Is egg donation allowed in Islam or is it haram?

Hello, my husband and I were born in Irak, but we moved to the US many years ago, although we continue being faithful muslims… We already have a beautiful son but he’s now 11 years old and now we are planning to have another baby because we’d like to have a beautiful daughter, too. But now I’m 41 and my husband is 49 so you know… we’re experiencing trouble conceiving because my eggs are not healthy anymore. We’ve been visiting various fertility clinics, and the doctor said egg donation would be a good choice, but we know Islam is not too supportive with it, but we don’t know exactly why… Does anyone know what are the premises? Thanks!

Dear Atyaf,

Thank you very much for getting involved. The truth is IVF with donor eggs is not allowed in Islam (which means it is haram, i.e. forbidden), since this practice is considered to mix up blood lineages. This means that, by using donor eggs, you are mixing the gametes (egg and sperm) from two individuals who are not married, and therefore the Islam sees this practice as another way of adultery.

Thus, fertility treatments such as IVF are only allowed in case both the egg and the sperm have been extracted from the members of a couple who are married to each other.

I invite you to complete our Form in order to receive detailed estimates adapted to your own personal situation. Just follow this link: Calculator.

Should you be interested in learning more about the different religious views, do not miss this article: Religious views on gamete donation and embryo adoption.

Hope I have clarified your doubts