Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No.(123): "Ruling on Giving a Kidney"

Date Added : 01-12-2015

Resolution No.(123)(10/2008): "Ruling on Giving a Kidney"

Date: 29/11/1429 AH, corresponding to 27/11/2008.

 

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of The Worlds; and may his blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.

 

In its seventh meeting and on the above date, the Board reviewed the following question:

 

I`m 37 years old and have been inflicted with diabetes for twenty four years. I also suffer from kidney failure and high blood pressure. Unfortunately, I couldn`t undergo kidney transplantation because the blood group of my brothers , sisters and kinsmen differed from mine. Moreover, I have gone to Malaysia, Egypt, Syria and have contacted people in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and India; however, I wasn`t fortunate enough to undergo that surgery because the law in those countries bans giving a kidney to a person from a different nationality.

 

I would like to attract your attention to the fact that my health is on the decline and I have reports proving that.

In addition, a friend of mine is willing to give me one of his kidneys for Allah`s sake. Is it permissible for a non-relative to give his kidney to a patient because the latter`s family members have a different blood group?

After researching and deliberating, the Board decided what follows:

 

Giving a kidney to the (asker) in the above situation isn`t permissible because it is a leap in the dark, it violates Sharia, and there is an available alternative: dialysis. And Allah Knows Best.

 

Chairman of the Iftaa` Board/ His Grace Dr. Nooh Al-Qhodatt

Vice-Chairman of the Iftaa` Board, Dr. Ahmad Hilayel

Sheikh Abdulkareem Khasawneh/ Member

Sheikh Sa`eed Hijjawi/ Member

              Dr. Mohammad Khair Al-`Eesa/ Member

                                                            Judge Sari Attieh/ Member

   Dr. Abdulrahman Ibdah/ Member

                       Dr. Mohammad Oklah Al-Ibraheem/ Member

            Dr. Abdulnaser Abu Al-Basal/ Member

                            Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalayleh/ Executive Secretary of the Iftaa Board        

 

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

Is my husband entitled to take my salary?

Your salary is yours, and you may give some of it to him as a kind of free-will contribution.

What is the ruling of islamic law on statutory (legal) interest awarded by a court?
 

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
It is permissible for a person in whose favor a judge has awarded statutory (legal) interest to deduct the actual litigation costs incurred in filing and prosecuting the lawsuit from these interest funds.
 
Any remaining balance beyond those actual expenses must be returned to the party upon whom the payment was imposed, provided that party is a specific individual. If, however, the paying party is a public entity or state institution, the remaining amount should be spent on the general public interests of Muslims—such as schools, mosques, roads, and similar public utilities shared by the community—or given in charity (Sadaqah) to the poor and needy. And Allah Almighty knows best.

Is it permissible to offer an Udhiyah on behalf of another without their permission?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
It is not permissible for a person to offer a sacrifice (Udhiyah) on behalf of someone else without their permission, except in the following cases: if he sacrifices on behalf of the members of his household, if a guardian sacrifices from his own wealth on behalf of his ward, or if the Imam (ruler) sacrifices from the public treasury (Bayt al-Mal) on behalf of the Muslims. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling of Islamic Law on compensating the patient in case of medical error on the part of the treating physician?

 
All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
The foundational principle is that every mistake issued by a physician that causes harm to another due to his negligence or lack of expertise obligates him to guarantee liability and compensate the harmed party. The Sharia maxim, in this regard, states: "The direct actor is liable."
 
Ibn Qudamah (may Allah have mercy on him) says: "As for if he was skilled but his hand committed an error—such as exceeding the proper limit of incision, cutting in an incorrect site, cutting with an instrument that inflicts excessive pain, or cutting at an unsuitable time—he is liable, because it is destruction (Itlaf) whose liability does not differ between intent and mistake, thus resembling the destruction of property; and because it is a prohibited act, so he guarantees liability for its secondary effects." [Al-Mughni].
 
However, if the physician performed what was necessary in the most complete manner and took all measures of care and caution, but complications occurred that could not be avoided according to specialists, then no liability rests upon him.
 
Shaykh al-Islam Imam al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) says: "The cupper and the circumciser bear no liability if they have not been negligent, and likewise the veterinarian if he bleeds an animal and it perishes." [Rawdat al-Talibin].
 
Al-Khattabi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "I know of no disagreement that if the practitioner transgresses and the patient perishes, he is liable. Anyone who undertakes knowledge or practice he does not know is a transgressor; so if perishing arises from his action, he is liable for the blood-money (Diyah) while capital retaliation (Qisas) is dropped from him, because he did not act independently without the patient's permission. And the physician’s offense in the view of the generality of jurists is borne by his agnates ('Aqilah*)."* [Ma'alim al-Sunan].
 
If negligence or transgression is established against the physician, it is necessary to compensate the patient or seek forgiveness from him. And Allah Almighty knows best.