Muslims and Transplant Surgery

Question 1

Qur’an says that Muslims should save the lives of others

Answer 1

saving the life of another person is what Allah wants
“Whosoever saves the life of one person it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind.” (Qur’an 5:32)
one donor can save upto nine lives and improve 50 more through tissue donation

Question 2

Live donations are less controversial because people can survive with one kidney, for example. So they resurrection would be unaffected

Answer 2

many Muslims would allow living donor transplants if the donor was a close relative
Islam aims to do good and is not intended to put burdens on people which they cannot bear

Question 3

The Muslim Law Council (1995) issued a fatwa allowing Muslims to carry donor cards and have transplants

Answer 3

Muslim lawyers said it was permissible
fatwa = religious opinion
on absence of card or expresses wish the next of kin decides
supports it when it alleviates pain or saves a life on the basic rules of Shari’ah law

Question 4

It is an effective and proven method of curing life-threatening diseases (e.g. heart or kidney malfunction) and improving people’s lives (e.g. cornea grating giving sight to the blind):

Answer 4

suggests you should take advice of local imam or scholar

“There is no disease that Allah has sent down except that He also sent down its treatment.” (Hadith)

Question 5

Sanctity of Life Teachings/Playing God (Allah)

Answer 5

all life belongs to God
only God has the right to give and take life
Qur’an says that God created the body of a person —transplants are acts of playing God (greatest sin — Shirk)

Question 6

Qur’an teaches that the body should be buried soon after death and should not be interfered with

Answer 6

oppose post-mortems

Shari’ah — nothing should be removed from the body after death

Question 7

Full bodily resurrection

Answer 7

on the Last Day, the body will be resurrected by Allah — all organs needed

Question 8

Donation can be unethical

Answer 8

black market donations
who determines the death?
WHO (World Health Organisation) estimates 10,000 black market operations involving human organs happen every year
money to gang who harvest organs from desperate people — often no doctor afterwards
procuring organs from death row inmates