Is It Permissible for Fetuses to Be Used for Organ Transplantation?

12 January, 2020

Q In some countries, experimental surgery is being done to transplant some body organs taken from fetuses. They abort the fetuses to use their organs for organ transplantation surgeries. Is that religiously lawful?

Answer

Ask the Scholar Editor

12 January, 2020

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

In this fatwa:

Based on the researches presented to the Islamic Organization for Medical Sciences and the Islamic Fiqh Academy, it is forbidden to use fetuses for organ transplantation without the fulfillment of certain conditions and regulations.

Answering your question about using fetuses for organ transplantation, the Islamic Fiqh Academy states:

1- It is unlawful to use fetuses for organ transplantation without the fulfillment of the following conditions and regulations:

a- There must be no abortion to use the embryo for transplantation, unless this abortion is spontaneous (i.e. a miscarriage), or done for a reason allowed by the Shariah (i.e., to save the mother’s life).

b- If the aborted fetus can survive, it should be given medical treatment to maintain its life and survival, not used for organ transplantation.

2- It is by no means permissible to use organ transplantation for trade purposes.

3- Organ transplantation must be supervised by a trustworthy specialized authority.

Almighty Allah knows best.

Editor’s note: This fatwa is from Ask the Scholar’s archive and was originally published at an earlier date.