Liberal Arts Forum

“wat taqullah wa yu’alimukumullah”

Have taqwa and God will teach you

This cadaver issue might be too long for some folks but it is an interesting issue that was part of a discussion. You could either start with the conclusion by reading the three response from Sheikh Faraz Rabbani, Sheikh Abdullah Adhami, and Sheikh Jihad Brown, OR listen to the audio below.

I tried to put all the response to cadaver discussion in the audio file – Shari’ah perspective. First, I was only going to mention it to few brothers but I thought about the entire issue and realized that others can benefit from the conclusion below.

Bodies The Exhibition
http://www.bodiestheexhibition.com/intro.html

Faraz Khan’s Response (((audio)))
http://speakers.liberalartsforum.com/cadavers fatwa.mp3

————- Q U E S T I O N ———————
Salam.

Hey Faraz, X said he asked you about this – they’ve got this exhibition going on in New York where they take bodies of people, remove the skin, and then put them in interesting poses for people to look at. Here’s a picture: http://www.idealog.us/w3.jpg

We were discussing the answer below from Sunnipath and I was wondering what your opinion was of it.

email from Sheikh Abdullah al-Adhami

wa ‘alaikum assalam
dear faraz:
may His grace bless you all and increase you in vigilence.

this is, technically, not a fiqh question; it’s what one ‘knows’ they can stomach seeing,
even if just for educational purposes. the show would probably ‘not be suitable’ for young
children, for example. naturally, ’suitability’ and ‘prohibition’ are distinctly different.

the eminent physician ibn al-nafis wrote a lucid commentary on the anatomy section of
ibn sina’s al-qanun fi-l-tibb, renowned as liber canonis in its latin translation. i’m almost
certain that if any of our jurist imams were among us today, they would have henry grey’s
anatomy in their library. it’s an indispensible complement to enrich the juridical lexicon.

notwithstanding what he proclaims in his introduction (to sharH tashreeH al-qanun), the
descriptions of ibn al-nafis are remarkably detailed, and actually serve to correct numerous
assumptions that galen’s treatise on the functions of body parts made.

if your friend is not a medical student, the first sentence herein is sufficient.
the rest? well, …, along with its timeless, universal ethics, the spirit of excellence
are the landmark signature of our tradition; teachers need ‘live’ examples to help
pass along this magnificent trust ever onwards.

thank you for your thoughtful du’a`, and more power to you!
wassalam.

abdullah adhami

email from Sheikh Jihad Hashim Brown

Peace and blessings,

I will arrange for an official response in its due time. However, as a starter, what I have noticed on the BBC of this exhibit is that it has a entertainment dimension – this is called hatk hurmat al mayyit (rending the dignity of the deceased); which emanates from laqad karramna bani adam (which is understood in the all encompasing sense, i.e. Muslim or otherwise).

What can we divine to be the primary (1-3) motivators for the project? Is it something that medical students absolutely must have access to in order to better save lives?

The reduction of the human being to “matter” alone will ultimately defeat the humanist (read enlightenment) project of human rights; this is a case for the validity of natural law theory – Islam, offering the correct version of a natural law theory.

People who view such things – whether Muslim or non – always walk away feel unsure as to whether what they’ve just done was ethical or not. This alone is very telling.

Peace, jhb

———- Forwarded message ———-

A Trip to Body World? (Exhibiting Unclothed Cadavers)

http://qa.sunnipath.com/issue_view.asp?HD=1&ID=49&CATE=30
Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

My biology teacher told us that he has organised a trip to Body World, but that this trip is optional. I have said no because it displays dead people and they are naked. I was wondering what does Islam say about a place like Body World?

Assalamu alaikum,

It would be impermissible and sinful to go to such an exhibit, because it is impermissible to use dead bodies in such a way, and it entails abasement of the human body.

As for the educational benefits in such an exhibit, these benefits may be achieved through other means.

Allah Most High said,

“Verily, we have honored the children of Adam .”(Qur’an, 17.70)

Imam Sarakhsi said in Sharh al-Siyar al-Kabir , explained that, “A human is deserved to be honored after their death, as they do while alive,” [1.228] which is why it is not permitted to use any part of a human, except in the ways the Sacred Law has permitted.

Imam Kasani said in his Bada’i` al-Sana’i` that, “The entirety of a human being has been honored. Using any detached part of it entails disrespect.” [5.125] The same, a fortiori applies to displaying the entire human body, especially its nakedness.

And Allah alone gives success.

Walaikum assalam,
Faraz Rabbani.

With joy count the days to the final hour
the meeting is with my Lord and Muhammad is the guest of honor

* * * *

O Poet don’t mention ‘beloved’
Lest, we forget the salutations on the Prophet.

* * * *

on hearing your name my heart complained
ah! love, how can I describe this longing pain

salah alan Nabi…
by Faraz