My question is that and and may Allah save us from this:
1. Should a Muslim have his arm or leg or any part of his body amputated, then what should he do?
2. Does he ask for the limb from the hospital and bury it?
3. Does he bury in kabrestaan?
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatuh
Allah Ta’ala says in the Holy Quran:
وَلَقَدْ كَرَّمْنَا بَنِي آَدَم…………….وَرَزَقْنَاهُمْ مِنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَفَضَّلْنَاهُمْ عَلَى كَثِيرٍ مِمَّنْ خَلَقْنَا تَفْضِيلًا
“And we bestowed dignity on the children of Adam……….and provided them with a variety of good things and made them much superior to many of those whom We have created” (17:70)
Allah Ta’ala has bestowed honor on the human beings over other creation. Therefore, the human body and its limbs must be respected properly and not tampered with. Just as a dead body must be buried according to Shari’ah, any separated limb or organ from one’s body must be buried as well. If one does not request the separated limb from the hospital for burial, it will end up being incinerated.
The habitual practice of the Sahaba (RadiyAllahu Anhum) was to bury even their clipped hair and nails. Evidence of this act is found in a couple of Hadith:
حدثنا علان بن عبد الصمد الطيالسي ماغمة قال ثنا محمد بن الحسن الأسدي ثنا أبي ثنا قيس عن عبد الجبار بن وائل عن أبيه : أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم كان يأمر بدفن الشعر و الأظفار
“Waail ibn Hajar (RadiyAllahu Anhu) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) ordered hair and nails to be buried.” (Al-Mu’jam al-Kabeer)
عن ابن عمر قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ادفنوا الاظفار والشعر والدم
“Ibn Umar (RadiyAllahu Anhu) says that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said: Bury nails, hair, and blood.” (Sunan al-Kubra Al-Bayhaqee)
Therefore, if there is a recommendation for nails, hair, and blood to be buried, then one must surely endeavor to bury separated limbs.
Lastly, it is not necessary to bury a separated limb in a designated graveyard. However, if one is required to do so by secular law one must abide by the rules of the country.
فإذا قلم أطفاره أو جز شعره ينبغي أن يدفن ذلك الظفر والشعر المجزوز فإن رمى به فلا بأس وإن ألقاه في الكنيف أو في المغتسل يكره ذلك لأن ذلك يورث داء كذا في فتاوى قاضي خان .
يدفن أربعة الظفر والشعر وخرقة الحيض والدم كذا في الفتاوى العتابية .
(Fatawa al-Hindiyya, Vol. 5, P. 438, Darul Kutub Ilmiyya)
أن السن من الآدمي جزء منه فإذا انفصل استحق الدفن
(Badaai’ al-Sanaai’, Vol. 4, P. 316, Darul Kitab Deoband)
And Allah knows best
Wassalam u Alaikum
Ml. Asif Umar,
Student Darul Iftaa
Checked and Approved by:
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa, Madrassah In’aamiyyah