Islam and the Quran

Surrogate Motherhood

Question: If a woman does not have a uterus, what is the ruling on having a child by fertilizing her own egg with her husband's sperm and giving it to a surrogate mother?

It is not permissible to have a child through surrogate motherhood.

Allah has decreed that the mother of the child is the woman who gave birth to him. He said:

“Those of you who liken their wives to their mothers, their wives are not their mothers. Their mothers are none other than those who gave birth to them. And they speak inappropriate and false words. Truly Allah is forgiving, forgiving.” (Mujādala, 58:2)

In many verses, Allah emphasizes the mother’s carrying her child in her womb (see Luqman, 31:14; Ahqaf, 46:15). Current medical and scientific research also shows that the child in the womb can be influenced by everything the mother who carries it in her womb eats and drinks.

There is also a provision of the Supreme Council of The Directorate of Religious Affairs in Turkey, dated 05.01.2002 on this issue. We also agree with that provision. You can read it below:

“If it is not possible for a husband and wife to have a child in the normal way, there is no verse or hadith forbidding them to have a child, provided that the egg and sperm belong to them and the fertilized egg develops in the womb of the wedded wife. The pregnancy of a woman with the egg of another woman or the sperm of a foreign man is not permissible because it includes elements of adultery.”

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