World Organ Donation Day: Let's Pledge To Donate Our Organs
By Sumit
Paul, New Age Islam
8 August
2022
While
making my will a few years ago, I instructed my lawyer-friend, Mr Aslam Khan,
to make it clear in no uncertain terms that since I've no religion and I don't
believe in any god whatsoever, my entire body following my death will be given
away to the nearest medical college for research purpose and all my body parts,
if intact, will be donated to those in need of them.
I remember,
when my Arabic Professor and mentor, Dr Zaifa Ashraf was dying, she requested
the doctors at Marsden Cancer Hospital, London, to donate her whole body and
added that no obsequies would be performed as she too had turned her back on
all man-made faiths and gods. Her beautiful limpid eyes were donated to a
16-yr-old girl from Bradford (UK) who was blind from birth. Her other body
parts saved a couple of patients. This is humanity, the crux of all religions.
Here, I'm
not condescending and looking down upon those departed people whose bodies-with
intact organs-couldn't be utilized due to religious reasons. My point is:
What's wrong if your organs help someone when you're no more? Don't you live
posthumously through someone and perpetuate your memory in a noble manner? How
delirious that girl from Bradford must have been after seeing the world for the
first time with my professor's eyes? The very feeling is so heart-warming.
Though
today, we all hesitate to give away the bodies of our near and dear ones for
medical purposes, the concept of organ donation is not something new or out of
the box. It's known as Dadhichi Aadarsh (Dadhichi Ideal) in Hinduism.
Dadhichi, also known as Dadhyancha or Dadhyanga, is a central character in
Hinduism. Dadhichi is a Rishi who played a role in the conflict between the
Devas and Asuras. Dadhichi is renowned for sacrificing his life so that Indra
could wield the weapon "Vajra" made from Dadhichi's bones. The
Devas were initially driven out from Svarga, or heaven, by the powerful
Asura Vritra. Vritra was granted a boon to be unharmed by any forged weapons,
including divine weaponry. The Devas required a powerful weapon to aid their
fight. By making use of the Vajra, made from the sage Dadhichi's bones, Indra
the ruler of the Devas, then defeated the Asura and reclaimed heaven. This
whole story may be apocryphal, but it has a deeper value and meaning as it's a
metaphor for saving the lives of others by donating one's own body.
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Also
Read: Organ
Donation Is Supreme Sharing
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There
cannot be anything more altruistic than this. Even Al-Furqan, which doesn't
speak of organ donation, does say in the Chapter 5/Verse 32 that “Whosoever
saves the life of one person, it'd be as if he saved the life of all
mankind." Muhammad also says that, “Whoever helps another will be granted
help from Allah.” Organ donation is the continuation of the universal spirit of
philanthropy. Death may be the end of your physical body, but your organs that
you donated, ensure that you live forever in the memory of those who got a new
lease of life. Let's pledge every day, not just on August 13 (World Organ
Donation Day) that our organs will be utilized even when we're not around. By
the way, my friend and lawyer, Mr Khan, has also made his will, stating clearly
to donate his body organs. Others must follow suit.
---
A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in
comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed
articles to world's premier publications in several languages including
Persian.
URL: https://newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/world-organ-donate-/d/127666
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