Is organ donation permissible?

Sources

• ✓ 5:32 · Al-Maaida

  5:32 · Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall

  مِنْ أَجْلِ ذَٰلِكَ كَتَبْنَا عَلَىٰ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ أَنَّهُۥ مَن قَتَلَ نَفْسًۢا بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ أَوْ فَسَادٍۢ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَتَلَ ٱلنَّاسَ جَمِيعًۭا وَمَنْ أَحْيَاهَا فَكَأَنَّمَآ أَحْيَا ٱلنَّاسَ جَمِيعًۭا ۚ وَلَقَدْ جَآءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُنَا بِٱلْبَيِّنَٰتِ ثُمَّ إِنَّ كَثِيرًۭا مِّنْهُم بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ لَمُسْرِفُونَ

  For that cause We decreed for the Children of Israel that whosoever killeth a human being for other than manslaughter or corruption in the earth, it shall be as if he had killed all mankind, and whoso saveth the life of one, it shall be as if he had saved the life of all mankind. Our messengers came unto them of old with clear proofs (of Allah's Sovereignty), but afterwards lo! many of them became prodigals in the earth.

• ✓ Tafsir Ibn Kathir on 5:32

  Sunni

  Tafsir Ibn Kathir · 5:32

  This passage begins by explaining the meaning of the verse from Surah Al-Ma'idah [5:32]: "Because of that, We decreed for the Children of Israel that whoever kills a soul unjustly—that is, not in retaliation for murder or spreading corruption in the land—is as if he has killed all mankind, and whoever preserves a soul is as if he has preserved all mankind." Ibn Kathir clarifies that this injunction was legislated for the Children of Israel, declaring that unlawfully killing a single person is equivalent to killing all humanity because God regards every human life as equally sacred. Conversely, saving a life is as though all human lives were saved. This underscores the sanctity and value of every innocent life. The exegesis includes narration from Abu Hurayrah, who recounts a conversation with Caliph Uthman, where Uthman reminds him that killing one person unjustly is like killing all people, so he refrained from fighting. Ibn Abbas and Ali ibn Abi Talhah also interpret the verse similarly, emphasizing that the life forbidden to be taken except by due legal process has universal sanctity. Some scholars like Mujahid explain "and whoever preserves it" as refraining from killing a soul that God has forbidden to be killed. Others, including Al-Awfi and Sa'id ibn Jubayr, stress that the unlawful shedding of a Muslim's blood is a grievous crime equated with shedding all human blood. Some, like Ikrimah and Al-Awfi quoting Ibn Abbas, interpret the verse to include the killing of a prophet or just leader as equivalent to killing all people, and killing one who supports such leaders as preserving all people. Further, Ibn Jurayj cites Mujahid to explain that whoever kills unjustly earns eternal punishment in Hell, as severe as if he killed everyone. Various interpretations about the exact scope of preserving life are recorded, ranging from not killing a soul forbidden by God to actual rescue from danger. The tafsir then turns to the later part of the passage: It contextualizes the divine decree about those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger and spread corruption on earth. This refers to severe punishments prescribed for those who commit armed rebellion, treachery, and terror, such as death by killing or crucifixion, amputation of hands and feet alternately, or exile. It is detailed that the term "corruption" (fasad) covers various forms of wickedness, from highway robbery to economic exploitation, with many early scholars seeing some types of financial wrongdoing as part of corruption warranting legal remedy. Numerous reports recount episodes from the Prophet's time when some groups—such as the 'Urayna tribe—entered Islam but rebelled, committing theft and murder against the Muslim community after recovering health, leading to punishments including cutting of limbs and blinding, as justified by this verse. Scholars discuss whether these rulings were abrogated or remained authoritative, most holding that the verse applies generally to those who commit these crimes. There is extensive discussion on the exact nature of the punishments, conditions for their application, and whether certain modes of execution or exile are prescribed, reflecting different scholarly opinions. The verse is emphasized as a serious warning to those who break their covenant and spread disorder. The tafsir concludes by mentioning that God’s punishment results in disgrace in this life and severe torment in the Hereafter for persistent criminals, while those who repent before capture are forgiven. The mercy of God is stressed for those who turn back before being apprehended and submit sincerely. Narrations from prominent Sahabah are cited that illustrate the practical application of these rulings, with stories of repentance accepted by the leaders and judicial decisions reflecting the delicate balance between justice and mercy. Overall, Ibn Kathir presents a multi-faceted interpretation emphasizing the sanctity of life, the severe consequences of unjust killing and disorder, and the possibility of forgiveness through sincere repentance, all grounded in scriptural text and prophetic traditions.

• ✓ Majma al-Bayan fi Tafsir al-Qur'an on 5:32

  Shia

  Majma al-Bayan fi Tafsir al-Qur'an · 5:32

  Recitation Variants: Abu Ja'far al-Tabarsi alone reads the phrase "Min ajli dhalik" with the letter nūn having a kasra (a broken vowel) and connecting it to the following word, whereas the other reciters read it as "Min ajl" with the hamza disconnected and pronounced with an opening vowel. The Linguistic Argument: Ibn Jinni said that the phrase "dhalik" in this context is said like expressions such as "min ajlik" (for your sake) and similar forms, meaning it is grammatically plausible to read it as Abu Ja'far does by softening the hamza and instead smoothly connecting the vowel to the nūn, akin to how one eases the hamza in the phrase "kam iblik" (lessening a syllable). The Language: The root word "ajal" in classical Arabic has multiple meanings, including "aggression" or "wrongdoing." For example, it is said "ajal 'alayhim sharran" meaning that harm or injustice befell them. The phrase "ana ajiluhu" implies "I am the one who wrongs him." Sometimes it means a debt or obligation, sometimes it refers to a time period, and in other contexts it signals yielding or submission. Another meaning of "ajal" is a herd of wild cattle, as the herds follow one another. The term "israf" (excess) signifies going beyond moderation or appropriateness, with "iqtisad" being moderation without extravagance or stinginess. Grammatical Parsing: There was debate about the function of the phrase "min ajli dhalik." Some said it connects to the previous phrase as an explanatory clause about remorse, meaning "because when he killed his brother, he did not conceal his remorse." Nafi’ was reported to pause at "min ajli dhalik," treating it as the completion of the first sentence. Most commentators agree that "min ajli dhalik" starts a new clause rather than linking to what came before. Ibn al-Anbari argued firmly that since this phrase begins the verse, it is better understood as independent, because connecting it to reluctance or remorse would eliminate the grammatical requirement for the sentence structure, while making it connected would omit the meaning of the remorse. Thus, placing it at the start is preferable. Meaning: Then God, exalted be He, clarified the legal ruling concerning killing, stating: "Therefore, We decreed upon the Children of Israel that whoever kills a soul unless for a soul or for corruption [done] in the land—it is as if he had killed all mankind, and whoever saves a soul—it is as if he had saved all mankind." Al-Zajjāj explained that the phrase "therefore" alludes to the crime of killing a brother of mankind unjustly. The phrase "We wrote upon the Children of Israel" means that We established a ruling upon them. "Whoever kills a soul unjustly" means anyone who kills without justification. "Without a soul" means without legal retribution or without a just cause, said Ibn Abbas. Or, "or [for] corruption in the land" means even if one kills a soul as a punishment for spreading corruption in the land, they warrant their death accordingly. The corruption in the land usually refers to warfare against God and His Messenger, or spreading harm in the land as described in the verse: "Indeed, the recompense for those who wage war against God and His Messenger and strive upon earth [to cause] corruption is none but that they be killed or crucified or that their hands and feet be cut off from opposite sides or that they be exiled from the land…" As for the phrase "it is as if he had killed all mankind," several interpretations were offered: First, it may mean that all people are the victim’s allies, and by killing one person unjustly, a crime is committed against all humanity collectively. The malice and hatred intended for the murderer extend to everyone, so the perpetrator is as if he killed all people. Similarly, whoever saves a life — be it from drowning, burning, collapse, or other causes of death, or guiding someone out of error — it is as if he saved all mankind. The reward is for saving the brother believer, analogous to saving each individual. This view is supported by Mujahid, Al-Zajjāj, and Ibn al-Anbari, and is reported from Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq. A better understanding is that saving someone by guiding him from error to guidance is even better than merely preserving life. Second, some say it refers to killing a prophet or a just leader, so the penalty and burden of their killing is like killing all humanity, and supporting these leaders is analogous to saving all people. This is reported from Ibn Abbas. Third, another interpretation is that whoever kills unjustly shares in the guilt of every murderer, because it sets an example and makes killing easy and acceptable for others. Therefore, stopping people from killing is like protecting all people, so whoever hinders a killing indirectly preserves all lives. This is reported from Abu Ali al-Jubai'i and adopted by al-Tabari. It is supported by the Prophet’s saying: "Whoever initiates a good practice has a reward like that of those who follow it, until the Day of Judgment; and whoever initiates a bad practice has a burden like that of those who follow it." Fourth, the meaning could be that the killing is taken from the perspective of the victim, for whom it is as if all people were killed; and the saving from the perspective of the saved person, as if all mankind was revived. This view is from Ibn Mas’ud and other Companions. Fifth, it may mean the legal responsibility of killing unjustly is equivalent to killing all people, so the punishment must be like retaliation (qisas) on the killer, and if someone pardons the blood money due, it is as if he pardoned everyone, per al-Hasan and Ibn Zayd. It is God alone who gives life, so speaking of "giving life" here is metaphorical. The words "Indeed, Our messengers came to them with clear proofs" affirm that the Children of Israel received messengers with evident signs and miracles confirming their message. "Yet many of them were excessive in the land after that" means many of them, after those signs, went beyond bounds by committing idolatry, murder, and other sins. Al-Kalbi commented that "the excessive ones" are those who permit forbidden acts and unjustly shed blood. Concerning the next verse: "The recompense of those who wage war against God and His Messenger and strive to spread corruption on earth is that they be killed or crucified or have their hands and feet cut off from opposite sides or be exiled…" This punishment is a humiliation in this world and a severe punishment in the Hereafter.