Can We Donate Our Excess Embryos After IVF For Adoption to Other Families?
Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel
Question
Is it permissible in Islamic jurisprudence to give up embryos from IVF for adoption to Muslim families due to high-risk pregnancies? What is the recommended course of action according to Islamic guidance?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate
I pray you are in good faith and health. Thank you for your question. Allah Most High has rewarded you for your patience. May your child remain healthy, grow up righteous, and become cooness for your eyes. Amin.
Esteemed Muftis and Scholars say it is impermissible to donate them. You may freeze them if you are confident you will have control over them or dispose of them, which is better.
The reason is that the sperm and egg belong to you and your husband; giving it to a third party will not be permissible. This will result in confusion in lineage, loss of motherhood, and other matters prohibited in sharia. The human embryo is the origin of the human being and must be treated with care and respect. Thus, it will not be permissible to donate your embryo to another family.
[Kanan, Mawsu’a al-Tibbiyya al-Fiqhiyya]
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Related
- Can a Woman Freeze Her Eggs to Use Later or Donate to Someone? – SeekersGuidance
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- Kids in Test Tubes: Is In Vitro Fertilization Allowed? – SeekersGuidance
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I pray this helps with your question.
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Mawlana Ilyas Patel has received traditional education in various countries. He started his schooling in the UK and completed his hifz of the Quran in India. After that, he joined an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied secular and Aalimiyya sciences. Later, he traveled to Karachi, Pakistan, and other Middle Eastern countries to further his education. Mawlana has served as an Imam in the Republic of Ireland for several years and taught the Quran and other Islamic sciences to both children and adults. He also worked as a teacher and librarian at a local Islamic seminary in the UK for 12 years. Presently, he lives in the UK with his wife and is interested in books and gardening.
