Answered by Shaykh Yūsuf Badāt
Question:
One of our close relatives have a surrogate baby. What is the ruling regarding this? How will I behave with them? Is it OK to congratulate my relative and respond positively when I see WhatsApp or other social media posting about their baby? They are so close that it is difficult to avoid them.
Answer:
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم
In the name of Allāh, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
Jazāk Allāh Khayr/ Thank you for contacting Mathābah Institute.
There are several ways a surrogate baby can be born. Under Islamic law, the only procedures of surrogacy that are permissible are those that involve married couples, without the involvement of any third party between them. To clarify further, artificial fertilization is permissible if the wife’s egg is fertilized by her own husband’s sperm and then the fertilized egg is inserted in her own uterus and not in the uterus of another woman as this would constitute zinā (adultery) which is prohibited in Islam.
“Those who safeguard their chastity except with their wives, and what their right hands possess, for then they are free from blame. Those who seek to go beyond that are transgressors.” – (Qur’ān 23:5-7)[1]
“It is not lawful for a man who believes in Allāh and the last day, to water the field of another, with his water (meaning intercourse or insertion of his semen with women who are prohibited for him).” – (Sunan Abī Dāwūd 2158)[2]
If the individuals have gone ahead with an islamicaly unlawful procedure of surrogacy which involved the renting of a uterus of another woman, then my position is with those Islamic jurists who declare the child to be linked in lineage with the surrogate mother who delivered the child. The lineage of such a child islamicaly is not established with the man whose sperm was used for this process. If the surrogate mother is married then this child will be linked with her husband, for lineage. This is another reason why this form of surrogacy is prohibited as it destroys the Islamic concept of safeguarding proper lineage. – (See: Maqāṣid Al-Shar’iyyah, Page 30, Al-Ma’ahad Al-Urubiyy[3], Fatāwā Dār Al-‘Ulūm Zakariyyah, Vol 4, Page 345, South Africa)
“None are their mothers except those who gave birth to them.” – (Qur’ān 58:2)[4]
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “The [lineage] of the child is [established] for whom the bed belongs.” – (Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī 6750)[5]
Regarding congratulating them on the birth of such a child, it is makrūh (disliked) since the act of islamicaly prohibited surrogacy falls under zinā (adultery). We should not approve, support or encourage any islamicaly prohibited activity. You should also respectfully advise your relatives and encourage them to adhere to Islamic practices in all areas of life.
“Help one another in goodness and in piety. Do not help one another in sin and transgression. Be mindful of Allāh!” – (Qur’ān 5:2)[6]
That being said, as they are your relatives you should continue to maintain ties of kinship and be respectful to them. We dislike sin but not the sinners. You should always display good character and kindness in your interactions with them. – (See: Rad Al-Muḥtār, Vol 6, Page 411, Dār Al-Fikr)[7]
Only Allāh knows best
[1] وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَافِظُونَ إِلَّا عَلَى أَزْوَاجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ فَمَنِ ابْتَغَى وَرَاءَ ذَلِكَ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْعَادُونَ – سورة المؤمنون ٥-٧
[2] لاَ يَحِلُّ لاِمْرِئٍ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ أَنْ يَسْقِيَ مَاءَهُ زَرْعَ غَيْرِهِ – أبو داؤد ٢١٥٨
[3] وَلِذَلِكَ حرِّمَ الزِّنَى وَاَبَانَتْ الشَرعَيَةُ عَنْ قُبْحِهِ وَسُوْئِهِ وَاَوْجَبَتْ الْعُقُوْبَةَ فِيْهِ لِمَنْ انْكَشَفَ اَمْرُهُ وَذَلِكَ وِقَايَةً للنَّسْلِ وَحِفْظًا لِكَرَامَةِ الْاِنْسَانِ وَالزِّنَى سَبَبٌ عَظِيْمٌ لِتَفَكُّكِ الْمُجْتَمَعِ فِبِهِ تَخْتَلِطُ الْاَنْسَابُ اَوْ تُجْهَلُ فَتَضِيْعُ مَسْؤُلِيَّةُ كَفَالَةِ النَسْلِ وَرِعَايَتِهِ وَتَرْبِيَتِهِ – مَقَاصِدُ الشَرْعِيَة لِعَبْدِ اللهِ بنِ يُوْسُفَ الْجُدَيْع ص ٣٠ المْعَهَدُ الْاُوْرُوْبِيّ
[4] إِنْ أُمَّهَاتُهُمْ إِلَّا اللَّائِي وَلَدْنَهُمْ – سورة المجادلة ٢
[5] الْوَلَدُ لِصَاحِبِ الْفِرَاشِ – بخاري ٦٧٥٠
[6] وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَىٰ وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ – سورة المائدة ٢
[7] وَصِلَةُ الرَّحِمِ وَاجِبَةٌ نَقَلَ الْقُرْطُبِيُّ فِي تَفْسِيرِهِ اتِّفَاقَ الْأُمَّةِ عَلَى وُجُوبِ صِلَتِهَا وَحُرْمَةِ قَطْعِهَا لِلْأَدِلَّةِ الْقَطْعِيَّةِ مِنْ الْكِتَابِ وَالسُّنَّةِ عَلَى ذَلِكَ قَالَ فِي تَبْيِينِ الْمَحَارِمِ وَاخْتَلَفُوا فِي الرَّحِمِ الَّتِي يَجِبُ صِلَتُهَا قَالَ قَوْمٌ هِيَ قَرَابَةُ كُلِّ ذِي رَحِمٍ مَحْرَمٍ وَقَالَ آخَرُونَ كُلُّ قَرِيبٍ مَحْرَمًا كَانَ أَوْ غَيْرَهُ اهـ وَالثَّانِي ظَاهِرُ إطْلَاقِ الْمَتْنِ قَالَ النَّوَوِيُّ فِي شَرْحِ مُسْلِمٍ: وَهُوَ الصَّوَابُ وَاسْتَدَلَّ عَلَيْهِ بِالْأَحَادِيثِ. نَعَمْ تَتَفَاوَتُ دَرَجَاتُهَا فَفِي الْوَالِدَيْنِ أَشَدُّ مِنْ الْمَحَارِمِ، وَفِيهِمْ أَشَدُّ مِنْ بَقِيَّةِ الْأَرْحَامِ وَفِي الْأَحَادِيثِ إشَارَةٌ إلَى ذَلِكَ كَمَا بَيَّنَهُ فِي تَبْيِينِ الْمَحَارِمِ قَوْلُهُ وَلَوْ كَانَتْ بِسَلَامٍ إلَخْ قَالَ فِي تَبْيِينِ الْمَحَارِمِ وَإِنْ كَانَ غَائِبًا يَصِلُهُمْ بِالْمَكْتُوبِ إلَيْهِمْ فَإِنْ قَدَرَ عَلَى الْمَسِيرِ إلَيْهِمْ كَانَ أَفْضَلَ وَإِنْ كَانَ لَهُ وَالِدَانِ لَا يَكْفِي الْمَكْتُوبُ إنْ أَرَادَا مَجِيئَهُ وَكَذَا إنْ احْتَاجَا إلَى خِدْمَتِهِ وَالْأَخُ الْكَبِيرُ كَالْأَبِ بَعْدَهُ وَكَذَا الْجَدُّ وَإِنْ عَلَا وَالْأُخْتُ الْكَبِيرَةُ وَالْخَالَةُ كَالْأُمِّ فِي الصِّلَةِ وَقِيلَ الْعَمُّ مِثْلُ الْأَبِ وَمَا عَدَلَ هَؤُلَاءِ تَكْفِي صِلَتُهُمْ بِالْمَكْتُوبِ أَوْ الْهَدِيَّةِ اهـ. وَتَمَامُهُ فِيهِ ثُمَّ اعْلَمْ أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ الْمُرَادُ بِصِلَةِ الرَّحِمِ أَنْ تَصِلَهُمْ إذَا وَصَلُوك لِأَنَّ هَذَا مُكَافَأَةٌ بَلْ أَنْ تَصِلَهُمْ وَإِنْ قَطَعُوك فَقَدْ رَوَى الْبُخَارِيُّ وَغَيْرُهُ لَيْسَ الْوَاصِلُ بِالْمُكَافِئِ وَلَكِنَّ الْوَاصِلَ الَّذِي إذَا قُطِعَتْ رَحِمُهُ وَصَلَهَا قَوْلُهُ وَيَزُورُهُمْ غِبًّا الْغِبُّ بِالْكَسْرِ عَاقِبَةُ الشَّيْءِ وَفِي الزِّيَارَةِ أَنْ تَكُونَ فِي كُلِّ أُسْبُوعٍ، وَمِنْ الْحُمَّى مَا تَأْخُذُهُ يَوْمًا وَتَدَعُ يَوْمًا قَامُوسٌ لَكِنْ فِي شَرْحِ الشِّرْعَةِ هُوَ أَنْ تَزُورَ يَوْمًا وَتَدَعَ يَوْمًا وَلَمَّا كَانَ فِيهِ نَوْعُ عُسْرٍ عَدَلَ إلَى مَا هُوَ أَسْهَلُ مِنْ الْغِبِّ فَقَالَ بَلْ يَزُورُ أَقْرِبَاءَهُ فِي كُلِّ جُمُعَةٍ أَوْ شَهْرٍ عَلَى مَا وَرَدَ فِي بَعْضِ الرِّوَايَاتِ اهـ قَوْلُهُ تَزِيدُ فِي الْعُمُرِ وَكَذَا فِي الرِّزْقِ فَقَدْ أَخْرَجَ الشَّيْخَانِ مَنْ أَحَبَّ أَنْ يُبْسَطَ لَهُ فِي رِزْقِهِ وَيُنَسَّأَ بِضَمِّ أَوَّلِهِ وَتَشْدِيدِ ثَالِثِهِ الْمُهْمَلِ وَبِالْهَمْزِ أَيْ يُؤَخَّرَ لَهُ فِي أَثَرِهِ أَيْ أَجَلِهِ فَلْيَصِلْ رَحِمَهُ – كتاب الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين رد المحتار ج٦/ ص٤١١ دار الفكر