Embalming the body of a child who died after birth for the purpose of study
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Fatwa No. ( 2521 )
Praise be to Allah alone, and may peace and blessings be upon the one after whom there is no prophet. And after: The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta has reviewed
the inquiry submitted by the Dean of the College of Medicine, Dr. Asama Shibakshi, to His Eminence the General President, and referred to it by the General Secretariat of the Council of Senior Scholars with number (1557 \ 2) and date 29 \ 7 \ 1399 AH. Its text is: Mr. (Y. A. A), holder of a psychiatric certificate (.. ) issued on 27 \ 11 \ 1379 AH from the city of Jeddah , has presented to us the matter of leaving the body of his son, born on 14 \ 5 \ 1399 AH and who died on 15 \ 5 \ 1399 AH, as a result of numerous congenital deformities, at the disposal of the Anatomy Department of the College of Medicine. However, we do not know whether the officials of the College of Medicine have the right to dispose of that newborn’s body, such as placing it in formalin solution and keeping it in the Anatomy Department’s museum, and whether that is permissible from the religious, legislative, and legal standpoint, or whether that body must be buried? As I raise this matter to you, I hope you will graciously advise me, pointing out that placing that newborn in the Anatomy Department of the College of Medicine would be of benefit to our brothers and sons, the students of the College of Medicine, if you permit it .
She answered as follows: It is obligatory to wash him, shroud him, pray over him, and bury him in the Muslim cemeteries immediately, for it is not permissible to keep him for this purpose, nor for any other similar purpose, even if his guardian permits it.
And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Praise be to Allah alone, and may peace and blessings be upon the one after whom there is no prophet. And after: The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta has reviewed
the inquiry submitted by the Dean of the College of Medicine, Dr. Asama Shibakshi, to His Eminence the General President, and referred to it by the General Secretariat of the Council of Senior Scholars with number (1557 \ 2) and date 29 \ 7 \ 1399 AH. Its text is: Mr. (Y. A. A), holder of a psychiatric certificate (.. ) issued on 27 \ 11 \ 1379 AH from the city of Jeddah , has presented to us the matter of leaving the body of his son, born on 14 \ 5 \ 1399 AH and who died on 15 \ 5 \ 1399 AH, as a result of numerous congenital deformities, at the disposal of the Anatomy Department of the College of Medicine. However, we do not know whether the officials of the College of Medicine have the right to dispose of that newborn’s body, such as placing it in formalin solution and keeping it in the Anatomy Department’s museum, and whether that is permissible from the religious, legislative, and legal standpoint, or whether that body must be buried? As I raise this matter to you, I hope you will graciously advise me, pointing out that placing that newborn in the Anatomy Department of the College of Medicine would be of benefit to our brothers and sons, the students of the College of Medicine, if you permit it .
She answered as follows: It is obligatory to wash him, shroud him, pray over him, and bury him in the Muslim cemeteries immediately, for it is not permissible to keep him for this purpose, nor for any other similar purpose, even if his guardian permits it.
And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.