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The question

What is the ruling on buying and selling human bones for medical students to use for learning, especially if their source is unknown, and is it permissible to use artificial bones instead, and what should the student do with these bones after completing their study of them?

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Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 20261 min readAlso available in العربية
The answer

It is not permissible to dissect a deceased body or train with its bones except in cases of extreme necessity where no alternative exists. In such cases, only the body of a non-infallible (non-Muslim) person should be used. As for the bones of a Muslim, they must be buried. If an alternative exists, such as artificial bones, it is not permissible to handle the bones of the deceased unless one is certain they belong to a non-infallible person. This is out of respect for the Muslim. The evidence for this is the Almighty’s saying: (And We have certainly honored the children of Adam), and the Prophet's (peace be upon him) saying: "Breaking the bone of a deceased person is like breaking it while he is alive."

Whoever possesses the bones of the deceased, and knows or strongly believes them to be of a Muslim, must bury them. It is not permissible to sell or gift them; one must suffice with alternatives. The bones of a deceased person must be washed, shrouded, and prayed over if they belonged to a Muslim who was not prayed over, as Umar, Abu Ubaidah, and the Companions prayed over parts of deceased bodies.

Summary from Ftawy's records · added here

Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.

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Where this answer came from
Source platform
Ftawy
Original fatwa ID
23456
Added here
. This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
Text
Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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Read the full answer on Ftawy