Does Islamic Sharia permit the donation of a deceased person's organs in critical situations where a human life cannot be saved by any other means? Is it permissible?
This question arises because Allah has entrusted every human being with their body parts as a sacred trust (Amanah), and it is a human duty to return that trust intact.
Quranic verses bear witness to the fact that in the Hereafter, we will stand before Allah with our bodies complete and be held accountable for our deeds.
In the chapter Ha-Mim Sajdah (Surah Fussilat), verses 20, 21, and 22, Allah states:
"Finally, when they reach it—the Hellfire—their hearing, their sight, and their skins will bear witness against them regarding what they used to do..."
Furthermore, in the chapter Ta-Ha, verses 125 and 126, Allah states:
"The man will ask, 'My Lord! Why have You raised me blind, whereas I was certainly sighted [in the world]?' [Allah] will reply, 'Just as Our signs came to you and you forgot them, so too are you forgotten [deprived of Our mercy] this day.'"
Additionally, Islamic jurists have stated that a person who is in a state requiring a ritual bath (Ghusl) should not trim their nails or cut hair (such as the mustache) before performing the bath. They have noted that if one does so, those nails and hair will be brought before the person in the Hereafter in an impure state.
Given the clear teachings regarding the state of body parts in the Hereafter, how can one donate them while in this world?
– Moulavi Hafiz S. Abubacker Siddique Baqavi, Mandapam. Answer: The Quranic verses you have cited are not relevant to the topic at hand.
Those verses speak about God resurrecting us in the Hereafter. They do not state that we should not donate our body parts, nor do they imply that doing so would result in being resurrected without those organs. That concept is not contained within those verses, even indirectly.
If you examine the verses from Surah Taha (125 and 126) that you pointed out, you will find that they actually contradict your argument.
The verse states that a person who lived with sight in this world but rejected God's teachings will be resurrected as a blind person. The reason for being resurrected blind is that he did not live a righteous life, not because he had lost his sight in this world.
It is a person's conduct that causes someone who had sight to be resurrected blind. Conversely, if a blind person lives a righteous life in this world, he will not be resurrected blind; like other righteous Muslims, he too will behold God.
Therefore, one should not conflate the arrangements God makes based on righteousness or wickedness with matters unrelated to them.
Furthermore, when we are resurrected in the Hereafter, all men will be raised uncircumcised (Bukhari 3349, 3447, 4635, 4740, 6524). The fact that God resurrects us including the parts removed through circumcision—what does this signify?
Does it not indicate that there is no connection between the body parts lost in this world and the state in which one is resurrected in the Hereafter?
The Quran also states that on the Day of Judgment, some faces will be black while others will be white.
This does not mean that the faces of Americans will be white and the faces of Africans will be black. Conversely, an African who lived as a righteous believer will appear with a fair complexion. The implication is that if George Bush were to die in his current state, he would appear with a dark complexion.
From this, we can understand that there is no direct link between one's physical appearance in this world and the Hereafter.
Regarding modern developments and inventions, they may not be explicitly mentioned in the Holy Quran or the Hadith. However, one must examine whether there are any implicit prohibitions. If a prohibition is found, then the act is deemed impermissible.
To the best of our knowledge, there is no evidence—direct or indirect—suggesting that acts such as eye donation, blood donation, or kidney donation are forbidden.
The evidence cited to the contrary is not valid.
We have no authority to forbid something that the religion itself has not prohibited.
Next, you mention that our body parts are a Amanah (a trust). Indeed, they are a trust; however, the meaning of Amanah in this context is different.
If I entrust an object to you for safekeeping, you are not supposed to use it; you must return it exactly as it is.
Yet, we use the eyes Allah has entrusted to us to see, and the ears to hear; we utilize our other limbs as well. If we were to interpret Amanah in the strict sense applicable to ordinary trusts, we would have to conclude that using these body parts is impermissible.
One may utilize something—provided it is not used for acts forbidden by God. It is on this basis that it is considered a trust (amanah).
When Allah grants us wealth, it too is a trust. We may use it ourselves or give it to others; we simply must not spend it on wrongful pursuits.
Similarly, we may utilize our own body parts. If no harm comes to us, we may even give them to others—provided they are not used for improper purposes. This is the essence of the concept of a trust.
The Prophet (PBUH) has permitted us to use our conscience as a yardstick to determine the propriety of actions not explicitly prohibited in the Quran or Hadith (Ahmad 17320).
Consider a situation where a loved one is in critical condition and can only survive by receiving a blood transfusion or a kidney transplant from another person; in such a case, your conscience would deem the act of giving (or donating) to be right.
It would be inconsistent to approve of receiving such aid while disapproving of giving it.
Do not mistake this to mean that we advocate applying this criterion to acts forbidden by religion. Even if our conscience approves of something prohibited by the faith, it remains wrong.
The essence of the Prophet's teaching is that if our conscience approves of something prohibited by the faith, then that approval serves as a valid criterion.
Although some scholars state that those in a state of ritual impurity requiring a full bath should not cut their hair or nails, there is no evidence for this in the Quran or Hadith. Consequently, other scholars have rejected this view due to the lack of evidence.
Therefore, if there is any valid evidence prohibiting organ donation, please share it; we are ready to consider it.