Islamic Rulings: Medical Issues

Rules Regarding Death and The Death Bed

Question 87: Is it obligatory for a doctor or nurse to face their patient who is dying towards the qibla? Is it necessary to get permission from the patient’s representative?

Answer: It is obligatory and if one knows that the representative would agree there is no need to get his permission.

Question 88: Sometimes a doctor or a member of the hospital faculty touches a number of dead bodies in one day. Is one ghusl for touching a dead body sufficient for all of the dead bodies that were touched or does one have to perform a ghusl for every body that one has touched?

Answer: One ghusl for all of the bodies touched is sufficient.

Question 89: Does one have to perform a ghusl if he touches the dead body of a child or a child that was miscarried (over four months)? In addition to the person who touched this body, does the mother also have to perform a ghusl?

Answer: Yes, one must perform a ghusl and if the dead body touched the mother when it was being miscarried it would become obligatory for the mother to perform a ghusl as well.

Question 90: Does a child who was born to a dead mother have to perform a ghusl for touching a dead body after it reaches puberty?

Answer: Yes, this form of touching a dead body also necessitates a ghusl.

Question 91: Is it obligatory to perform a ghusl if one touches the artificial teeth or hair of a dead person?

Answer: Ghusl does not become obligatory by touching the artificial teeth of a dead person. Likewise, touching the hair of a dead person does not necessitate a ghusl. But, if the hair is so short that it would be considered touching a dead body then it is obligatory to perform the ghusl.

Question 92: Is one able to dig up the grave of a Muslim who was recently buried if it is found out that the ghusl and kafan were performed incorrectly in order to fix the mistakes?

Answer: Yes, in this case it would be necessary to dig up the grave and perform the ghusl and kafan correctly.

Question 93: Sometimes CPR is performed on someone who died but there is hope for him to come back to life. This operation sometimes takes up to two hours. The body of the dead person becomes cold during this time. Does touching such a body necessitate ghusl?

Answer: If he has died, touching him after he has become cold and before he has received a ghusl necessitates a ghusl.

Question 94: Is the will of one who has committed suicide valid?

Answer: The will is valid for up to one-third of the property left behind, there is no difference how the person dies.