Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research from the Perspective of Islamic Law (Fiqh)

Human embryonic stem cells are the primary cells that have the capability of producing each of the limitless tissue types in the human body. The discovery of this capability gives new hope for disease treatments and the development of tissues and organ transplantations. On the other hand, terminating the life of a human embryo to obtain stem cells brings forth many discussions. The discussions on embryonic stem cell studies, in relation to ethical, legal, and religious perspectives, continue in both the West and Muslim societies, and different opinions have been put forward. Some contemporary Islamic scholars accept the studies about embryonic stem cells as a benefit for humanity, and thus, they support them. Another group of scholars, on the other hand, do not accept using a human embryo as an experiment object even for treatment purposes. This article discusses and evaluates the opinions on the topic based on Islamic law.