Wombs for Rent

I know we’ve had a thread on this topic a few years ago, but a recent thread in Shor Sharaba reminded me of surrogacy.

This is a very common practice in India where couples who are unable to have children, hire a lady via medical clinics to bear their child for them. I personally know of a couple who went this route a few years ago and have a healthy child of their own now.

I wonder how the surrogate mother feels. Do you think it’s hard for them to let go? Or do you think their need for the financial support is much greater than the emotion?

Re: Wombs for Rent

Didn't Amir Khan and his wife do this recently?

I read an article from a surrogate mother a few months ago...forget where but it was very heartwarming. She was a white lady in the US and had 3 kids of her own and seemed like a well-to-do type family.

She had been a surrogate numerous times...said it was something she felt great doing for others since it meant giving a couple the gift of life.

I am sure not everyone feels the same way but it was a beautiful story.

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Hospitals in Karachi/Lahore are doing it to. Pakistan doesn't have any law regarding this, so it's a grey area.

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It's available here in the US as well...but very expensive.

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Is it Islamicaly fine? or mullahs don't have any clue of it yet.

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Here we have discussed it here.
http://www.paklinks.com/gs/religion-and-scripture/278873-outsourcing-motherhood-is-it-allowed-in-islam.html

Mullah do not have clue as to what is involved in the process.

When my husband and I were going through our fertility struggles, and it became clear that I was having problems carrying a baby to term, we thoroughly researched all our options, beginning with what was permissible in Islam first. We spoke with the Imam of our main local masjid (he's Turkish), a Mufti, who related to my father (based in Hyderabad, India), and also a lady in our community who works as a Muslim chaplain in area hospitals in our city, and they all said the same thing: surrogacy is not permissible, as it involves the body of a third person, na mehram. I'm surprised to hear that gestational carriers are taking place in Pakistan. You would think the mullahs would be all over this one.

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I wish they have knowledge to proper ijtihad on it. but oh well ....

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Thanks, it’s such a pleasure to read the debate.

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call me a skeptic but in a country where the mentality is that a wife can be replaced and every baby should be a boy.....i have a hard time believing surrogacy is even an option.....

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my sentimates exactly....

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Just wondering.. why is it not permissible? The husband and the surrogate mother don't actually have sex...

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^Right, nor is his semen inserted into her. She's just carrying the embryo/fetus to term.

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He doesn't even have to meet her, ever.

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again stereotyping, Pakistan is a country of 180+ million people. i don't know on which planet you are but Pakistan is one of top destination for IVF & other pregnancy related procedures due to cost. most of the IVF patients in Pakistan are non resident Pakistani.

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So they probably cater to the needs of foreigners as well...But is the surrogate a non Muslim? That brings up a new concern... Can a Muslim woman carry the child of a non Muslim?

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see it's a grey area, mullahs with brain cells intact at right place have to talk about new advancements and properly lay out the frame work in layman terms.. what is permissible and what is not. then we have deep disconnect between different sects...

one hell of a problem.

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But those who do object, what is the reason?

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Lol, seriously? Granted, not EVERY wife is treated like that, but the general idea that a wife can be replaced (which is related to this issue) DOES exist, you know that right?
I give you that its popular amongst NRPs....but I was talking about "locals"...im skeptical that it would catch on to them...

Re: Wombs for Rent

the topic is discussed to length:
http://www.paklinks.com/gs/religion-and-scripture/278873-outsourcing-motherhood-is-it-allowed-in-islam.html