Euthanasia in Islam: An act of killing | Imam Mohammad Elsadi, Samir AbouHussein

Imam Mohammad Elsadi is director of the Islamic Centre and Samir AbouHussein is a medical consultant

Euthanasia can be technically defined as the deliberate act of hastening the death of an individual to relieve the incurable, unbearable pain or poor quality of life.

While acknowledging that in recent years, the subject has gained increasing acceptance and even adoption in a number of countries, nonetheless, Islam is unequivocally against euthanasia.

Islam teaches that life and death are in the hands of Allah. He gives and takes life. Nobody knows exactly when, where and how they are going to die. Only Allah decides how long each person will live: “Nor can a soul die, except by Allah’s leave, the term being fixed as by writing.” (Quran 3:145).

Suicide in Islam by any means is forbidden by Allah and it is a sin punishable by Him: “Do not kill yourselves. Surely Allah is merciful to you.” (Quran 4:29).

As narrated by scholars Al Bukhari and Muslim, Prophet Mohammad Peace Be Upon Him (PBUH) had said: “Amongst the nations before you, there was a man who suffered a wound and growing impatient (with its pain) he took a knife and cut his hand with it and the blood did not stop till he died. Allah said: ‘My slave hurried to bring death upon himself so I have forbidden him (to enter) paradise’.”

Man should not kill himself or ask anybody to kill him or assist him to die, whatever the circumstances may be. No person has the right to die voluntarily as man does not possess their own soul, to take it or to ask anybody else to take it. The Quran is clear on this: “To Allah we belong and to Him we shall return.”

In contrast, Islam fully adopts and advocates for the virtue of patience when confronted with affliction or illness.

The Holy Prophet PBUH had instilled the value of patience among his followers, emphasising that enduring pain and hardship leads to divine rewards. He once stated: “No calamity befalls a Muslim, but Allah will expiate some of his sins because of it, even if it is just a prick of a thorn.”

Killing a person according to his request or by his permission is a crime and a major sin in Islam. The Quran states: “And kill not the soul which Allah has forbidden save for just cause.”

Accordingly, people will find themselves at a crossroads in these circumstances. Some advocates of euthanasia argue for reducing an individual’s pain and suffering by facilitating a peaceful end to their life. On the other hand, the teachings of multiple faiths, including Islam, underscore the sanctity of human life, asserting that no entity should possess the authority to terminate another human life even on the premise of compassion.

Euthanasia or merciful death or ending the life of a patient suffering from severe deformity or a hopeless, incurable condition or terminal transmissible disease or severe unbearable pain, is not permitted in Islam. It is considered an act of killing. According to Islamic teachings, neither the patient nor his family have the right to request euthanasia. Doctors should not take part in terminating the life of a patient even if it is at the patient’s own request or that of their family or guardians. Death should be natural, as ordained by Allah.

This obvious social dichotomy raises an interesting question: Why is it better to withstand profound agony and adopt patience and hardship, as opposed to resorting to euthanasia?

Diving into the concept of euthanasia, it is clear that its drawbacks outweigh the benefits.

As a society, we need to endeavour to find alternative ways to alleviate pain, provide comfort, and reduce suffering for patients, rather than choosing to end their lives. We need to encourage substantial improvement in palliative care, which includes spiritual care and the need to find more resources for this.

In Islam, Allah Almighty is the true healer and possesses the full power to heal. Therefore, one should never give up hope. “Certainly, no one despairs of Allah’s mercy except the people who disbelieve,” the Quran states.

Euthanasia’s challenges

We must evaluate the various challenges posed by euthanasia.

Sanctity of human life: As the definition of euthanasia shows, it clearly underscores the sacredness and sanctity of every human life. This principle is deeply rooted in religious, social and ethical foundations, emphasising the inherent worth of each human existence. If we condone the act of one human being ending the life of another, even under the guise of mercy, we risk diluting the sanctity of the human being. It will regretfully introduce the notion that the worth of life can be conditional and based fully upon situational assessments.

Parental relationship: Secondly, the strong bond between parents and their children is a universal sentiment of human beings. As parents get older, their children dedicate themselves to ensuring their parents’ well-being and comfort. This mutual care and devotion are highly esteemed values within our Maltese society. It has long been engraved as a societal standard that parents nurture their children with care, and children selflessly care for their ageing parents. The normalisation of euthanasia can erode this cherished value and the responsibility it invokes towards elderly parents. Euthanasia introduces a completely different approach to consolation. It is concerning that parents might increasingly perceive themselves as a burden on their children, even unconsciously, thus altering the dynamics of this wonderful bond.

Hopelessness: Thirdly, the root principle of any advancing society is engraved in hope and the ability to navigate through challenges. This attitude is vitally ingrained in our different roles in life including our role as parents who guide their children by emphasising perseverance and the refusal to surrender when confronted with hardship. We support and encourage them to persist, be patient and strive until the solutions are found. This concrete determination to overcome any obstacle, no matter how formidable, is a pivotal driver of progress.

As Muslims, we believe euthanasia within any societal fabric promotes a sense of despondency. It can deliver the message of embracing one’s circumstances instead of actively pursuing approaches for enhancement. As many know, our society already grapples with the issue of suicide, often driven by a perceived absence of hope or avenues for betterment. We need to be very cautious as embracing such attitudes is likely to worsen these issues further.

Some Muslim scholars stated that if specialised, credible doctors are certain that the medication of certain patients is useless, so the suspension of such treatment may be permissible. Under such conditions the basic human rights of hydration, nutrition and pain relief (palliative care) cannot be withheld. If a patient is medically presumed dead through what is known as brain death, the switching off of the life support machine is permissible. While turning off a life support machine is allowed, hastening of death by any means is not allowed as this will equate to euthanasia.

Euthanasia can undermine the intrinsic belief that all lives are inherently valuable and deserving of protection. This erosion has the potential to drastically reduce the ability to advocate for the welfare of other humans, to extend compassion, support and assistance to the needy, and to uphold the sanctity of life in all its forms.

Patience according to the teaching of Islam is a way of purification and forgiveness. Also, it is a way for accumulating more rewards from Allah.

We need to highly endeavour as a society to find alternative avenues rather than intentionally terminating lives as a means to alleviate suffering. While the well-intentioned motives of proponents advocating for compassionate euthanasia may be acknowledged, such a trajectory may steer our society towards a potentially dangerous and harmful course in the years and decades to come.