Islamic attitudes to Transplant Surgery
Most Muslims are opposed to transplant surgery and will not carry donor cards. They believe that transplanting organs from one person to another is against God's will.
They have this attitude because:
- the Shari'ah teaches that nothing should be removed from the body after death and opposes post-mortems. Therefore organs should not be removed from dead Muslims.
- The Qur'an says that God has created the body of a person and so to take parts from one body and put them into another is to act as God (shirk) which is the greatest sin of Islam.
- The Muslim belief in the sanctity of life means that all life belongs to God and only God has the right to give and take life.
- Such Muslims would also agree with the non-religious arguments against transplants.
Some Muslims allow transplant surgery using organs from a living donor as long as the donor is a close relative.
They have this attitude because:
- some Muslim lawyers have said that it is permissible.
- A ruling, fatwa, was issued by the Muslim Law Council of the United Kingdom in 1995 saying that Muslims could carry donor cards and have transplants.
- Islam aims to do good and is not intended to put burdens on people which they cannot bear. If a close relative is dying and a transplant would save them, then it should be given, just as pork can be eaten if a Muslim would otherwise starve to death.
- Such Muslims would also agree with the non-religious arguments in favour of transplants.