Organ Donation and Transplantation: Islamic, Medical & Ethical Perspectives

Three out of 10 patients across the UK waiting for an organ transplant are from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities, which include a large proportion of the Muslim community, and similar figures are reflected around the world. Yet Muslim communities often continue to have reservations about organ donation due to faith-based concerns and uncertainty around Islamic rulings. What are the underlying reasons? The issue of organ donation in Islam has been debated for decades, with most religious authorities sanctioning both living-organ and deceased-organ donation.

However, disquiet among sections of the Muslim community regarding the compatibility of organ donation with their faith remains, especially in relation to deceased-organ donation, brain death, and end-of-life decision making. This remains a topical, controversial, and challenging component of organ procurement at both local and international levels.

This intensive course has been designed for Muslim health professionals, chaplains, Islamic scholars and students of Sharīʿah who want answers to faith-based queries related to organ donation and transplantation. Through expert-led sessions, panel discussions, practical case studies, and live Q&A, the course will explore common medical, ethical and fiqh-related challenges surrounding organ donation and transplantation, alongside practical approaches to community engagement and awareness programmes.

This intensive course will discuss the severity of the problem for Muslim patients around the world. It will explore the different processes of organ procurement and transplantation, alternatives to transplantation, and the Islamic arguments both for and against organ donation and transplantation.

The course will delve into contemporary fiqh discussions related to controversial topics such as brain death, neurological criteria, the Islamic view of human bodily dignity, the dead donor rule, organ trafficking and exploitation, as well as the ethical implications of different organ donation systems including opt-in and opt-out models.

There will also be discussions on pastoral care, donor family counselling, and effective approaches to delivering awareness programmes and workshops within mosques and Muslim communities, alongside interactive panel discussions and audience Q&A sessions throughout the intensive course.