Sale of Umbilical Cord Blood Stem Cells from the Viewpoint of Islamic Jurisprudence

In light of recent technological advancements in the field of medical sciences, doctors, and scientists, drawing on the available instruments and various studies that have been conducted, have now focused their efforts on directing this field toward creating new opportunities for improving human health and promoting life quality. Using stem cells found in umbilical cord blood to treat many diseases is a new trend in medical sciences. Even though these cells have a wide range of applications and can be used for people other than the embryo and preserved for long periods, no research has been conducted so far to explore the imperative ruling regarding the sale of cord blood stem cells. This study aimed at exploring laws on the sale of umbilical cord blood stem cells from the viewpoint of Islamic Jurisprudence.

This study was of the descriptive-analytical type in which a secondary data analysis method was adopted. The concepts related to the subject matter of the study were described using an objective and qualitative method. Jurisprudential rulings were analyzed and deduced based on jurisprudential foundations. The data collection procedure included taking notes from books and articles as well as using jurisprudential software. The authors reported no conflict of interests.

Pondering over jurists’ opinions on selling human body organs for transplantation, we discovered that most jurists rule the sale of human body organs as either permissible or impermissible. In the case of this study, the researcher sought the opinion of several contemporary jurists on the sale of stem cells, all of whom ruled it permissible unanimously.

Results of the study indicated that considering Quranic verses and hadiths, as well as the rational benefits of cord blood stem cells, their sale is deemed permissible.