This Egyptian Cleric Vows to Donate His Organs After Death

Khaled El-Gendy, member of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs and known TV cleric, has announced that he plans to donate his organs, claiming this would bring him closer to God. El-Gendy pledged his intentions on his TV show, La ‘Alahom Yafqahoon.

His statement discussed his personal doubts about the process, but that he is hopeful his body would be used to save lives. He said that his public declaration was to commit his family, whom he claims were hearing this for the first time, to making the move after his passing.

The cleric jokingly congratulated whoever gets his heart, seeing as he has been taking good care of it.

El-Gendy, being a public religious figure, brings support to Dar El-Ifta’s recent conditional approval of organ donation. Dar El-Ifta had stressed that organ trade was still considered haram and that the process must preserve human dignity and operate within legal frameworks under supervision from specialists that would ensure the passing of the donor and the health of the organs.

Multiple religious figures have supported the fatwa before, including ex-Grand Mufti Nasr Farid and the late Imam Sayed Tantawi, although it had been a controversial viewpoint. It is healthy for respected figures like El-Gendy to support this standpoint, as organ donation can potentially save many lives. The controversy has already been ended in support of organ donation by scientists and medical specialists, yet religious support still matters.

Main Image from Fox News Egypt