An Investigation into the Ruling of ‘Iddah in Different Forms of Artificial Insemination from the Perspective of Imāmīyyah Jurisprudence

One of the certain rulings in Islamic sharī’ah is the proof of ‘iddah (waiting period) for a woman in various situations such as the death of her husband, divorce from her husband, and intercourse by mistake. For this Islamic ruling, many philosophies have been expressed, such as preventing mixing and mistaking lineage, honouring the right lineage, and the dignity of the woman. In most cases, the proven of ‘iddah for a woman depends on marital relationship and sexual intercourse. But today, with the advancement of science and technology in medical issues and the emergence of new reproductive methods through artificial insemination, and sperm and egg injection without any sexual intercourse, it is possible for a woman to become pregnant. Therefore, Islamic jurisprudence has faced the question that, is the ‘iddah proven for the woman in cases of artificial insemination or not. This research is looking for a jurisprudential well-reasoned answer about the ruling on the proof of ‘iddah of couples in different methods of artificial insemination, which after dealing with argumentative and ijtihādī issues and examining the views of jurists, it has been concluded that the “evacuation of semen” in the woman’s womb with new methods of artificial insemination is also proven the ‘iddah for the woman, and sexual intercourse are not relevant for the ruling to prove the ‘iddah. Consequently, in the case of sperm injection to a single woman or a married woman, it is proven the ‘iddah for artificial insemination, and this woman should avoid sexual pleasures as will be detailed later.