Gender selection in Islam; permissible or interfering with God’s will? If you considering choosing your baby’s gender in the Islamic way, we have interesting information in this blog post that helps you go through gender selection in an Islamic country like Iran by a professional and well-skilled company called TebMedTourism. So track information!
Islam does not explicitly condone or forbid gender selection when it comes to couples having children. Most scholars say it is permissible, while others may find it religiously unacceptable. The debate between Shias and Sunnis centers around the concept of birth control, as both denominations consider it acceptable, albeit with some disagreements on its rules and limitations.
Gender selection through modern means, such as genetic testing, could be done on the embryo’s cells. Via this advanced technological test called PGD, the gender of the baby and genetic issues could be monitored. Utilizing PGD is practical via IVF procedure. IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) is one of the advanced methods of infertility treatments, including combining sperm and egg in a lab, producing, developing and transferring the embryo to the womb of the intended mother.
Shia Muslims tend to view Assisted reproductive fertility (ART) methods like IVF, PGD and egg donation as an acceptable way to make a family decision. At the same time, some Sunni Muslims believe gender selection (by PGD test) should only be made if it is necessary for medical purposes, such as detecting a genetic disorder.
As a result, the story of Muslim couples who are still at a crossroads begins: IVF in Islam Shia and Sunni is accepted, but selecting the gender of a future baby is illegal in their country; at this moment, a third option should be sought.
TebMedTourism, a well-known, experienced, and professional company, understands precisely what you think if you’re a Muslim couple at a crossroads and don’t know what to do. The answers to your questions are in this article as a third way to fulfill your dream of having a child of the gender you want. So read this post till the end!
Is gender selection allowed in islam?
When it comes to gender selection Islamic point of view, the first issue that is discussed is the question of whether this method is permissible or not; in Islamic terminology, it is halal or haram.
In Islam, Shia gender selection is halal (allowable) but in Islam Sunni, gender selection for family balancing and selecting the specific gender of the baby (generally male baby) depends on the opinion of the Mufti (an Islamic scholar who is authorized by law to rule on a variety of personal and religious issues) that you ask from him.
Most of these scholars declared it permissible and a few of them said non-halal! In the following, on this blog post on TebMedTourism, we scrutinize both opinions in detail, stay tuned!
Gender selection halal or haram?
Gender selection is available via the IVF process, so if you want to select the gender of your future baby with purpose of preventing genetic issues in future baby or with the purpose of family balancing is a good idea to discuss briefly gender selection via IVF to figure out what happens in IVF procedure that is controversial in Islamic countries. Why some Islamic countries and even other religions have declared this method prohibited? There are numerous pieces of evidence that gender selection via IVF is so helpful and miracle way for infertile couples but this riddle is a lot tougher than it looks.
As we mentioned in the Intro part of this post, one of the stages of the IVF procedure is embryo development in the lab; for PGD tests, some cells of the embryo (on day 3 or 5) will take to going for examination and after. Opponents of this theory argue that removing the cells from the embryo and determining the gender is considered a manipulation of the divine will and object to discarding the embryos after conducting experiments. They think it is a form of killing a human being.
The Shia scholars reply to them and state that according to Shia and Sunni hadiths, the spirit is breathed in on the 40th or 45th day of embryo cell formation. Additionally, the remaining embryos are frozen today, and the embryo cells are preserved in specialized capsules rather than discarded.
Let’s take a closer look at the issues surrounding gender selection in Islam Shia and Sunni now that we know where Shias and Sunnis diverge.
Gender selection in Islamic countries
Gender selection in Islam Shia and gender selection in Islam Sunni are two controversial points of view in Islamic countries. This issue even drives many infertile couples to other destination countries, such as Iran, where all ART treatments, like gender selection, allow for intended parents.
Egg donation in Islam, like gender selection, is a controversial issue, and many couples are looking for a solution to advance their goals without conflicting with Islam and their families and traditions.
Overall, a brief look at these two schools of thought about gender selection will help indecisive couples. They can make decisions more quickly and fulfill their dream of having a special gender child through the miraculous methods of IVF and gender selection.
Gender selection in Islam Sunni
There is no consensus on gender selection in Islam Sunni in all schools! Mainly because there are schools(branches) of Sunni like Maliki, Hanafi, Hanbali, and Shafi, and each of these schools announced their own opinions, Sunni Muslims refer to the views of their muftis.
In some case gender selection is not allowable in the opinion of Sunni leaders only in extreme cases, genetically issues and possible abnormalities due to the genetic history of intended parents, we mentioned before that they consider two factors when dealing with embryo cells, discarding rest embryos and interfering in God’s will.
While gender selection for medical reasons is permissible, Islam Sunni in some countries does not condone the deliberate and arbitrary choice of one gender over the other to increase a family’s chances of having the desired gender of the child.
According to them, having female offspring is a pre-Islamic opinion and it’s better to be satisfied with Allah’s Decree and don’t seek to have a specific gender of the child.
Gender Selection in Islam Shia
The leaders of the Shia religion have considered all ART methods and treatments (apart from sperm donation) permissible for Muslim couples. In this regard, we can refer to the fatwas (Sharia laws) of Shia elders such as Ayatollah Sistani and Ayatollah Khamenei that agree with gender selection for the purpose of family balancing.
Citing authentic hadiths written by Shias and Sunnis, Shia scholars permit gender choice. These hadiths, which have been confirmed by both sides, state that the soul enters the embryo’s body on the 40th day. In some other hadiths, it has been stated that after 4 months, the spirit will be breathed into the fetus, and based on these traditions, Shia Islam has considered different numbers for different months for abortion payments from 4 months onward.
Now, according to these data, we go to the story of IVF and the stage of embryo development, exactly where we want to determine the gender of the embryo and select small biological cells to have a look at its gender. Here we are on the 4th or 5th day of cell formation, which means exactly the day when there is no conflict with hadiths!
On the other hand, fortunately, today, the remaining embryos are frozen, and the embryo cells are preserved in specialized capsules rather than discarded.
Therefore, neither a living being is killed nor a cell is thrown away, and gender selection in Shia Islam is based on God’s laws.
What is the Islamic perspective on gender selection?
Before that, we said that male preferences in Islamic countries make some couples choose IVF gender selection with advanced tests called PGD without any problems. The topic of gender selection in Islam has been debated for years, with both Shia and Sunni Muslims holding different views on the matter. While Sunni Muslims believe that gender selection is interfering with God’s will, Shia Muslims believe it is permissible for the purpose of family balancing. So, what should infertile couples do when they wish to achieve a specific gender of child through PGD in IVF?
As science advances and new facts about IVF gender selection emerge after 2007, it seems that Sunni religious leaders no longer agree that this method compromises the Sharia ruling.
According to the 2007 resolution adopted by the Majma al-Fiqh al-Islami, gender selection is permissible. Leading academics, including Mustafa Zarqa, Yusuf al-Qaradawi, and Abd Allah ibn Bayya, lend their support to the viewpoint. This is allowed so long as the treatment follows the general Shariah guidelines for medical care and the procedure is safe.
However, there were a number of legitimate concerns and motivations behind the scholars’ decision to forbid such an action. Gender bias, for instance, was widespread in some communities and populations. People with such gender biases should be strongly discouraged from choosing the gender of future children because this clearly goes against Islamic guidelines.
On the other hand, some countries emphasize their views which are based on the Quran, in fact, the Quran describes people’s disappointment at having daughters as evil, and the least that this indicates is that such an attitude is blameworthy.
In addition, one must emphasize their satisfaction with the decision to not choose a child’s gender. According to the Qur’an, “The dominion of the heavens and the earth belongs to God; Whatever He wants, He makes.” He gives females (children) to whomever He wills, and He gives males to whomever He wills. 49:50) Although choosing a child’s gender is not necessarily dissatisfaction with divine decree, it is superior to leave such matters to God.
Does Islam allow gender selection?
Fortunately, gender selection through ART methods such as IVF is permissible in Islam due to the avoidance of genetic abnormalities. All authorities in Shia agree to use gender selection for family balance and prevention of genetic issues.
Although gender selection for family balance is prohibited by religious laws in some Islamic countries, there is always a third way!
Learn more :All about surrogacy in islam
Your way to a happy ending
With a brief look at both sides of the debate, examining the religious and cultural effects of gender selection in Islam and its impact on the family and society, it is better to choose an alternative way.
It means traveling to select the gender of your child in abroad in a country with a high IVF success rate and affordable costs, which has well-equipped clinics and professional specialists like Iran, is the third way. Gender selection is legal for international couples in Iran, an Islamic and Shia country.
It means that in addition to this vital point that Islam Shia supports your goal and helps you to have a child of your own unique gender; besides this critical point that ethical considerations make the IVF method the best by freezing the rest embryo after the PGD test. This decision of yours will turn into your best and most memorable trip when it is accompanied by a reputable and reputable company such as TebMedTourism.
