Terming organ donation as illegal and un-Islamic, a madrasa in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur has issued a fatwa against a Muslim man after he pledged to donate his organs to people in need.

The diktat came after Dr Arshad Mansuri, director of Rama Dental College, made a declaration to donate his body to the students of the GSVM Medical College in Kanpur for the purpose of research.

"We (students and staff of the dental college) took a pledge and also filled a form in 2006 that we will donate our bodies after death for research purposes and also that our organs could be further transplanted to the needy. The almighty also says one should be useful and help humanity even after his/her death," Mansuri said.

But Mansuri's decision was not welcomed by some, and following a query at the Madrasa Ehsanul Madaris, a fatwah was issued.

The influential Darul Uloom Deoband seminary has also come out in support of the fatwah and has maintained that since human body is a property of Allah, it cannot be donated.

"We can only donate what belongs to us. The human body belongs to Allah even after death and it is un-Islamic to part with it for any cause. After death, the body should be buried with all due respect," mufti Syed Azfar Husain of the Madrasa Darul Uloom Quran said.

The fatwah reads: "Donating human body is illegal and un-Islamic and is against the wishes of Allah." Justifying the diktat, mufti Hanif Barkati of the Madrasa said, "The human body is the eternal property of Allah and it remains the same even after death. This is an order of the Shariyah and no one can interfere with it."

Mansuri, who has been receiving threatening calls, has approached the police.

"The maulvis are giving wrong interpretations and are misguiding people. The life of cornea is nearly 300 years and even the gods want that humans be of some use after death. I will not deter from my decision and have given a written complaint to the police as I have been receiving threatening calls from various numbers," Mansuri said.