Ruling on fertility medication
Fatwa No: 319585

Question

Assalaamu alaykum. My husband and I haven been trying to have a baby for almost a year. Is it permissible to take Clomid 10 mg from the fertility doctor? This medication helps women ovulate. I do not ovulate normally. Thank you,

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

There is no harm in taking the medication in reference as long as it is prescribed by the specialized doctor. The permissibility of taking this medication is evidenced by the general permissibility of seeking remedy and medical treatment as enjoined by the sharee'ah. The Prophet, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, said, “Allaah has sent down both the disease and the cure, and He has appointed a cure for every disease; so, seek treatment for your ailments, but use nothing unlawful.” [Abu Daawood]

Indeed, having children is one of the most important objectives of marriage in Islam; if the spouses or either of them needed medical treatment so as to be able to attain such an objective, there is no harm in that. Ibn ʻUthaymeen wrote (about a man who has no children):

There is no doubt that delay of having children might be due to the man's infertility or due to a sickness that can be treated. We advise the man to consult specialized doctors in case of delay of having children because the Islamic sharee'ah encourages Muslims to reproduce and have children. Hence, he should consult a doctor about his condition; if he found out that he is barren, then he should praise his Lord, Who knows what is best for him. If the doctors advised him to take infertility medications, he should do so. The important thing is that he should consult doctors perchance he finds a remedy for his condition. This does not contradict the genuine reliance on Allaah; rather, utilization of the available means is part of true reliance on Allaah.

Allaah knows best.

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