1983-January-28

A.M. Journal

On Transplanting Organs

Imam W. Deen Muhammad

AMJ: What is your position on transplanting human organs?

WDM: Personally, I don't find any problem with it. So far, I haven't found anything in my study of the religion that would give us grounds or a basis for condemning it.If the individual gives blood to help another one's life - - and I'm sure Muslims all over the world receive blood, if they need it — from Muslims; well, if we give blood to save an individual's life, what's wrong with giving one of our kidneys to keep another person alive if we don't need two to live with?!Or, we could carry that further -if I'm dying and I know I'm going to be dead, and a relative needs an eye and the doctor says, "Yes, if they had an eye from your head, they would be able to see and would have good sight" - and if I say, "Well, when I die, I want to will my eye to such and such person who needs this eye," whether it's a relative or anyone — in my own opinion, that's no different than giving blood or anything else.

Some people have a problem with this because they say that's allowing the body to be mutilated and it's not acceptable that you deform or mutilate the body. It must be buried whole; the body must be buried whole.Here is where I stop as the leader. I don't offer any opinion as the leader, but I only share my own feelings as an individual with you and your readers.Here, it should be left to the individual, and that's why I say I stop speaking as the leader I think it should be left to the individual until we find something that convinces me that that would be against our religion. That's my position.

If anyone wants to accept the gift of organs to prolong life, they should make that decision themselves, and until they find something in their religion or they are convinced that the Quran or Prophet Muhammad instructed us against that, they should go on with their good judgment.