Answer
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
In this fatwa:
Donor egg IVF is not permissible in Islam. According to the International Islamic Fiqh Academy, IVF is allowed only if both egg and sperm come from a married couple. Using donor eggs or sperm introduces a third party into the marital bond, which scholars equate to zina (adultery).
Responding to your question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and an Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:
Is Donor Egg IVF Permissible in Islam?
Donor Egg IVF is not allowed in Islam. You should only pursue permissible means for conceiving children and avoid unlawful methods. If you proceed with an impermissible route, the child born through such a process is not yours; rather, it is a child born of an unlawful union. In Islam, you are not considered the mother.
Conditions for Permissible IVF in Islam
The International Islamic Fiqh Academy has ruled that IVF is permissible in Islam only if both the sperm and egg originate from a husband and wife who are lawfully married. Any involvement of a third party—whether through egg donation, sperm donation, or surrogacy—is strictly prohibited.
Why Donor Eggs Are Prohibited in Islam
Introducing an outsider’s egg or sperm is akin to sharing the marriage bed with someone else, an act regarded in Islam as no different from Zina (adultery). A child conceived through such a procedure is considered born of Zina, making the act profoundly sinful and impermissible for any Muslim to pursue.
Trusting Allah’s Will in the Matter of Children
Since this practice is undoubtedly reprehensible and sinful, no Muslim should entertain it as a means of conceiving a child. Instead, a believer must place full trust in Allah’s wisdom and decree.
Accepting Allah as the Sovereign Lord and Creator means surrendering to His will, recognizing that He alone determines the gift of offspring. As Allah states in the Quran:
{To Allah belongs the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth. He creates whatever He wills. He grants daughters to whom He wills, and sons to whom He wills; or He gives both sons and daughters to whom He wills, and makes barren whom He wills. Indeed, He is Knowing, Able.} (Ash-Shura 42:49-50)
Therefore, one should continue to pray to Allah for offspring while pursuing only permissible treatments within Islamic guidelines. If Allah wills, He will grant the request. If, however, He decrees otherwise, a believer must accept His judgment with patience and faith, trusting in His infinite wisdom and mercy.
Study the following fatwas for comprehensive answers:
- IVF Using Donated Sperm: Allowed?
- Using a Line of Credit for IVF Procedure: Permissible?
- Is Cryopreservation of Embryos or Sperm Allowed in Islam?
- Is Freezing Unfertilized Eggs for Future Use Permissible?
- Is Test Tube Baby Halal in Islam?
Almighty Allah knows best.