3. • Islamic Law automatically bans (prohibit) all immoral
actions as haram and automatically permits all what is
moral as mubaah.
• Ethical guidelines are both fixed and variable.
A. The fixed moral and legal principles are broad enough
to include the needs of all times and places. The fixed
principles set the parameters beyond which it is
absolutely immoral to operate.
B. The detailed applications are variable and change with
the growth of science and technology.
4. • Islam holds that ethics cannot be divorced
from morality. Ethics can also not be divorced
from Law.
5. What are the basis of ethics in
Islam?
• What are the basis of ethics in Islam?
the basis of ethics
-The purposes of the Law, maqasid al shari’at]:
hefth mal, nafs,,,,,,,,,
-the principles of the Law, qawa’id al fiqh,: from
quran, sunnah, alejmaa, and alejtehad.
-and the regulations of the Law, dhawaabit al
fiqh3
,: are specific as makrooh, mobahh,,,,
6. • Islam considers medical ethics the same as
ethics in other areas of life. There is no special
code for physicians. What we call medical
ethics is restating general ethical principles
using medical terminology and with medical
applications. The medical ethical codes can be
derived from the basic law but the detailed
applications require further intellectual effort,
ijtihad, by physicians.
7. • The prophet taught us to leave what causes us
doubts to what does not cause such doubt,
da’ ma yuribuuka ila ma la yuriibuka.
• The ethical theory of Islam is found in the 5
purposes of the Law, maqasid al shari’at. The
five purposes are preservation of ddiin, life,
progeny, intellect, and wealth.
8. • The basic ethical principles of Islam relevant
to medical practice are derived from the 5
principles of the Law are:
1.intention, qasd; calls upon the physician to
consult his inner conscience and make sure
that his actions, seen or not seen, are based
on good intentions
9. 2. certainty, yaqeen; Treatment decisions are
best on a balance of probabilities
(possibilities), What has been accepted as
customary (routine) over a long time is not
considered harmful unless there is evidence
to the contrary.
10. 3. harm, dharar; An injury should not be
relieved by a medical procedure. In a
situation in which the proposed medical
intervention has side effects, we follow the
principle that prevention of a harm has
priority over search of a benefit of equal
worth
11. 4. hardship, mashaqqat; Necessity legalizes the
prohibited, In the medical setting, a hardship
is defined as any condition that will seriously
impair physical and mental health if not
relieved rapidly. Committing the otherwise
prohibited action should not extend beyond
the limits needed to preserve the Purpose of
the Law that is the basis for the legalization.
12. 5. The principle of custom, and ‘aadat (al urf)
The standard of medical care is defined by
custom. The basic principle is that custom
has legal force. The customary or al urf must
also be old and not a recent phenomenon to
give chance for a medical consensus to be
formed.
13. • Muslim healthcare workers are advised to
treat all patients as if they are members of
their own families. The following should
always be taken into consideration:
14. Guidelines in Caring for Muslim Patients :
get them from the following situations.
1. Mrs. Nassra pregnant mother asked her male
physician to do palpation over her gown.
2. Mr. Omer got meat for his lunch although he
does not eat it as he did not inform the nurse
before. Thus he shares this point with the
nurse with his living will of wanted to be
DNR.
15. Guidelines in Caring for Muslim Patients :
get them from the following situations.
3. Mr. Emad was scared refused for MRI
because the nurse asked if he has any metal
part in his body. He believed the machine
might suck the humans.
4. A father came to nurse in her morning shift
asking to allow male religious person (shaikh)
to enter to read for their child.
16. Guidelines in Caring for Muslim Patients :
get them from the following situations.
5. Policeman asked a relative of a hanged adult
to get biopsy to see the main reason for his
death.
6.7 years old child is sent to the OT to get part
of his spinal cord for his brother who has
blood disorder.
7.Male consultant calls female nurse to examine
female patients even with presence of her
female relative.
17. Guidelines in Caring for Muslim Patients :
get them from the following situations.
8. Patients relatives stops the nurse who is
planning to prepare dead body. They are
asking to ask an expert religious male to
prepare the body and to pray for him.
18. Guidelines in Caring for Muslim
Patients
1. The care providers should respect their modesty
(Shyness) and privacy. Muslim patients, particularly
women may need a special gown to avoid
unnecessary exposure during physical examination.
Some examinations may be done over the gown.
2. Inform them of their rights as patients and encourage
an Islamic living will.
3. Take time to explain test procedures and treatments.
Some of the recent immigrant Muslims may have
language problems so an interpreter can help
especially for consent to procedures.
19. Guidelines in Caring for Muslim
Patients
4. Allow their Imam (religious teacher) to visit
them and pray for them.
5. Autopsy is permitted if medically indicated or
required by law.
6. Organ donation is permitted with some
guidelines and encouraged.
20. Guidelines in Caring for Muslim
Patients
7. Always examine a female patient in the presence of another female
relative (except in medical emergencies). In deliveries, provide the
same sex healthcare provider, upon the request of the patient. Her
husband is encouraged to be with her during the delivery.
8. After the death of a Muslim in a healthcare facility, allow the family
and Imam to arrange for preparing the dead body according to
Islamic guidelines. A corpse has to be given the same respect and
privacy as he/she was receiving when she was alive. Muslim
relatives are encouraged to stay in the room where the dead body
is kept to recite the Quran. Muslim corpses are not embalmed.
21. Purposes of Medicine “maqasid af
shari'”at:
• Share your knowledge about Purposes of
Medicine “maqasid af shari'”at:
22. Purposes of Medicine “maqasid af
shari'”at: (Kasule p. 6)
1. Protection of ddiin, hifdh al ddiin. It involves both physical health and mental health. Protection of
ddiin essentially involves 'ibadat in the wide sense that every human endeavor is a form of 'ibadat.
Thus medical treatment makes a direct contribution to 'ibadat by protecting and promoting good
health so that the worshipper will have the physical and mental energy to undertake all the
responsibilities of 'ibadat. The principal forms of physical 'ibadat are prayer, salat; fasting, siyaam;
and pilgrimage, hajj. A sick or a weak body can perform them properly. Balanced mental health is
necessary for understanding 'aqiidat and avoiding false ideas that violate 'aqiidat because 'aqiidat
is the basis of ddiin.
2. Protection of life, hifdh al nafs, the primary purpose of medicine. Medicine cannot prevent or
postpone death since such matters are in the hands of Allah alone. It however tries to maintain as
high a quality of life until the appointed time of death arrives. Medicine contributes to the
preservation and continuation of life by making sure that physiological functions are well
maintained. It also relieves pathophysiological stress by preventive, curative, and rehabilitative
measures.
3. Protection of progeny, hifdh al nasi. Medicine contributes to the fulfillment of this function by
making sure that children are cared for well so that they grow into healthy adults who can bear
children. Treatment of male and female infertility ensures successful reproduction. The care for
pregnant women, perinatal medicine, and pediatric medicine all ensure that children are born and
grow healthy.
23. Purposes of Medicine “maqasid af
shari'”at: (Kasule p. 6)
4. Protection of the mind, hifdh al 'aql. Medical treatment plays a very important
role in protection of the mind. Treatment of physical illnesses removes stress that
affects the mental state. Treatment of neuroses and psychoses restores
intellectual and emotional functions. Medical treatment of alcohol and drug abuse
prevents deterioration of the intellect.
5. Protection of wealth, hifdh al maal. The wealth of any community depends on the
productive activities of its healthy citizens. Medicine contributes to wealth
generation by prevention of disease, promotion of health, and treatment of any
diseases and their sequelae. Communities with general poor health are less
productive than healthy vibrant communities. The principles of protection of life
and protection of wealth may conflict in cases of terminal illness. Care for the
terminally ill consumes a lot of resources that could have been used to treat other
persons with treatable conditions. Resolution of such contrasts requires resort to
the principles of the Law, qawa'id al shari 'at, that are described below.
