Save One Life, Save the Entire World

I recently received an important message from Dr. Salah Sanad, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Cairo Medicine, who responded to clergy who reject organ transplantation on the grounds that “the body belongs to God.” Dr. Salah wrote: The vast majority of societies – Islamic and non-Islamic – agreed on the permissibility of donating body organs after death. In Egypt, a law was approved to regulate it, but it has not been activated yet for an unknown reason, which gives the opportunity for some public figures to promote the prohibition of organ donation based on the opinions and rulings of some fringe sheikhs. Whatever the rank of these scholars is, no one is infallible from error, and even the prophets are not immune to making mistakes. We all know the saying “save one life, save the entire world.” Saving a human soul is one of the noblest acts a man can commit; one that will provide the greatest reward following one’s death. Therefore, treatment by any medical or surgical means, such as organ transplantation, is a preservation of the soul and life. Furthermore, there is a religious distinction between the soul and the body. The soul lives forever, while the body doesn’t. The soul is the main component of the human being, and it is what made the human a better being than all other creatures. When we donate organs what we are donating is the vessel that once held the soul; not the soul itself. Finally, let us remember that evolution inherently means that we all carry the atoms and particles that came from the decomposition of the bodies of those who preceded us. As past generations decay and dissolve into the earth, they become dust that feeds the plants and animals that we feed on. Ultimately, they become part of our bodies. Therefore, donating organs is as natural and normal of a process as being born and living. It is a way for us to continue preserving humanity and ensure the cycle of life. –Khaled Montaser (translated by Asaf Zilberfarb)