are by no means true regarding Islam. I’m not a scholar myself, but the admin should know better before posting this. A man cant marry as many as he likes or to marry another woman from any religion.
He is only allowed to take care the most is 4 wives. And he can only marry more than one if he is truly capable in being fair to all his wives.Financially, emotionally and everything else. And if he could not take that responsibility and still take another woman for a wife, he has otherwise neglected the teachings of Islam. A Muslim can only marry those who are also Muslims. Even though there are a lot of people nowadays get married even though they are from different religious background, that is just pure ignorance. Really do hope that the admin can get better resources next time and change this post for it may portray Islam in a bad way. We really should help one another in better understanding other religions. Thank you
The informatiom posted above is very inaccurate. Your Admin. or research dept. should have a religious consultant to check information that your site may provide and also it should be stipulated that they use spell check as well as there are a variety spelling errors in what is posted above also or in your home page. Collectively considering what I’ve read your company has provided the public with a glance of its professionalism or in this case the lack there of.
Concerning the Islamic mistakes you have made, the first: a woman is given a wedding gift called a (mahr) when she is to marry not her father. Further more she stipulates without boundaries what her mahr is to be and she has control over how it is to be spent if she so chooses. (the gift, whether it be money, gold, land etc… can be influenced by many things such as her economic situation, standard of living, or something as simple as a childhood dream if she so wishes.) So in no way is she sold as is stated above. If she wishes not to co-habitate at any point in the marriage she goes to a court to request a divorce (Khul’a). What your article has eluded to is that her marriage is enslavement. What a grave misconseption that you all have created.
Second: A woman can be given in marriage by first her father anf if he is dead then her fathers brother. If there are none from the fathers side then a brother of her mother will oversee her dealings. If there are no uncles then her grandfather(s), then her brothers starting with the oldest and if there are no men in her family a judge with islamic knowledge will oversee her situation or appoint someone to assure her rights are not infringed upon.
Third: it is stated in The Glorious Qur’an that a man can have up to 4 wives. In pre-islamic days there were no limits. There are many opinions about a muslim mans wife’s religion. Too many to state right now. The muslim woman can marry only a muslim man and contrary to the man she only permitted one husband at a time. Her rights include that she is fed, clothed, sheltered, as well as conjugal rights and any wealth that she may possess is strictly hers and her husband has absolutely no rights to her property.
The misconceptions that are bad for Islam. I hope that these mistakes will be corrected in the near future. Over-all the medical information is very helpful and i hope is accurate as well. Thank you for your time and patience.
You know so many interesting infomation. You might be very wise. I like such people. Don’t top writing.
To whom it may concern,
This is a pathetic attempt at explaining the role of Assisted Reproductive techonologies in Islam.
Some comments made about islam are fundementally untrue, and it concerns me that one could right such an article with so little research!
Whilst I support the argument that islam limits the use of ART’s, this may also be seen in a positive light as it avoids many of the issues goverments and the science commmunity in general is facing such as- post-menopausal women becoming pregnant, donor anonymity ( which is currently illegal in the UK), and the lack of acceptance in many couples that they are simply not destined to have children.
Therefore I would really appreciate that this article is revised to present a more balanced view.
Many thanks.
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