From Classical Fiqh to Emerging Biotechnologies
A Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah Analysis of Human Cloning and Assisted Reproductive Technologies
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24252/mazahibuna.vi.64573Keywords:
Contemporary Islamic Law, Human Cloning, Maqasid al-Shariah, Lineage PreservationAbstract
The rapid advancement of biotechnology, particularly in human cloning and assisted reproductive technologies (ART), has intensified contemporary debates in Islamic bioethics and reproductive ethics. While previous studies have primarily examined the permissibility of cloning and in vitro fertilization (IVF) from doctrinal or fatwa-based perspectives, limited scholarship has systematically analyzed these issues through an integrative maqāṣid al-sharīʿah framework that emphasizes the preservation of lineage (ḥifẓ al-nasl), legal pluralism, and the ethical implications of emerging biomedical technologies. This article aims to examine Islamic legal responses to human cloning, plant and animal cloning, and various forms of IVF by comparatively evaluating classical juristic doctrines, contemporary fatwas, and maqāṣid-oriented legal reasoning. Employing a normative-juridical method with conceptual and analytical approaches, the study explores how Islamic law negotiates the tension between scientific innovation, ethical responsibility, and the preservation of social order. The findings reveal that human cloning intended to replicate human beings is categorically prohibited because it threatens the preservation of lineage, family structure, inheritance systems, parental identity, and broader moral values. In contrast, plant and animal cloning are considered permissible, provided that they promote public benefit (maṣlaḥah) and do not result in harmful consequences (mafsadah). The study further demonstrates that IVF involving the sperm and ovum of a legally married couple is permissible, whereas third-party reproductive practices—including surrogacy, donor gametes, and posthumous reproduction—are prohibited due to their potential to create ambiguity in lineage and undermine the institution of marriage. This article contributes to contemporary Islamic legal scholarship by proposing a maqāṣid-based evaluative framework that integrates Islamic bioethics, reproductive ethics, and legal pluralism in addressing the legal and ethical challenges posed by emerging biomedical technologies in contemporary Muslim societies.
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