Fatwa ID: 07133

 

Answered by: Mufti Mohammed Dilwar Hussain 

 

Question:

 

Someone is on life support, doctors are about to pull the plug, they want to give sedatives (morphine) to ease the pain. Is this allowed?

 

 

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

 

Answer:

 

Allāh Ta’ālā states; “For every people there is an appointed time. So, when their appointed time will come, it cannot be delayed for a moment, nor will it be bought ahead.” [Surah Al-A’rāf; 7:34] [1]

 

When our appointed time reaches us, we will not be granted a moment more nor receive a moment less.

 

Elsewhere, Allāh Ta’ālā decrees; “Every soul has to taste death. It is on the Day of Judgement that you shall be paid your rewards in full. So, whoever has been kept away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise has really succeeded. The worldly life is nothing but an illusionary enjoyment” [Surah al-Imrān; 3:185] [2]

 

A life support machine aids an ill person, allowing their bodily organs time to rest and recuperate. Taking someone off life support is not certain to result in death but in more cases than not, it normally does.

 

That said, it is only by the command of Allāh Ta’ālā that we come into this world and it is only by HIS command that we will leave it. Only when our appointed time reaches us.

 

When our time reaches us, whether we are on life support or not, we will have to leave this world. Being on life support does not guarantee that you will remain alive. People have left this world while still being connected to a life support machine. [3]

 

Moreover, it would be permissible to switch off the life support machine after taking medical advice from experts. Furthermore, the use of sedatives and pain relief is also permissible to ease the pain of the patient.

 

 

Only Allāh Ta’ālā knows best. 

Written by Mufti Mohammed Dilwar Hussain

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham

 

 

 

 

}[1]وَلِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ أَجَل فَإِذَا جَآءَ أَجَلُهُمۡ لَا يَسۡتَأۡخِرُونَ سَاعَة وَلَا يَسۡتَقۡدِمُونَ {

 

}[2]كُلُّ نَفۡس ذَآئِقَةُ ٱلۡمَوۡتِۗ وَإِنَّمَا تُوَفَّوۡنَ أُجُورَكُمۡ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِۖ فَمَن زُحۡزِحَ عَنِ ٱلنَّارِ وَأُدۡخِلَ ٱلۡجَنَّةَ فَقَدۡ فَازَۗ وَمَا ٱلۡحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنۡيَآ إِلَّا مَتَٰعُ ٱلۡغُرُورِ {

 

[3] https://anesthesia.ucsf.edu/what-happens-when-patients-don%E2%80%99t-get-better#:~:text=While%20patients%20are%20on%20life,decide%20to%20allow%20natural%20death.