Fatwa ID: 08385

 

 

Written by Maulana Ateiq-ur Rehman

 

Question:

 

I am a family physician and I started working in 2020. Since then I have accumulated about 2200 patients – some of these are males patients.

 

I am wondering what is the Islamic fatwa for a female physician seeing male patients?

 

I do not do any physical exams where I have direct physical contact with them- I listen to heart and lungs with my stethoscope and check their eyes/ears/mouth with a light. For more sensitive (genital) exams I refer to male physicians in my practice.

 

Ideally I would like to not have them in my practice anymore but it is not legal to deroster them based on their gender. The only way would be if I left the clinic altogether.

 

I do see them one on one in the clinic room but the encounter is recorded.

 

Please let me know the best path forward. I would like to continue to stay here because I really enjoy working at this clinic and they have been very flexible with me about my work schedule while having young children and I have a great relationship with everyone there, it’s close to my house, etc. However if it is haram then I will try to leave it if needed.

 

 

 

 

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

 

 

Answer:

 

From your explanation it is clear that you are conscious of the fact that you cannot see male patients unless it is necessary, and you refer male patients for the more sensitive issues.

 

So long as you continue to refer your male patients to male doctors, and only treat a male when absolutely necessary, it would be correct for you to continue working there.

 

 

وَيَنْبَغِي أَنْ يُعَلِّمَ امْرَأَةً تُدَاوِيهَا لِأَنَّ نَظَرَ الْجِنْسِ إلَى الْجِنْسِ أَخَفُّ.

 

(وَتَنْظُرُ الْمَرْأَةُ الْمُسْلِمَةُ مِنْ الْمَرْأَةِ كَالرَّجُلِ مِنْ الرَّجُلِ) وَقِيلَ كَالرَّجُلِ لِمَحْرَمِهِ وَالْأَوَّلُ أَصَحُّ سِرَاجٌ (وَكَذَا) تَنْظُرُ الْمَرْأَةُ (مِنْ الرَّجُلِ) كَنَظَرِ الرَّجُلِ لِلرَّجُلِ (إنْ أَمِنَتْ شَهْوَتَهَا) فَلَوْ لَمْ تَأْمَنْ أَوْ خَافَتْ أَوْ شَكَّتْ حَرُمَ اسْتِحْسَانًا كَالرَّجُلِ هُوَ الصَّحِيحُ فِي الْفَصْلَيْنِ تَتَارْخَانِيَّةٌ مَعْزِيًّا لِلْمُضْمَرَاتِ (وَالذِّمِّيَّةُ كَالرَّجُلِ الْأَجْنَبِيِّ فِي الْأَصَحِّ فَلَا تَنْظُرُ إلَى بَدَنِ الْمُسْلِمَةِ) مُجْتَبًى

 

(وَكُلُّ عُضْوٍ لَا يَجُوزُ النَّظَرُ إلَيْهِ قَبْلَ الِانْفِصَالِ لَا يَجُوزُ بَعْدَهُ) وَلَوْ بَعْدَ الْمَوْتِ كَشَعْرِ عَانَةٍ وَشَعْرِ رَأْسِهَا وَعَظْمِ ذِرَاعِ حُرَّةٍ مَيِّتَةٍ وَسَاقِهَا

 

وَالْخَانِيَّةِ وَغَيْرِهِمَا وَقِيلَ: إنَّ الِاخْتِتَانَ لَيْسَ بِضَرُورَةٍ، لِأَنَّهُ يُمْكِنُ أَنْ يَتَزَوَّجَ امْرَأَةً أَوْ يَشْتَرِيَ أَمَةً تَخْتِنُهُ إنْ لَمْ يُمْكِنْهُ أَنْ يَخْتِنَ نَفْسَهُ كَمَا سَيَأْتِي. وَذَكَرَ فِي الْهِدَايَةِ الْخَافِضَةَ أَيْضًا لِأَنَّ الْخِتَانَ سُنَّةٌ لِلرِّجَالِ مِنْ جُمْلَةِ الْفِطْرَةِ لَا يُمْكِنُ تَرْكُهَا وَهِيَ مَكْرُمَةٌ فِي حَقِّ النِّسَاءِ أَيْضًا كَمَا فِي الْكِفَايَةِ، وَكَذَا يَجُوزُ أَنْ يَنْظُرَ إلَى مَوْضِعِ الِاحْتِقَانِ لِأَنَّهُ مُدَاوَاةٌ وَيَجُوزُ الِاحْتِقَانُ لِلْمَرَضِ، وَكَذَا لِلْهُزَالِ الْفَاحِشِ عَلَى مَا رُوِيَ عَنْ أَبِي يُوسُفَ لِأَنَّهُ أَمَارَةُ الْمَرَضِ هِدَايَةٌ، لِأَنَّ آخِرَهُ يَكُونُ الدَّقُّ وَالسَّلُّ، فَلَوْ احْتَقَنَ لَا لِضَرُورَةٍ بَلْ لِمَنْفَعَةٍ ظَاهِرَةٍ بِأَنْ يَتَقَوَّى عَلَى الْجِمَاعِ لَا يَحِلُّ عِنْدَنَا كَمَا فِي الذَّخِيرَةِ (قَوْلُهُ وَيَنْبَغِي إلَخْ) كَذَا أَطْلَقَهُ فِي الْهِدَايَةِ وَالْخَانِيَّةِ. وَقَالَ فِي الْجَوْهَرَةِ: إذَا كَانَ الْمَرَضُ فِي سَائِرِ بَدَنِهَا غَيْرَ الْفَرْجِ يَجُوزُ النَّظَرُ إلَيْهِ عِنْدَ الدَّوَاءِ، لِأَنَّهُ مَوْضِعُ ضَرُورَةٍ، وَإِنْ كَانَ فِي مَوْضِعِ الْفَرْجِ، فَيَنْبَغِي أَنْ يُعَلِّمَ امْرَأَةً تُدَاوِيهَا فَإِنْ لَمْ تُوجَدْ وَخَافُوا عَلَيْهَا أَنْ تَهْلِكَ أَوْ يُصِيبَهَا وَجَعٌ لَا تَحْتَمِلُهُ يَسْتُرُوا مِنْهَا كُلَّ شَيْءٍ إلَّا مَوْضِعَ الْعِلَّةِ ثُمَّ يُدَاوِيهَا الرَّجُلُ وَيَغُضُّ بَصَرَهُ مَا اسْتَطَاعَ إلَّا عَنْ مَوْضِعِ الْجُرْحِ اهـ فَتَأَمَّلْ وَالظَّاهِرُ أَنَّ ” يَنْبَغِيَ ” هُنَا لِلْوُجُوبِ

 

 

(قَوْلُهُ سِرَاجٌ) وَمِثْلُهُ فِي الْهِدَايَةِ (قَوْلُهُ وَكَذَا تَنْظُرُ الْمَرْأَةُ إلَخْ

كتاب حاشية ابن عابدين = رد المحتار ط الحلبي 6:371 المكتبة الشاملة

 

 

Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.

Written by Maulana Ateiq-ur Rehman

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham