Islamic Rulings: Medical Issues

Rules Regarding Assisted Suicide

Question 114: Assisted suicide is killing a terminally ill patient so he does not have to go through any pain. What is the ruling regarding this action?

Answer: Murder is not permissible in any case and one would have to pay blood money and be physically punished.

Question 115: There are three ways to assist a terminally ill patient to commit suicide. First, the doctor injects medicine into the body of the patient that would kill him. Second, the doctor stops giving the patient medicine that he needs which would result in death. Third, the doctor gives the patient a fatal dose of medicine but the patient injects it into his own body. Which one of these is permissible?

Answer: It is not obligatory to keep the dying person alive or delay his death, so the second method would be permissible. But, any action that would cause death would not be permissible, for example, the other two scenarios.