The donation of organs is an act of charity, benevolence, altruism, and love for humankind. The human being should always maintain his/her dignity even in disease and misfortune. Donating organs from a cadaver is not tantamount to the mutilation of the corpse or an act of disrespect. The harm done, if any, by removing an organ from a corpse should be weighed against the benefit obtained and the new life given to the recipient. Any action carried out with good intentions and aims at helping others is respected and encouraged, provided no harm is inflicted. Donation of organs should not be considered as acts of transgression against the body. Human organs are not a commodity, and they should be donated freely in response to an altruistic feeling of brotherhood and love for one’s fellow beings.

The majority of the Muslim scholars and jurists belonging to various schools of Islamic law invoked the principle of priority of saving human life and hence gave it precedence over any other argument. Sheikh Hassan Mamoun (the Grand Mufti of Egypt) sanctioned corneal transplants from cadavers of unidentified persons and from those who agree to donate upon their death (Fatwa No. 1084 dated April 14, 1959). The Saudi Grand Ulama sanctioned corneal transplant in 1978. In Algiers, the Supreme Islamic Council sanctioned organ transplantation in 1972, while in Malaysia, the International Islamic Conference sanctioned organ transplantation in April 1969.

The most detailed fatwa on organ transplantation was that of the Fourth International Conference of Islamic Jurists held in Jeddah in February 1988 (Resolution No. 1). It endorsed all previous fatwas on organ transplantation, clearly rejected any trading or trafficking of organs, and stressed the principle of altruism.