3 Major Arguments Why Heart Transplant is Halal in Islam
C.J Ahmed-23.05.2023
Islam is an easy religion and there is no major disagreements among Muslims on heart transplants and it is clear that heart transplants are not haram in Islam because Islam has not forbidden it.Now t he question is, whether donating organs such as your heart is halal and the answer is that it is not haram in Islam to do so.
Below are the threer evidences from the Quran and the authentic hadiths on why organ donation is halal in Islam.
1 Separating the opinions from the actual evidence
For us to rely on something in Islam, we need to only rely on the two authentic sources namely, the Quran and the authentic hadiths of the prophet (sal). Allah (swt) says:
"If you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger (sal), if you believe in Allah and in the Last Day.”
(Al-Quran-4:59).
As far as the Quran an d the authentic hadiths is concerned, Islam is silence on the issue of organ donation. There are various opinion s by scholars statin g that organ donation is haram but these are based only on the personal opinions of those respective scholars.
2. Is Organ Donation Mentioned in the in the Quran?
As far as the Quran is concerned there is no clear evidence to prove that organ donation is haram. The Quran is actually silent on this topic. However there is one verse that has been used as an argument against organ donation where Allah (swt) says,
"And we have certainly honoured the children of Adam and carried them on the land and sea and provided for them of the good things and preferred them over much of what we have created, with preference."
(Al-Quran-17:70)
This verse has nothing to do with organ donation but is used as an argument to mean that man is honoured and cutting the body is a form of dishonouring man who is Allah's creation. The Quran actually encourages saving lives and Allah (swt) said,
"And if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind."
(Al-Quran-5:32)
Organ donation is a medically proven method that helps cure certain disease and ailments and this proves that the Quran does not forbid organ donation as long as it does not cause any harm to the living person and if it is consensual.
3. Organ Donation in the Hadiths
As far as the hadiths are concerned there is no direct evidence prohibiting organ donation but there is one hadith that is used by scholars who are against organ donation and the hadith is as follows,
Aisha (rali) narrated, the prophet (sal) said,
“Breaking a dead man's bone is like breaking it when he is alive"
(Abu Dawud-graded sahih by Albani)
Umm Salamah (rali) narrated that the prophet (sal) said,
"Breaking the bones of the deceased is, in sin, like breaking his bones when he is alive.”
(Ibn Majah-graded sahih by Imam Nawawi in Khulaasat al-Ahkam (3/1035) and by Sheikh al-Albani in al-Irwa’ (763))
These hadiths only specifically mention the prohibition of breaking bones of the dead especially during war and organs such as kidneys, liver or heart does not require breaking bones. The above hadiths emphasize respecting the dead and not harming the dead body by cutting g off limbs. What is mentioned in the above hadiths has only to do with mutilating dead bodies and has nothing to do with organ donation. The below hadiths explain s this further in details,
Conclusion
Heart transplantis an important life saving surgery and Islam encourages saving lives. Organ donation is also not haram because the hadihs used to prohibit orgn donations are only specific to a situation such as mutilating dead bodies.
Islam is an easy religion and there is no major disagreements among Muslims on heart transplants and it is clear that heart transplants are not haram in Islam because Islam has not forbidden it.Now t he question is, whether donating organs such as your heart is halal and the answer is that it is not haram in Islam to do so.
Below are the threer evidences from the Quran and the authentic hadiths on why organ donation is halal in Islam.
1 Separating the opinions from the actual evidence
For us to rely on something in Islam, we need to only rely on the two authentic sources namely, the Quran and the authentic hadiths of the prophet (sal). Allah (swt) says:
"If you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger (sal), if you believe in Allah and in the Last Day.”
(Al-Quran-4:59).
As far as the Quran an d the authentic hadiths is concerned, Islam is silence on the issue of organ donation. There are various opinion s by scholars statin g that organ donation is haram but these are based only on the personal opinions of those respective scholars.
2. Is Organ Donation Mentioned in the in the Quran?
As far as the Quran is concerned there is no clear evidence to prove that organ donation is haram. The Quran is actually silent on this topic. However there is one verse that has been used as an argument against organ donation where Allah (swt) says,
"And we have certainly honoured the children of Adam and carried them on the land and sea and provided for them of the good things and preferred them over much of what we have created, with preference."
(Al-Quran-17:70)
This verse has nothing to do with organ donation but is used as an argument to mean that man is honoured and cutting the body is a form of dishonouring man who is Allah's creation. The Quran actually encourages saving lives and Allah (swt) said,
"And if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind."
(Al-Quran-5:32)
Organ donation is a medically proven method that helps cure certain disease and ailments and this proves that the Quran does not forbid organ donation as long as it does not cause any harm to the living person and if it is consensual.
3. Organ Donation in the Hadiths
As far as the hadiths are concerned there is no direct evidence prohibiting organ donation but there is one hadith that is used by scholars who are against organ donation and the hadith is as follows,
Aisha (rali) narrated, the prophet (sal) said,
“Breaking a dead man's bone is like breaking it when he is alive"
(Abu Dawud-graded sahih by Albani)
Umm Salamah (rali) narrated that the prophet (sal) said,
"Breaking the bones of the deceased is, in sin, like breaking his bones when he is alive.”
(Ibn Majah-graded sahih by Imam Nawawi in Khulaasat al-Ahkam (3/1035) and by Sheikh al-Albani in al-Irwa’ (763))
These hadiths only specifically mention the prohibition of breaking bones of the dead especially during war and organs such as kidneys, liver or heart does not require breaking bones. The above hadiths emphasize respecting the dead and not harming the dead body by cutting g off limbs. What is mentioned in the above hadiths has only to do with mutilating dead bodies and has nothing to do with organ donation. The below hadiths explain s this further in details,
Conclusion
Heart transplantis an important life saving surgery and Islam encourages saving lives. Organ donation is also not haram because the hadihs used to prohibit orgn donations are only specific to a situation such as mutilating dead bodies.