CHENNAI: Islam does not condemn organ donation and it can be allowed as long as nobody is harmed in the process, said speakers at the Islamic Forum for Moderate Thought, a webinar held on Sunday.
Different countries have different views on organ donations and Muslims across the world follow different cultures on the matter.
“There are two general principles one needs to keep in mind: no harm should be done to anyone while performing a transplant and one can capitalise on an organ if there is a larger public good to it,” said Ebrahim Moosa, a Professor of Islamic Studies, speaking at the session.
‘Milkiyat’ explained
He said that while ‘milkiyat’ speaks about ‘divine ownership of the body’, it only means that one cannot treat their body in an undignified manner. “People cannot cut their hands or hurt themselves. Using an organ to save a life does not mean losing dignity,” said Moosa.
Riadh AS Fadhil, a Qatar-based professor of urology and transplant surgery, said that ensuring equity and transparency goes a long way in sensitising more people to organ transplants. “Most cultures agree that brain death can be used as a criterion for organ transplant. When people trust the system, more people will come forward to donate organs,” he said.
For public good
No harm should be done to anyone while performing a transplant and one can capitalise on an organ if there is a larger public good to it, speakers at webinar say