Bone and tissue grafts from a dead human or an animal in dental implants

A question about using bone and tissue taken from a dead human, from cattle or from pigs in dental implants and gum treatment, in which Jordan's General Iftaa Department answered that treatment with impure substances and with parts of a dead human is permitted when there is no alternative, not when one exists, and that it makes no difference whether the patient is Muslim or not. ¹

The questioner asked about using artificial bone and tissue extracted from the bones of a dead human, from cattle or from pigs in dental implants and for gum inflammation, and whether the ruling differs if the patient is Muslim or not. ¹

The Department answered that Islam legislated seeking medical treatment, citing a hadith reported by Abu Dawud commanding treatment, and quoting Ba'ishn in Bushra al-Karim that treatment is recommended alongside reliance on God. ¹ It said the established principle among jurists is that treatment with impure substances is forbidden, but that they allowed it by exception when needed, other than pure wine, on condition that no pure alternative exists, quoting Zakariyya al-Ansari in Asna al-Matalib that treatment with an impure, non-intoxicating substance is permitted when a pure one is lacking; it added that something merely containing an impure element is all the more permitted. ¹ It said jurists agree that treatment with parts of a dead human is forbidden when any alternative exists, even an impure one, while the Shafi'is allowed it when there is no alternative, quoting Abd al-Hamid al-Shirwani in his glosses on Tuhfat al-Muhtaj that setting a bone with a dead human's bone may be permitted if nothing else suitable is found. ¹ It concluded that there is no objection to treatment with impure substances, other than pure wine, when there is no alternative, but not when one exists; that treatment with parts of a dead human is permitted when no alternative, even an impure one, is available; and that there is no difference between a Muslim and a non-Muslim patient. ¹

Jordan's General Iftaa Department published this fatwa on aliftaa.jo as no. 3977, dated 16 June 2025. ¹ The museum records this text as a historical document attributed to the body or scholar that issued it; it issues no ruling of its own.