Life support

[Sitaara]

My close relative found out he has a cancer, he went to get surgery to remove one of the kidney. the surgery wasn't successful and he stopped breathing for 3o minutes. his brain is dead but he is on life support since last three days. his family is not giving permission to unplug life support. It is a very difficult situation for anyone to be in . My question is if they remove life support, will his heart beat? what is he consider to be now alive or dead if his brain is dead? is it right islamically to put someone on life support for long?

[Haris]

I am very sorry to hear this.

I am certainly no imam so here are some sources for you for an Islamic perspective:

http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/1824
http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/144476


Muzammil Siddiqui of the Fiqh Council of North America:

If, however, a number of medical experts determine that a patient is in a terminal condition, there is no hope for his/her recovery and all medication has become useless, then it could be permissible for them, through a collective decision, to stop the medication. If the patient is on life support, it may be permissible, with due consultation and care, to decide to switch off the life support machine and let nature take its own time. Under no condition it is permissible to induce death. As long as a person is alive, it is his/her right to be fed. Medical experts and relatives should not withhold nutrition from a living person. They should do their best to provide him/her with necessary nutrition by whatever method is possible.

Life support is a method for the treatment of a patient. If a patient is in a condition where the artificial life support can help improve his/her condition, then it should be used. However, if a group of doctors determine that there was no hope of any improvement in the condition of the patient or if the patient became brain-dead. In that case, if the doctors and the family members agree to take the patient off of the life support, then it can be removed. We should let nature take its own course and allow the person to expire according to their determined time by Allah.

For a a bit mor einformation from different sources please look at http://www.muhajabah.com/islamicblog...lah/010486.php





May Allah help you in these sad times.

[IamDZJ]

Islam has nothing to do with this. If he is on life support then he is basically dead. If his brain has stopped then he is dead. I don't know why he is on life support if his brain us dead. Even if he does come out of this coma he will have serious issues. Probably paralyzed. Sorry about your distant relative. It's understanding that his family don't want to take him off of life support.
When we first came to Canada there was a Pakistani family that knew us well from back home. Thier 19 year old son drowned and was pronounced dead but the mother refused to accept it so they put him in life support for 5 years. He never woke up so after years of misery they finally let him go and focus on the rest of their children. Pretty sad choice to make.

[Haris]

Islam has nothing to do with this. If he is on life support then he is basically dead. If his brain has stopped then he is dead. I don't know why he is on life support if his brain us dead. Even if he does come out of this coma he will have serious issues. Probably paralyzed. Sorry about your distant relative. It's understanding that his family don't want to take him off of life support.
When we first came to Canada there was a Pakistani family that knew us well from back home. Thier 19 year old son drowned and was pronounced dead but the mother refused to accept it so they put him in life support for 5 years. He never woke up so after years of misery they finally let him go and focus on the rest of their children. Pretty sad choice to make.

Islam plays a role in everything in our daily lives (or rather it should). It helps us to make sense of what happens to us and how to react best to a situation when we cannot trust our own judgement. If she seeks an Islamic perspective on such issues then there is nothing wrong with that.



Anyway, not wanting to drag this topic away on a tangent, the source I posted states:

According to these scholars, to cease artificially sustaining life when there is no hope of recovery is permissible and may indeed be better for the patient and their family.


Your family will have to make a hard decision and it would be best (if the doctors have confirmed taht there is no hope of him recovering) to say goodbye as soon as possible. It is not good to dwell on such matters as it can overtake your life. If however there is a chance that he may recover then that decision is for the parents to make and it will be a hard one but they must decide.

[IamDZJ]

haris what does Islam say about wiping one's nose?? I want references on that.
Obviously you have never in your life been in a situation as such. If there was any hope to get back your lived one to life and Islam came in the way o that , you would be done with Islam right there and then. I font see why it should be that way though.

[Haris]

Obviously you have never in your life been in a situation as such. If there was any hope to get back your lived one to life and Islam came in the way o that , you would be done with Islam right there and then. I font see why it should be that way though.

This is not the first time you have tried to assume you know everything about my life.
I have lost a loved one. I have witnessed such a decision being made. I do not need to explain myself to you. You who I have never met and you who I do not wish to ever meet.

I kept my faith in Allah through that time. The person who made that decision kept their faith in Allah. Perhaps others may not. That is their decision and is of no concern to me.

This thread is not about me. It is not about you and it is not about Islam.
If Sitaara wants an Islamic perspective on the issue then I will give her that. She will decide how she deals with it. Her family will make the decision. Stop trying to create conflict.

[IamDZJ]

do I have the right to speak for myself or not??
When I said "you", I didn't meant you haris. I was speaking in general. I dont believe in anything that doesn't make sense to me. Plain as that. I dont like goodie toshos with " holier than thou" attitudes. If you don't want to be refered to in examples while I speak to you then kindly **** off as I told you two weeks ago.

[Haris]

do I have the right to speak for myself or not??

When I said "you", I didn't meant you haris. I was speaking in general.

'You obviously have never been in this position' was meant in general? Heh

I dont believe in anything that doesn't make sense to me. Plain as that.

Well isn't that nice. I'm not trying to convert you to my beliefs. You can believe or not believe in anything you bloody want.

I dont like goodie toshos with " holier than thou" attitudes.

Listen I do not see myself as morally superior to you. You know why? Because unlike you I do not try to assume who you are. I could not care less.

To the contrary you with your over-inflated ego try to judge everyone here.

If you don't want to be refered to in examples while I speak to you then kindly **** off as I told you two weeks ago.

Ironic as that is almost exactly what I told you yet as usual you came with the response "I am too lazy to read that"...I've had enough of you and your hypocrisy. Don't expect any further posts from me referring to you.

[Azmaray]

god help him , ameen .
khodai di kha waki .

[sal]

haris what does Islam say about wiping one's nose?? I want references on that.
Obviously you have never in your life been in a situation as such. If there was any hope to get back your lived one to life and Islam came in the way o that , you would be done with Islam right there and then. I font see why it should be that way though.

Islam says that before we pray we must do wudu (ablution) which includes rinsing out the nose three times although that is sunnah and not fard. That's what Islam says about cleaning ones nose.

[IamDZJ]

that is what islam says about praying. what if your nose is running while you are watching television at 10 am? you get up to do abulation and then go run to pray??

[sal]

that is what islam says about praying. what if your nose is running while you are watching television at 10 am? you get up to do abulation and then go run to pray??

It doesn't say anything about your nose running while watching tv. Most people at that time arent watching tv but are working or studying. And there is no prayer time at 10am so there would be no need to do wudu and pray.

It does however say use your common.

I also believe there is a SLIGHT difference betwen life and death and wiping your nose.

[IamDZJ]

It doesn't say anything about your nose running while watching tv. Most people at that time arent watching tv but are working or studying. And there is no prayer time at 10am so there would be no need to do wudu and pray.

It does however say use your common.

I also believe there is a SLIGHT difference betwen life and death and wiping your nose.

plugging someone to a life support machine was also not an option back then. i also don't see why taking advantage of that opportunity should be sinful. thank you for being a part of my demonstration. get lost now.

[sal]

My close relative found out he has a cancer, he went to get surgery to remove one of the kidney. the surgery wasn't successful and he stopped breathing for 3o minutes. his brain is dead but he is on life support since last three days. his family is not giving permission to unplug life support. It is a very difficult situation for anyone to be in . My question is if they remove life support, will his heart beat? what is he consider to be now alive or dead if his brain is dead? is it right islamically to put someone on life support for long?

Sitaara that is really really sad. I can't imagine what your family are going through. I'm glad you have shared it on this site. You're best off asking an imam or sheikh as I don't think anyone here is a scholar or has the permission to give such advice. Also if they can manage, advise your family to pray istikhara as Allah will help your family decide what they should do. But asking an imam or sheikh is the best thing. May Allah bless your relative and give patience to you and your family and help to ease your troubles. Ameen. I will remember your relative in my duas insha'allah.

[sal]

plugging someone to a life support machine was also not an option back then. i also don't see why taking advantage of that opportunity should be sinful. thank you for being a part of my demonstration. get lost now.

Believe me I am lost. You've lost me.