Islam and Organ Shortage in Malaysia: A Critical Analysis

“And whoever saves one [soul], it is as if he had saved mankind entirely”- Quran (5: 32).

Although Islam strongly encourages saving lives and that a decision of one person to donate organs post mortem may save up to eight lives, Malaysian Muslims are the least contributors to the pool of transplantable organs compared to their counterparts of other religions.

The shortage of donated organs is a serious public health issue in Malaysia. There are more than 18,000 patients suffering end stage organ failure and wait-listed for organ transplant. Unfortunately, about two of these patients die every day due to the scarcity of donated organs. Thinking of solution for this dilemma would absolutely drive us to question: Why are followers of the most prominent religion in Malaysia not donating organs regardless of their religion encouraging such noble deed? Does Islam prohibit organ donation? Are Malaysian Muslim professionals really aware about the issue of organ donation? What is the role of mosques as the Islamic central institution in improving organ donation?

This book tries to answer the above questions and search for possible policy interventions to improve deceased organ donation rate among Malaysian Muslims.

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