Genetic engineering and cloning in livestock (Bahīmat al-Anʿām): An Islamic legal-ethical analysis in religious studies

Abstract

This paper substantially expands an Arabic foundational fiqh study on genetic engineering and cloning in livestock (bahīmat al-anʿām) into a full research paper situated in religious studies. Because classical juristic corpora contain no single direct text addressing contemporary biotechnologies, Islamic legal reasoning in this field proceeds through general scriptural guidance, legal maxims, and the higher objectives of the Sharia (maqāṣid al-sharīʿah). Using qualitative doctrinal analysis and content analysis of contemporary fatwā and fiqh-academy resolutions, this paper maps how Muslim jurists construct permissibility and restriction in the context of animal biotechnology. The analysis distinguishes between research and application, and between different techniques—gene editing/transfer, embryo splitting, and somatic cell nuclear transfer—showing how rulings typically turn on maslahah-mafsadah (benefit-harm) balancing, animal welfare duties, environmental stewardship, and consumer transparency. Drawing on authoritative resolutions of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy (OIC) and global food-safety and animal-welfare standards, the paper argues that genetic engineering and (with greater caution) livestock cloning may be religiously permissible when they serve a legitimate public interest (maṣlaḥah muʿtabarah), avoid prohibited transgressions such as unjustified “tampering” or cruelty, and are governed by rigorous oversight, risk assessment, and labeling. The conclusion proposes a maqāṣid-based governance framework for Muslim contexts that integrates Sharia objectives with biosafety, animal welfare, and public accountability.