What our Imams say about sperm donation?

 We deduce from the following narration that a child born from sperm donation without marriage is:

(1) The sperm donor is considered to be child’s father. The procedure itself however is zina if done to other than the man’s wife.

(2) Thus - if the donation is to other than the man’s wife, that woman would be treated as a zania (fornicator) once she gives birth. If she is a virgin, her virginity is lost once he gives birth.

(Wasa’il al-Shi’a, vol 28, page 169)

“A woman had intercourse with her husband, yet her heat (of intercourse) was not quenched so she went on to have lesbian sex with a slave girl, and threw the sperm on her, and she (the slavegirl) became pregnant.

So he [Imam Ali] said: In the immediate, this woman shall be taken with the sadaq of this virgin, because the child does not come out until this rules her no longer a virgin and waits with her until she gives birth, and the hadd punishment is set on her. 

After that the child is to be united with the owner of the sperm (i.e, the father).”

ورائكم، فقالوا: امرأة جامعها زوجها فقامت بحرارة جماعه فساحقت جارية بكرا فألقت عليها النطفة فحملت، فقال عليه السلام: في العاجلتؤخذ هذه المرأة بصداق هذه البكر لأن الولد لا يخرج حتى يذهب بالعذرة وينتظر بها حتى تلد ويقام عليها الحد ويلحق الولد بصاحب النطفةوترجم المرأة ذات الزوج، فانصرفوا فلقوا أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام فقالوا: قلنا للحسن، وقال لنا الحسن، فقال: والله لو أن أبا الحسن لقيتمما كان عنده إلا ما قال الحسن.