Is it permissible to transplant the heart of a Muslim or a disbeliever after his death to a Muslim? And what is the ruling on donating a kidney to a sick person?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : The brother says: We are hearing these days about a heart transplant operation for a man who has lost his life to another man who wants a healthy heart. Is this operation permissible with his permission or without his permission? Transplanting the heart.
The Shaykh : That is, dissecting the corpse of the dead and extracting the heart from it and placing it in the living person who is in need of a new heart. This answer is understood from what came before: it is not permissible to dissect.
The questioner : In the case of those who take one healthy heart. They take the heart of a dead person on the machines, meaning machines that indicate he will die, meaning brain death. So before he dies, they do not allow him to be buried, but they take his heart before he dies.
The Shaykh : This is more evil and a matter of concern, yes.
The questioner : Even if he bequeathed it, does it not fall under the category of[Al-Ma'idah 5:2]?
The Shaykh : No, it does not fall under it. How can one bequeath that he be killed for the sake of another, and that other one may not even succeed, as is medically known?
The questioner : Okay, transplanting a heart from a disbeliever to a Muslim.
The Shaykh : From this perspective, it does not harm, because the heart, which is the abode of faith, righteousness, and piety, as mentioned in the hadiths and some Qur'anic verses, is not merely this small piece of flesh. Rather, it is the effect of the life of this entire person, with his body and his soul. This may be present in this small piece of flesh about which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih al-Bukhari 52. The point is that it is not permissible.
The questioner : And if it is done.
The Shaykh: If what?
The questioner : And if it is done, meaning if this operation is completed, transplanting the heart of a righteous man to the heart of an oppressor, and may Allah protect us, how would it be?
The Shaykh : Where is the uncle? Nothing changes in the life of the person to whom the heart is transplanted from the life of the person from whom it was taken, whether it is the transplant of a disbeliever's heart to a believer or the reverse. This is what I said earlier.
The questioner : Is this specific to the heart, or if he bequeathed his eyesight or bequeathed...?
The Shaykh : All of it, all of it, yes.
The questioner : In the case where some people transplant a kidney while they are still alive, donating it to their brother or...?
The Shaykh : My brother, the same statement applies.
The questioner : He does not die if it is removed.
The Shaykh : He may die. This is a matter that is not guaranteed. And our Lord created two kidneys instead of one. He did not create that in vain, but rather, as it is said, as a precaution. And therefore, you hear that some people live with one kidney. Yes, please.
The Shaykh : That is, dissecting the corpse of the dead and extracting the heart from it and placing it in the living person who is in need of a new heart. This answer is understood from what came before: it is not permissible to dissect.
The questioner : In the case of those who take one healthy heart. They take the heart of a dead person on the machines, meaning machines that indicate he will die, meaning brain death. So before he dies, they do not allow him to be buried, but they take his heart before he dies.
The Shaykh : This is more evil and a matter of concern, yes.
The questioner : Even if he bequeathed it, does it not fall under the category of
cooperate in righteousness and piety
و تعاونوا على البر و التقوىThe Shaykh : No, it does not fall under it. How can one bequeath that he be killed for the sake of another, and that other one may not even succeed, as is medically known?
The questioner : Okay, transplanting a heart from a disbeliever to a Muslim.
The Shaykh : From this perspective, it does not harm, because the heart, which is the abode of faith, righteousness, and piety, as mentioned in the hadiths and some Qur'anic verses, is not merely this small piece of flesh. Rather, it is the effect of the life of this entire person, with his body and his soul. This may be present in this small piece of flesh about which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Beware! There is a piece of flesh in the body if it becomes good (reformed) the whole body becomes good but if it gets spoilt the whole body gets spoilt and that is the heart.
ألا و إن في الجسد مضغة ، إذا صلحت صلح الجسد كله و إذا فسدت فسد الجسد كله ألا و هي القلبThe questioner : And if it is done.
The Shaykh: If what?
The questioner : And if it is done, meaning if this operation is completed, transplanting the heart of a righteous man to the heart of an oppressor, and may Allah protect us, how would it be?
The Shaykh : Where is the uncle? Nothing changes in the life of the person to whom the heart is transplanted from the life of the person from whom it was taken, whether it is the transplant of a disbeliever's heart to a believer or the reverse. This is what I said earlier.
The questioner : Is this specific to the heart, or if he bequeathed his eyesight or bequeathed...?
The Shaykh : All of it, all of it, yes.
The questioner : In the case where some people transplant a kidney while they are still alive, donating it to their brother or...?
The Shaykh : My brother, the same statement applies.
The questioner : He does not die if it is removed.
The Shaykh : He may die. This is a matter that is not guaranteed. And our Lord created two kidneys instead of one. He did not create that in vain, but rather, as it is said, as a precaution. And therefore, you hear that some people live with one kidney. Yes, please.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.