The ruling on transplanting an animal's heart into a human
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A message was also sent from Yemen by a brother of ours from there, named Jamal 'Abd al-Ahmad Salih al-Sha'bi, a Yemeni teacher at al-Fawz school. Our brother asks: Is a person who replaces his heart with a monkey's heart or an artificial heart accountable for the actions of the new heart? What is the punishment for the doctor who removes hearts? And what is the religion's position on a doctor who removes the heart from an innocent animal and sentences it to death without any sin?
Answer: This is a matter requiring consideration, and it has not been established for us up to now that anyone has survived with another person's heart and that the heart functioned properly for him. So if we assume that he did survive with it, the heart transitions to the state of the person in whom it was implanted, replacing what it was as the heart of another animal, becoming subordinate to the person in whom it was implanted. This is because the substances that connected to this heart, reached it, and nourished it are the substances of the first heart. So the heart now becomes the heart of the person in whom it was implanted, the human in whom it was placed, not the heart of the animal, whether it is a monkey, a dog, or otherwise. It will have the ruling that the first heart had, because the substance that nourished the first heart nourishes this new heart from the blood of this person. So it has the ruling of the first heart if he survives with it and his affairs are in order with it.
As for slaughtering the animal and taking this from it, it may be said that taking it from a permissible animal, such as taking it from a sheep, a goat, a cow, or a camel, is permissible, as these are animals whose slaughter is permissible for the sake of benefit. So if he takes a heart from them and implants it in a human, there is no harm. However, slaughtering monkeys or dogs is a matter requiring consideration, and the closest view, and Allah knows best, is that it is not permissible to engage in that, and the more apparent view is that it is not permissible to engage in that. But if it happens and is done, and the human survives with it and benefits from it, such as if it is implanted in an organ from another animal, like a dog or otherwise, and he survives with it, it continues to benefit him and function properly for him. However, intentionally taking a monkey's heart, a dog's heart, a mule's heart, or a donkey's heart from impure animals is a matter requiring consideration, and there is consideration in proceeding with it. It may be said that it is permissible, because the human takes precedence over these animals, and his benefit is to be considered, so he is more deserving of care and more deserving of having his benefit realized if that is achieved, and that he benefits from the heart of this animal. It may also be said: No, because impurities are not used for treatment, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
So the point is that taking the heart of a forbidden animal, such as a dog or a monkey, or the like, or an organ from its organs for a human, this is the matter requiring consideration. Some scholars have permitted it, and some scholars have not permitted it, and it is a matter requiring consideration and independent legal reasoning. Yes.
The presenter: And what is the position of Shaykh 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn Baz?
The Shaykh: By Allah, I am hesitant regarding this concerning forbidden animals; there is consideration in it. Yes.
The presenter: There is consideration in it, may Allah reward you. So the transplanted heart transforms into the place where it is transplanted?
The Shaykh: If it happens, whether we say it is permissible or not permissible, if it happens, it is not removed; it continues with it and has the ruling of the first heart. It does not harm him that it is from an animal; it does not harm him if he survives with it, his affairs are in order with it, and he manages affairs with it. So praise be to Allah. Yes.
The presenter: And the things that are in the place of the first heart, such as love, hatred, and faith, transfer to the new heart?
The Shaykh: All of it...; because the substances are present in the human, the substances of the first heart are present. Yes.
Answer: This is a matter requiring consideration, and it has not been established for us up to now that anyone has survived with another person's heart and that the heart functioned properly for him. So if we assume that he did survive with it, the heart transitions to the state of the person in whom it was implanted, replacing what it was as the heart of another animal, becoming subordinate to the person in whom it was implanted. This is because the substances that connected to this heart, reached it, and nourished it are the substances of the first heart. So the heart now becomes the heart of the person in whom it was implanted, the human in whom it was placed, not the heart of the animal, whether it is a monkey, a dog, or otherwise. It will have the ruling that the first heart had, because the substance that nourished the first heart nourishes this new heart from the blood of this person. So it has the ruling of the first heart if he survives with it and his affairs are in order with it.
As for slaughtering the animal and taking this from it, it may be said that taking it from a permissible animal, such as taking it from a sheep, a goat, a cow, or a camel, is permissible, as these are animals whose slaughter is permissible for the sake of benefit. So if he takes a heart from them and implants it in a human, there is no harm. However, slaughtering monkeys or dogs is a matter requiring consideration, and the closest view, and Allah knows best, is that it is not permissible to engage in that, and the more apparent view is that it is not permissible to engage in that. But if it happens and is done, and the human survives with it and benefits from it, such as if it is implanted in an organ from another animal, like a dog or otherwise, and he survives with it, it continues to benefit him and function properly for him. However, intentionally taking a monkey's heart, a dog's heart, a mule's heart, or a donkey's heart from impure animals is a matter requiring consideration, and there is consideration in proceeding with it. It may be said that it is permissible, because the human takes precedence over these animals, and his benefit is to be considered, so he is more deserving of care and more deserving of having his benefit realized if that is achieved, and that he benefits from the heart of this animal. It may also be said: No, because impurities are not used for treatment, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Do not treat with what is forbidden
لا تداوى بحرامSo the point is that taking the heart of a forbidden animal, such as a dog or a monkey, or the like, or an organ from its organs for a human, this is the matter requiring consideration. Some scholars have permitted it, and some scholars have not permitted it, and it is a matter requiring consideration and independent legal reasoning. Yes.
The presenter: And what is the position of Shaykh 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn Baz?
The Shaykh: By Allah, I am hesitant regarding this concerning forbidden animals; there is consideration in it. Yes.
The presenter: There is consideration in it, may Allah reward you. So the transplanted heart transforms into the place where it is transplanted?
The Shaykh: If it happens, whether we say it is permissible or not permissible, if it happens, it is not removed; it continues with it and has the ruling of the first heart. It does not harm him that it is from an animal; it does not harm him if he survives with it, his affairs are in order with it, and he manages affairs with it. So praise be to Allah. Yes.
The presenter: And the things that are in the place of the first heart, such as love, hatred, and faith, transfer to the new heart?
The Shaykh: All of it...; because the substances are present in the human, the substances of the first heart are present. Yes.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.