Q: There will be an exhibition called “body works” held in cape town soon. It is where the human body is displayed in its true form but in such a way that it educates people on how the body works and illustrate certain aspects of the human anatomy. It is very informative and I would like to attend since I am in the medical field. The only thing is that those are actual human bodies which obviously have been preserved for this purpose. Is it islamically permissible to view these bodies or attend such an exhibition even if it is being done very professionally and discreetly?
A: There is a difference of opinion on this issue. However, we prefer the view of precaution and advise against this as this is ill-treatment to a human body and with the advancement in technology there are many other possible and viable methods of studying human anatomy.
And Allah Ta’ala (الله تعالى) knows best.
Answered by:
Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)