Course Overview
Course Title: The Jurisprudence of Artificial Insemination
Instructor: Seyyed Rahim Tavakkol
Schedule: Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 10:00 – 11:00 AM (Academic Years: 2023–2025)
Location: Ayatollah Boroujerdi Seminary (Madrasah Khan), Corner of Gozar Khan, Eram St., Qom, Iran.
Course Link: https://doroos.feqhemoaser.com
About the Course
With the continuous advancement of reproductive technologies and infertility treatments, subjects such as “artificial insemination” and “in vitro fertilization” (IVF) have emerged as pivotal topics within contemporary Islamic medical jurisprudence. The central objective of this course is to delineate the legal and ethical boundaries of these modern technologies within the framework of the Shari‘a. The course seeks to determine which assisted reproductive methods are deemed permissible under Islamic rulings.
The necessity of this inquiry arises from the increasing reliance of couples on laboratory methods to address infertility. Consequently, a precise clarification of religious rulings is essential to prevent the violation of jurisprudential prohibitions and to ensure the preservation of lineage (hifz al-nasl).
The course employs an inferential-analytical methodology rooted in primary Islamic legal sources. Theoretical foundations are established through the interpretation of the Holy Qur’an—specifically Surah al-Mu’minun (verses 5–7)—and the analysis of Hadith regarding the extraction of semen and the sanctity of divine boundaries. Furthermore, the course logically applies the principle of preventing the “confusion of lineage” (ikhtilat al-ansab).
It is established in Islamic jurisprudence that sexual relations and reproduction are strictly confined to the framework of legal marriage. Based on the analysis of Quranic evidence, any reproductive procedure occurring outside the bond of marriage is categorized as a “transgression of divine limits.” The course conclusions are categorized as follows:
- Permissible Cases: The transfer of a husband’s sperm into his wife’s womb is considered permissible, provided the procedure is conducted without committing collateral prohibited acts, such as unlawful touching or viewing by non-mahrams.
- Impermissible Cases: The use of sperm or ova from a third party, as well as surrogacy involving individuals outside the marital contract, is deemed prohibited. This ruling is based on the resultant confusion regarding inheritance and lineage, and its contradiction with explicit Quranic texts. Furthermore, the extraction of semen through prohibited means (e.g., masturbation) is strictly forbidden during these processes.
About the Instructor
Seyyed Rahim Tavakkol is a prominent contemporary Shi’ite scholar and a graduate of the Qom Seminary (Hawza al-Ilmiyya), where he currently serves as a professor of advanced jurisprudence (Sutuh al-Aliya / Dars al-Kharij). In 1989, he attained the rank of Ijtihad under the supervision of Grand Ayatollah Mirza Hashem Amoli and Ayatollah Hossein Mazaheri. To broaden his scholarly perspective, he also attended the lectures of several high-ranking authorities (Maraji’), such as Grand Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi. Since 1997, he has conducted his own advanced courses in Jurisprudence and Principles of Jurisprudence. In addition to his legal scholarship, he is widely recognized for his specialized lectures on Ethics (Akhlaq).
