Answered by: Maulana Selim Saldiran
Question
A quick question for the esteemed Ulama: Is it okay for a person who is in a coma, or near death and their organs are beginning to fail or are failing, to be given a lot of morphine? The doctors are saying that it’s to rid the body of pain. Will it fall under the ruling of an intoxicant or the likes?
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
May Allah ease the situation of the sick person.
If there is no alternative and the doctor tells you it will lower the pain, then it is permissible to use morphine.[1]
Only Allah knows best
Written by Maulana Selim Saldiran
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
[1] Radd al-Muhtār, Dar al-Fikr 5/228
وَمَا قِيلَ إنَّ الِاسْتِشْفَاءَ بِالْحَرَامِ حَرَامٌ غَيْرُ مُجْرًى عَلَى إطْلَاقِهِ وَأَنَّ الِاسْتِشْفَاءَ بِالْحَرَامِ إنَّمَا لَا يَجُوزُ إذَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ أَنَّ فِيهِ شِفَاءً أَمَّا إنْ عُلِمَ وَلَيْسَ لَهُ دَوَاءٌ غَيْرَهُ يَجُوزُ وَمَعْنَى قَوْلِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ – رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ – لَمْ يُجْعَلْ شِفَاؤُكُمْ فِيمَا حُرِّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ يَحْتَمِلُ أَنْ يَكُونَ قَالَ ذَلِكَ فِي دَاءٍ عَرَفَ لَهُ دَوَاءً غَيْرَ الْمُحَرَّمِ لِأَنَّهُ حِينَئِذٍ يَسْتَغْنِي بِالْحَلَالِ عَنْ الْحَرَامِ وَيَجُوزُ أَنْ يُقَالَ تَنْكَشِفُ الْحُرْمَةُ عِنْدَ الْحَاجَةِ فَلَا يَكُونُ الشِّفَاءُ بِالْحَرَامِ وَإِنَّمَا يَكُونُ بِالْحَلَالِ اهـ نُورُ الْعَيْنِ مِنْ آخِرِ الْفَصْلِ التَّاسِعِ وَالْأَرْبَعِينَ