Human and Organ Cryopreservation (Between Uses and Beliefs)

This research examines human and organ cryopreservation as one of the contemporary emerging issues in which medical and scientific considerations intersect with Islamic legal, theological, ethical, and legal dimensions. It aims to clarify the concept of human cryopreservation, its forms, and its principal modern techniques, while examining its risks and challenges and establishing the Islamic legal ruling concerning the cryopreservation of human corpses after death and the preservation of organs and tissues for therapeutic purposes. Human cryonics is defined as the preservation of the human body or its organs at extremely low temperatures, with its principal applications including whole-body cryopreservation, partial preservation of the head or brain, and the preservation of vital organs. The research highlights the role of vitrification in minimizing ice-crystal formation and reducing cellular and tissue damage, while identifying major challenges, including the toxicity of cryoprotective agents, brain dehydration, thermal fracturing, ischemia, and the difficulty of fully restoring vital functions, particularly those of the brain. It also examines the legal, ethical, and rights-based dimensions of handling human corpses, drawing upon the principle of human dignity and the preservation of the sanctity of the deceased during life and after death, as well as Islamic jurisprudential principles concerning benefits, harms, and necessities. The study demonstrates that the preservation of organs and tissues through cooling for therapeutic purposes differs in both nature and legal ruling from preserving a human corpse with the intention of restoring life in the future. It concludes that the possibility of reviving a cryopreserved human being has not yet been scientifically established, and that preserving the physical structure of the brain does not establish the preservation of the soul, consciousness, or personal identity. Accordingly, cryopreserving a human corpse after death with the intention of future revival does not appear to be permissible under Islamic law, due to the postponement of burial and the reliance on unproven scientific and theological assumptions. In contrast, the preservation of organs and tissues is assessed according to Islamic legal controls and the medical necessity of each case. The research emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary studies in regulating these emerging applications scientifically and Islamically.

رفعة بنت محمد الفدعاني العنزي