Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Assalamuilaikum. I'm glad that you provide this service or forum for our ummah and or public, alhamdullilah. You have brought knowledge about doubted islamic issues to many brothers and sisters in Islam. I've gained information from your e-mails regarding a variety of answers to many questions. My question is "Is it haram in Islam for a fellow Muslim to become an organ donor?" because if a Muslim is an organ donor, after his or hers death, a doctor&people will cut open the dead body and take the intended donated organ out(haram or halal in Islam?). Please provide supporting information upon this question & matter. Shunkran. Sister in Islam

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Donate organ

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

May Allah Subhanah reward you with the best of this world and the Hereafter for your kind comments of encouragement for our humble efforts in the propagation of the Truth. If our humble and modest efforts have helped even one brother or sister get closer to Allah and His Deen of Truth, then we would consider ourselves indeed fortunate to have been given this opportunity by the Lord Most Merciful to serve in His Cause. We hope, beg, and pray the Merciful Lord accepts our humble and weak efforts, forgives us our shortcomings, and saves you, us, and all the believers from the torment of the Hell Fire. Ameen.

The Holy Quran and Sunnah are silent on the issue of donating organs, as these transplants were obviously made available only after the advancements of technology and modern medicine, which were not available at the time the Quran was being revealed. The scholars in Islam have debated on this issue in light of the principles of the Quran and Sunnah, and the majority of them are of the opinion that there is no harm if one donates his body organs after his death to another so that some other believer may benefit from them after his/her death; provided some conditions are met.

One cannot be forced to donate his body parts.

One may donate his body parts of his own free will.

One should not sell or get any material benefit for donating his body parts.

Their argument or ‘daleel’ is that one’s body parts are only needed as long as one is alive, and are absolutely no use to the person once he/she dies. Thus if these parts can benefit some loved one, there is no harm in donating them.

A few scholars though, have voiced their opinion saying that it is forbidden to donate one’s body parts to another. Their ‘daleel’ is that man is not the inherent owner of his own body, as the body was only given to man as a trust from Allah Subhanah, Who is the Real Owner of everything. Therefore it is not permissible to distribute something which does not belong to man in the first place.

The majority of the scholars are of the opinion that if one does it of his own free will, and does not demand or get any material benefit from it, there is no harm in donating one’s body parts to a loved one after his/her death.

And Allah Alone Knows Best.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan