Question

Assalamu Alaikum ww,

I would like to ask about the ruling on women freezing eggs for the purpose of utilising if get married to have a baby with their husband. In context, there are now many Muslim sisters who are still single at age 35-40 and some who then get married. Obstetricians state that eggs are healthier at a younger age and recommend considering freezing prior to reaching this age, to be used in the even the female may get married and wish to have babies. What would the ruling be?

Answer

If a woman is unable to get married for whatever reason, and she fears that her time to produce healthy eggs may pass then in such a scenario there would be scope for her to have her eggs extracted and frozen to be used later once she gets married.

In such a case freezing eggs would only be permissible provided that the egg is fertilised using her husbands fluids and provided that it will be implanted into the same woman. It would not be permissible to engage in surrogacy or fertilise the egg using fluids from someone other than her husband.

When engaging in IVF, the husband must seek assistance from his wife during the process of extracting semen to avoid falling into the prohibition of self-masturbation. As for exposing the nakedness of the body during IVF, this is permitted for medical reasons.

الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين (رد المحتار) (4/ 27)
في الجوهرة: الاستمناء حرام، وفيه التعزير. ولو مكن امرأته أو أمته من العبث بذكره فأنزل كره ولا شيء عليه

قوله الاستمناء حرام-  أي بالكف إذا كان لاستجلاب الشهوة، أما إذا غلبته الشهوة وليس له زوجة ولا أمة ففعل ذلك لتسكينها فالرجاء أنه لا وبال عليه كما قاله أبو الليث، ويجب لو خاف الزنا (قوله كره) الظاهر أنها كراهة تنزيه؛ لأن ذلك بمنزلة ما لو أنزل بتفخيذ أو تبطين تأمل وقدمنا عن المعراج في باب مفسدات الصوم: يجوز أن يستمني بيد زوجته أو خادمته، وانظر ما كتبناه هناك

الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين (رد المحتار) (6/ 370)
ينظر) الطبيب (إلى موضع مرضها بقدر الضرورة) إذ الضرورات تتقدر بقدرها وكذا نظر قابلة وختان وينبغي أن يعلم امرأة تداويها لأن نظر الجنس إلى الجنس أخف

See: Imdad al-Fatawa 4:211

Answered by:
Ifta Research Fellow

Checked & Approved by:
Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera
Mufti Zubair Patel