Is it permissible to fertilize the wife's eggs in the laboratory and select the healthy ones for transfer to the womb, in order to avoid transmitting a hereditary disease to the offspring, given that doctors confirm that 50% of the children will be exposed to this disease?
The majority of scholars have previously permitted the fertilization of the husband's sperm with his wife's egg in a test tube, then transferring it to the wife's own womb, in accordance with legitimate Islamic guidelines. These guidelines include: a Muslim woman is not permitted to expose herself except for a legitimate purpose, and a woman's need for treatment is considered a legitimate purpose. The treating physician should be a Muslim woman if possible, otherwise a non-Muslim woman, otherwise a trustworthy Muslim male doctor, otherwise a non-Muslim. Seclusion between the physician and the woman is not permissible. The need of a married woman who cannot conceive and her husband for a child is considered a legitimate purpose. It is permissible to sort out defective sperm and isolate them to fertilize the egg with healthy sperm if this is done in a safe environment.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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