Fatwa ID: 08879
Answered by Muftiyah Shireen Mangera-Badat
Question:
Can someone point to a study of life support and when it’s permissible to remove and/or is obliged to provide?
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
In the UK, doctors have a duty of care to adhere to established procedures when declaring a person brain dead, which is necessary before life support can be discontinued.[1] In Islam, the preservation of life is of the utmost importance.
Allah says in the Quran in Surah Maidah:
…..That is why we ordained for the Children of Israel that whoever takes a life—unless as a punishment for murder or mischief in the land—it will be as if they killed all of humanity; and whoever saves a life, it will be as if they saved all of humanity…..[2]
However, the preservation of life is not absolute where medical intervention becomes futile. According to the Hanafi, life-sustaining treatment is not always obligatory, especially when it only prolongs the process of dying without offering a realistic hope of recovery.
This falls within the scope of Hifz Nafs, as preventing unnecessary suffering aligns with the principle of preserving life.
In cases of irreversible brain death, the intellect—which is crucial for moral and legal responsibility—becomes nonfunctional. Consequently, the individual has already “departed” in terms of moral agency.[3]
According to Hanafi jurisprudence, when medical experts determine that life-sustaining treatment is futile, it is permitted to withdraw such treatment. This decision should be made in consultation with qualified medical professionals and with the guidance of knowledgeable Islamic scholars at the time to ensure alignment with ethical, circumstantial and religious principles.
References:
[1] https://doctorsdefenceservice.com/end-of-life-decision-making-for-doctors-in-the-uk/
[2] مِنْ أَجْلِ ذَٰلِكَ كَتَبْنَا عَلَىٰ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ أَنَّهُۥ مَن قَتَلَ نَفْسًۢا بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ أَوْ فَسَادٍۢ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَتَلَ ٱلنَّاسَ جَمِيعًۭا وَمَنْ أَحْيَاهَا فَكَأَنَّمَآ أَحْيَا ٱلنَّاسَ جَمِيعًۭا ۚ وَلَقَدْ جَآءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُنَا بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ ثُمَّ إِنَّ كَثِيرًۭا مِّنْهُم بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ لَمُسْرِفُونَ
[3] حفظ النفس وحفظ العقل- مذكرة مقاصد الشريعة ص٢٦-٢٩
Only Allah knows best.
Written by Muftiyah Shireen Mangera-Badat
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah.
Darul Ifta Birmingham