Dissecting the dead and exposing their private parts for educational purposes

(Part No. 12; Page No. 189)  A 4: First, the Council of Senior Scholars in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia issued a decision regarding the dissection of a dead body. The following is an abstract of it:This issue has three main categories: First: Dissection for the purpose of investigation during criminal proceedings. Second: Dissection for the purpose of examining the existence of epidemic diseases to take the necessary preventive measures. Third: Dissection for the purpose of education.After counsel, discussion and studying the research presented by the above-mentioned committee, the council decided the following:As for the first and the second categories, the council maintains that permitting them brings about many benefits in the fields of security and justice. They help protect the society from epidemic diseases, so the violation of the dead body is tolerated when compared to the many public interests maintained. The council thereby unanimously decides on the permissibility of dissection in these two cases, whether or not the dead body is inviolable.As for the third category, namely dissection for educational purposes, the Shari`ah (Islamic law) provides for obtaining and increases benefits and interests on the one hand, and protecting against harm as much as possible and tolerating lesser harm to avoid graver one on the other hand. Therefore, (Part No. 12; Page No. 190) when interests fall into conflict, the greatest (in value) prevails. As dissecting animals is not sufficient and dissecting the human body is indispensable, in addition to the many interests verified after scientific progress in various fields of medicine, the council holds the view that dissecting the human body is generally permissible. However, due to the care the Shari`ah gives to the honor of the Muslim, alive or dead, based on Hadith related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, and Ibn Majah from `Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Breaking a dead man's bone is like breaking it when he is alive. Since dissection violates human honor and there is no urgent necessity, because it is possible to have dead bodies that are not legally inviolable, the council sees that it is sufficient to dissect corpses that are not legally inviolable and to leave the inviolable human bodies in such cases.May Allah grant us success. May Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon Prophet Muhammad, his family and Companions. Council of Senior Scholars Second: If it is possible to have a female doctor to examine a woman, it is impermissible for a man to examine her. But when this is impossible and it is urgently necessary to have medical examination, a Muslim male doctor may examine a woman and sees only the necessary parts for examination purposes. There is also nothing wrong with examining her for educational purposes to have the knowledge of diagnosing women's diseases and treat them if the corpse is of non-Muslim and is not legally inviolable (Part No. 12; Page No. 191) according to the mentioned decision.May Allah grant us success. May Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon Prophet Muhammad, his family and Companions!