What is the ruling on transplanting organs from one person to another before or after death?

The questioner : May Allah preserve you, Shaykh. Regarding the transplanting of organs from one person to another, before or after death, is there any issue with that?

The Shaykh : We see that it is not permissible, neither before death nor after death, even if the deceased made a bequest to that effect. Even if the deceased made a bequest and said, "When I die, give my cornea to so-and-so, or my kidney to so-and-so, or my liver to so-and-so, or the like," it is not permissible to execute this bequest because it is a bequest of something forbidden, and a bequest of something forbidden is not executed. The scholars have mentioned this. Refer to the book *Al-Iqna'* in the jurisprudence of the Hanbalis, in the book of funerals, in the chapter on washing the deceased; you will find that they explicitly stated that it is not permissible to take anything from the organs of the deceased, even if he made a bequest to that effect. They cited as evidence the saying of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): How is this permissible? You are not free to do with your body as you please. Allah has said to you: Killing the soul does not mean that one takes a knife and slaughters oneself; no, rather, everything that leads to harm is considered killing the soul. The evidence is: أن عمرو بن العاص بعثه النبي عليه الصلاة والسلام في سرية وأجنب ذات ليلة وكانت الليلة باردة فتيمم وصلى بأصحابه فلما رجعوا إلى النبي صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم قال : أصليت بأصحابك وأنت جنب ؟ قال : يا رسول الله ذكرتُ قول الله تعالى : وَلا تَقْتُلُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِكُمْ رَحِيماً وكانت الليلة باردة فتيممت وصليت فضحك النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم 'Amr ibn al-'As was sent by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) on a military expedition. One night, he had a sexual discharge, and the night was cold. So he performed dry ablution and led his companions in prayer. When they returned to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), he said: "Did you lead your companions in prayer while in a state of major ritual impurity?" He said: "O Messenger of Allah, I remembered the saying of Allah the Exalted: 'And do not kill yourselves. Indeed, Allah has been Merciful to you.' And the night was cold, so I performed dry ablution and prayed." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) laughed. Is he acknowledging or denying it? He is acknowledging it. If he were denying it, he would have been warned. So I say: Transplanting organs is forbidden in life and after death. If someone asks, "Is not saving a person from destruction obligatory?" The answer is: Yes, it is obligatory. But is he hungry and do I have food that I must feed him? Is he thirsty and do I have water that I must give him? But to cut a part of my organs for him, this is not permissible. Do you understand? Some people who issue rulings of permissibility in this matter have compared it to the fact that Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, mentioned that al-Khidr killed a boy who was a disbeliever, and his parents were what? They were believers. The verse is: They said, "This was a killing for the benefit of the parents." We say: May Allah help us, where is the argument from this? This boy was a disbeliever, and the blood of a disbeliever is it forbidden or lawful? It is lawful. Furthermore, he was a disbeliever and a corrupter, because he says: So if he is a disbeliever whose blood is lawful, there is no evidence in him, because our discussion is about one whose blood is protected. The conclusion is that this is my opinion, and it is also the opinion of His Eminence Shaykh 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn Baz, as I asked him in the session of the Council of Senior Scholars, and he said this: It is forbidden. Whoever reflects on the texts finds that it is forbidden. And there is harm in it now. In other countries, they raid the children in the markets; they take a child and slaughter him and take his liver and sell it for millions of dirhams, because they do not fear Allah and do not have mercy on the servants of Allah. Did you understand? Bring the questioner, your question. Yes.