I am a doctor I want to learn about helping infertile couples by working in vitro fertilization unit in a Western country. They do in vitro fertilization (test tube babies), They offer this treatment to married and unmarried couples and even to lesbian women who want to have children. Is it allowed for me to work in this unit so I could learn how to do this treatment and then offer it to Muslim families?

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 is His slave and Messenger.

In general, acquiring knowledge that leads to carrying out artificial fertilization is permissible, because some types of artificial fertilization are permissible.

However, a person who wants to learn this knowledge has to be cautious not to fall into the forbidden methods of artificial fertilization. So, one really has to seek deep knowledge in this regard.

We have already issued Fataawa 82554 and 84323 about the ruling on artificial fertilization, so please refer to them.

What has to be looked at now is the religious requirements that may render a method of fertilization impermissible, among which is the following:

If this method leads a person to deal directly with what is forbidden in matters pertaining to artificial fertilization and its introductory procedures, forbidden mixing between males and females, or that the organisation that offers such services is suspicious and could propagate some false and destructive ideologies, and so forth.

Finally, it appears to us, Allaah Knows best, that it is not permissible for you to seek this knowledge under the circumstances that you mentioned in the question.

Allaah Knows best.