But it should be kept in mind that the only person allowed...

But it should be kept in mind that the only person allowed to do this "operation" is the woman's husband. No other person, male or female, is allowed to look at the private parts of a woman. However, according to Ayatullah sistani, a person, other than the husband, may look at or touch a woman's private parts if her life is in danger or if she is facing unbearable psychological problems and the cure depends on such looking at or seeing. In such a case, a lady doctor may be asked to deal with it.

If it is not possible, then a male doctor may undertake this responsibility. Also in both cases, it is emphasized that if the "treatment" may be affected by touching without looking at it, then he/she should not look at it; similarly, if the work may be done by looking at it, without touching, then he/she should not touch it.

If the "operation" is done by a doctor, other than the husband, this action will be haram in itself, but it will not affect the legitimacy of the child; he/she will be a legitimate offspring of his/her parents. These rules concerning the doctor etc. apply to the remaining three ways too; and it should not be necessary to repeat them in every case. Second: Inserting, inside the woman's womb, semen of someone other than her husband. This act is haram in itself.

But if someone does it then the child resulting from this insemination will belong to the man whose semen was used; he will be the child's father as the woman will be his mother; there will be no relationship between the child and the husband of the woman. In short, the child will belong to his/her biolgical parents; all rights and duties as between a parent and a child will be affected here, including the right of mutual inheritance.

But there will be no such rights/duties between the child and the husband of the woman. However, the child will not be called "child of adultery", because adultery implies sexual intercourse between a man and a married woman which had not taken place in this case. Third: The ovum of the wife is fertilized in vitro with her husband's sperm; and after some time the fertilized ovum is implanted in the wife's womb. There is no problem in it and the child will belong to his/her legal parents.

Fourth: The ovum of a woman is fertilized in virtro with the sperm of someone other than her husband; and then the fertilized ovum is implanted in that woman's womb.