Euthanasia (Mercy Killing)

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Euthanasia(Mercy Killing)

• Nik Nur Hikmah Bt Ramli
• Sharifah Nur Hidayah Syed Abu Bakar

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Definition

• From Greek word
• Eu good, nice, merciful and facilitated
• Tathanos death or killing
• Linguistically merciful death or killing or
  good or facilitated death
• Modern science facilitating the death of an
  incurable patient at his own pressing request
  presented to the treating physician.

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People who are involved

• Patient in permanent vegetative state who is
  awake and kept alive on artificial life support
  (respirators, heart-lung machine and IV
  nutrition)
• Patient in terminal ill and may not be subject to
  any life support machines

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Types of euthanasia

• Passive
• Letting a person die by taking no action to
  maintain his/her life.
• Withdrawing medical or surgical procedures and
  life support system.
• Active
• An act of commission by taking action that leads
  to death fatal injection

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Conditions that leads to euthanasia

• Muslim medical experts have defined death in the
  following way
• An individual is considered dead in one of the
  following two situations
• Complete irreversible cessation of respiratory
  and cardiovascular systems.
• Complete irreversible cessation of the functions
  of the brain including the brain stem.

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• In case of brain death it is required to have the
  presence of a reliable medical specialist well
  experienced in the clinical diagnosis of brain
  and brain stem death and the various implications
  of such diagnosis.  
• The team comprises two specialists with
  experience in diagnosing brain death.  One of the
  two doctors of the team should be a specialist in
  neurology, neurosurgery or intensive care.

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• If  a number of medical experts determine that a
  patient is in a terminal condition, and there is
  no hope for his/her recovery and all medications
  have become useless, then it permissible for
  them, through a collective decision, to stop the
  medication.

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Hukm of Euthanasia

• Islam opposed euthanasia, regards it as an act of
  murder.
• Do not take life, which Allah made sacred,
  other than in the course of justice. ( Surah
  Al-Isra' 1733)
• Do not kill (or destroy) yourselves, for verily
  Allah has been to you most Merciful ( Surah
  An-Nisa 429).

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Fatwa of Prominent Muslim Scholar Sheikh Yusof
Al-Qaradawi

• Euthanasia is Islamically forbidden for it
  encompasses a positive role on the part of the
  physician to end the life of the patient and
  hasten his death via lethal injection, electric
  shock, a sharp weapon or any other way. This is
  an act of killing, and, killing is a major sin
  and thus forbidden in Islam, the religion of pure
  mercy.

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• As for the suspension of medical treatment via
  preventing the patient from his due medication
  which is, from a medical perspective, thought to
  be useless, this is permissible and sometimes it
  is even recommended. Thus, the physician can do
  this for the sake of the patients comfort and
  the relief of his family. Nothing is wrong in
  this, Insha Allah (Allah willing).

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• Thus, due to his fatwa, the active euthanasia is
  totally prohibited in Islam.
• But, the passive euthanasia is permissible as
  long as there is no hope for the patient to
  recover.

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• The Islamic Code of Medical Ethics endorsed by
  the First International Conference on Islamic
  Medicine includes
• Mercy killing, like suicide, finds no support
  except in the atheistic way of thinking that
  believes that our life on this earth is followed
  by void. The claim of killing for painful,
  hopeless illness is also refuted, for there is no
  human pain that cannot be largely conquered by
  medication or by suitable neurosurgery...

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• On pain, suffering and endurance, Islam has
  special consideration
• Those who patiently persevere will truly
  receive a reward without measure ( Surah
  Az-Zumar 10).

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Conclusion

• Active euthanasia is haram in Islam because it is
  likely the act of murder according to Quranic
  verses and fatwa of Muslim scholars.
• It is permissible due to some conditions- passive
  euthanasia.
• The patient that request for euthanasia in order
  to stop his burden and pain is considered as
  committing suicide.

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• When someone in pain or suffering severe disease,
  he must be patient and willingly accept it as
  well as attempted to get better treatment.
• Prophet Muhammad taught When the believer is
  afflicted with pain, even that of a prick of a
  thorn or more, God forgives his sins, and his
  wrongdoings are discarded as a tree sheds off its
  leaves.