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Is organ donation permissible?

Answered as per Shafi'i Fiqh by Qibla.com

Answered by Shaykh Amjad Rasheed

Is organ donation permissible?

Answer:
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Modern [m: scholars] have differed in this matter, having authored some publications that permit it and others that prohibit it. The shaykh of my shaykhs, the erudite scholar and investigating jurist, Shaykh Fadl ibn Abdurrahman Bafadl Al-Hadrami Al-Shafi’i (Allah have mercy on him), the previous mufti of the city of Tarim, Hadramawt decreed that it is not permissible to transfer or sell anything from the body of a living or dead person except for blood, which is permissible. However, [m: transferring blood] is not permissible through sale, but only through relinquishment [m: of the donor], even if for compensation, as long as it does not entail harm to the donor. [1] To quote him from his Edicts:

Transferring organs from the body of a living or dead person to another is not permissible because the Lawgiver did not authorize it. Rather, it is forbidden to change the creation of Allah. If the Lawgiver forbade man’s castration for this reason, what do you think about transferring his organs, such as his eye, heart, and the like? Even if the person is dead, [m: taking his organs] involves transgressing an inviolability that is obligatory for us to preserve. The same holds for selling human organs: it is neither permissible nor valid because their keeper does not own them; rather, they are but a trust with him, and their ownership belongs to Allah, Glorified and Most High. Furthermore, it is not permissible to sell a free person whether in part or in whole. What seems apparent to me is that blood – because it is like an excretion — is permissible to transfer from one person to another as long as it does not entail harm to the donor. However, it is not permissible to sell — because it is filth and not property – but it is permissible to take compensation for it, such as concessions taken for relinquishment [m: of something under one’s control to another]. All of the foregoing is taken from the words of scholars, their studies, and explanations, so we will not continue at length in this matter.

-Amjad Rasheed

(Translated by Moustafa Elqabbany)

Notes

[1] Relinquishment (Ar. raf` al-yad) is a transaction whereby one relinquishes something under his control to another, possibly for compensation. A question inquiring about the differences between relinquishing for compensation and sale will be sent to Shaykh Amjad soon, Allah willing.

Also check the link:

Blood Transfusions and Donations: A Detailed Explanation
http://www.sunnipath.com/resources/Questions/qa00002230.aspx 

هل يجوز التبرع بالأعضاء أم لا ؟ الجواب: اختلف المعاصرون في المسألة ، وألفوا فيها تآليف منها المجوز ومنها المانع ، والذي أفتى به شيخُ مشايخي العلامةُ الفقيهُ المحققُ الشيخُ فضل بن عبد الرحمن بافضل الحضرمي الشافعي رحمه الله المفتي الأسبق لمدينة تريم بحضرموت : أنه لا يجوز نقلُ شيء من جسد الحيِّ والميت ولا بيعه إلا الدم فيجوز نقله لكن لا بطريق البيع بل برفع اليد عنه ولو بمقابل إن لم يكن في نقله ضرر على المأخوذ منه، ونصُّ كلامه في “فتاويه” :” نقلُ الأعضاء من جسد حي أو ميت لآخر لا يجوز ؛ لأنه لم يكن مأذون فيه من الشارع ، بل نُهِيَ عن التغيير لخلق الله ، فإذا منع الشارعُ خصاءَ الآدمي لذلك فما بالك بنقل أعضائه من عين وقلب ونحو ذلك ، وإن كان ميتاً ففيه هتكٌ لحرمته الواجب علينا صونها . وكذلك بيعُ أعضاء الإنسان فلا يجوز ولا يصح لأنها غير مملوكة لصاحبها بل هي أمانة عنده ، والملك فيها لله سبحانه وتعالى ، والحر غير قابل للبيع لا كلاً ولا بعضاً . نعم الدم يجوز فيما يظهر لي من الشخص ونقله إلى آخر إذا لم يكن فيه ضرر على المأخوذ منه ؛ لأنه كالفضلة . ولكن لا يصح بيعه ؛ لأنه نجس وغير مملوك، غير أنه يجوز أخذ عوض عنه كالاختصاص في مقابل رفع اليد عنه ، وكل هذا يؤخذ من كلام الفقهاء وبحوثهم وتعاليلهم فلا نطيل بذلك

This answer was indexed from Qibla.com, which used to have a repository of Islamic Q&A answered by various scholars. The website is no longer in existence. It has now been transformed into a learning portal with paid Islamic course offering under the brand of Kiflayn.

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