Islam and donation
Helping others is strongly encouraged in Islam. Saving a human life is highly valued and, in some cases, can even be considered a religious duty. A frequently cited verse from the Qur’an in discussions about tissue and organ donation says: “Whoever saves one life, it is as if they have saved all of humanity” (Qur’an, chapter 5, verse 32).
Islam and stem cell donation
Because stem cells, like blood, are donated to save lives, this is permitted. It is also permitted if the stem cells come from bone marrow or from the umbilical cord of a newborn baby. The donor must be healthy, and the donation must be voluntary.
Fatwa 120571.
Kidney or part of the liver
The vast majority of individual Muslim scholars and authoritative international Islamic organizations (such as the Islamic Fiqh Council in Mecca and the International Islamic Fiqh Academy in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) have determined that donating an organ from a living person to a patient is permitted, under the following conditions:
The donation must not cause (lasting) harm to the donor.
The donor must not be under pressure and must donate voluntarily.
The transplant must be necessary for the patient’s treatment and have a high chance of success.
There must be no financial or material compensation for the donation.
These are also the rules that apply in the Netherlands for living organ donors. The donor and patient must be compatible, and the donor must be in good health.
Fatwas 86647, 82240, 85514.
Check also: Organ Donation and Stem Cell Donation in Islam – The British Board of Scholars & Imams (BBSI) here.
This text was reviewed for content by Prof. Dr. Mohammed Ghaly, Islamic theologian and Professor of Islamic Bioethics at Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Doha, Qatar, and President of the International Islamic Bioethics Association (IIBA).