Is Artificial insemination permitted in Islam for animals?
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
Artificial insemination (AI) is the manual placement of semen in the reproductive tract of the female by a method other than natural mating. It is one of a group of technologies commonly known as “assisted reproduction technologies” (ART), whereby offspring are generated by facilitating the meeting of gametes (spermatozoa and oocytes). ART may also involve the transfer of the products of conception to a female, for instance if fertilization has taken place in vitro or in another female. Other techniques encompassed by ART include the following: in vitro fertilization (IVF) where fertilization takes place outside the body; intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) where a single spermatozoon is caught and injected into an oocyte; embryo transfer (ET) where embryos that have been derived either in vivo or in vitro are transferred to a recipient female to establish a pregnancy; gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) where spermatozoa are injected into the oviduct to be close to the site of fertilization in vivo; and cryopreservation, where spermatozoa or embryos, or occasionally oocytes, are cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen for use at a later stage.
AI has been used in the majority of domestic species, including bees. It is the most commonly used ART in livestock, revolutionising the animal breeding industry during the 20thcentury.
In contrast to medical use, where intra-uterine insemination (IUI) is used only occasionally in human fertility treatment, AI is by far the most common method of breeding intensively kept domestic livestock, such as dairy cattle (approximately 80% in Europe and North America), pigs (more than 90% in Europe and North America) and turkeys (almost 100% in intensive production). AI is increasing in horses, beef cattle and sheep, and has been reported in other domestic species such as dogs, goats, deer and buffalo. It has also been used occasionally in conservation breeding of rare or endangered species, for example, primates, elephants and wild felids.1
Artificial insemination can reduce many of the risks involved with breeding. Natural mating is a stressful process that has a much higher tendency to result in injuries or accidents of both the animals and producer. Particularly in cattle, males tend to be very large and sometimes aggressive. Artificial insemination removes all risks involved with keeping a male on the premise. Furthermore, artificial insemination reduces the risk of transmitting diseases.2
There is no prohibition in Shariah for artificial insemination in animals.3 Furthermore, artificial insemination is a norm in many parts around the world.4
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Huzaifah Deedat
Student Darul Iftaa
Lusaka, Zambia
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
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1. http://www.intechopen.com/books/artificial-insemination-in-farm-animals/artificial-insemination-current-and-future-trends
سنن الترمذي ت بشار-دار الغرب الإسلامي – بيروت (2/ 564) 3
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدَةُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ الخُزَاعِيُّ البَصْرِيُّ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ آدَمَ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ حُمَيْدٍ الرُّؤَاسِيِّ، عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ التَّيْمِيِّ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، أَنَّ رَجُلاً مِنْ كِلاَبٍ سَأَلَ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَنْ عَسْبِ الفَحْلِ؟ فَنَهَاهُ، فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، إِنَّا نُطْرِقُ الفَحْلَ فَنُكْرَمُ، فَرَخَّصَ لَهُ فِي الكَرَامَةِ
(2/ 568) مجمع الأنهر في شرح ملتقى الأبحر-دار إحياء التراث العربي
إِنَّمَا تَثْبُتُ الْحُرْمَةُ بِعَارِضِ نَصٍّ مُطْلَقٍ أَوْ خَبَرٍ مَرْوِيٍّ فَمَا لَمْ يُوجَدْ شَيْءٌ مِنْ الدَّلَائِلِ الْمُحَرِّمَةِ فَهِيَ عَلَى الْإِبَاحَةِ
الأشباه والنظائر لابن نجيم (ص: 91)- : دار الكتب العلمية،بيروت،لبنان 4
الْحَاجَةُ تَنْزِلُ مَنْزِلَةَ الضَّرُورَةِ ، عَامَّةً كَانَتْ أَوْ خَاصَّةً ،
نشر العرف ص 85 –مركز بحوث الاسلاميه
ان العرف معتبر ان كان عاما