What is the ruling of Islamic law on inseminating cows for a fee?
If the intent behind bovine insemination for a fee is that the owner of the cattle pays a price for the stud's service, then it is not permissible according to the general consensus of scholars, due to the Prophet's (peace be upon him) prohibition of the earnings of a stud (asb al-fahl).
However, if the intent is to rent the stud for the insemination of the female, scholars have differed. The majority of jurists are of the opinion that it is not permissible to rent a stud for service, while the Malikis permit it, provided that the rental is for a specific period or a specific number of times, and not for the female to become pregnant. The preponderant view is that of the majority, due to the generality of the hadiths prohibiting the earnings of a stud (asb al-fahl).
If a person offers his stud for inseminating the cattle of others gratuitously, and the owner of the cattle gives him a gift without any prior condition, then this is permissible. And if a person needs to inseminate his cattle and cannot find anyone to offer this service for free, then it is permissible for him to rent a stud, and the sin in this case falls upon the owner of the stud.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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