Can a male doctor see female patients?

The Default Case

Assuming ideal circumstances, the initial ruling is that women may only be treated by a female doctor or by a male doctor who is a close relative. Male doctors who are not close relatives are not permitted to look at them or to touch them, except in some specific situations.

Among the exceptional circumstances that allow a male doctor to treat an unrelated female patient (and, equivalently, permit the female patient to allow herself to be examined by the male doctor) are the following:

(1)  When the male doctor—whether Muslim or non-Muslim—is more skilled at treating the particular case than existing female doctors and closely-related male doctors.

(2)  When the female doctors or closely-related male doctors charge more than the “going rate” for medical treatment, even if only slightly more.

(3)  When the the female doctors or closely-related male doctors charge the “going-rate” or less, but there is an unrelated male doctor who charges even less. (Ibn Hajar didn’t clearly express that this is permissible, but the great late Shafi`i scholar, `Ali Shabramallisi, did.)  There is facilitation and ease in this position for women who go to government hospitals because of affordable treatment, even when the doctor on duty at the time happens to be a male doctor.

(cf. Tuhfat al-Muhtaj + Hashiyat al-Shirwani, 7.203)

Western Anti-Discrimination Laws

If a male Muslim doctor lives in a Western country that makes it legally binding on him to accept any patient that walks in the door, whether male or female, then if the doctor is able to find a legal exemption from this situation that will enable him to abide by the rulings outlined above, then it is obligatory on him to do so.

If, however, he is unable to find such an exemption, and implementing a gender-based filtration policy will result in difficulty or harm, then the opinion of our teacher Shaykh Muhammad al-Khatib is that it would be permissible for him to treat female patients because of legal necessity (darurah). This is because by performing their jobs, Muslim doctors are fulfilling a communal obligation, and for Muslims to forsake medical occupations would result in the non-fulfillment of this obligation and many vital communal interests would thereby be lost to the Muslim community.

This permissibility is, however, confined to the extent of its need. It is therefore obligatory for such a doctor to follow the following rulings and procedures (these guidelines are obligatory on every male doctor who treats a female patient, regardless of situation):

(1)  If it is possible to diagnose and treat the illness by merely listening to something, it is not permissible for him to look at or touch the female patient. [1]

(2)  If it possible for him to diagnose and treat the illness by merely looking at the female patient, it is not permissible for him to touch her.

(3)  He may only look at or touch the areas whose observation or touch is needed to diagnose or treat the illness.

(4)  His looking and touching must be free of any desire whatsoever.

(5)  He must ensure that he avoids being in impermissible seclusion (khalwa) with the female patient: this is dangerous enough when the female doesn’t reveal the parts of her body that are impermissible for him to look at, so how should it be when she reveals such parts of her body for him to look at or even touch! He should therefore make sure that the room’s door is open or that another woman (such as the secretary) is present with them.

All of the above rulings also apply to a Muslim female who visits a male doctor whenever it is permissible for her to do so (in other words, she may only allow the doctor to look at or to touch what is needed in order to diagnose and treat the illness).

Sincerity

The intention of the male doctor whenever he does any of the above should be to fulfill the communal obligation, and to serve people by striving to cure them and reduce their pain and suffering, all in order to seek the pleasure of Allah Most High. He should also conceal the secrets of people that he discovers while treating them and strive to uphold the trustworthiness that is demanded of him by this noble profession.

Amjad Rasheed.

[1] Translator’s Note: These rulings are based on the strongest position of the school, which holds that it is impermissible for a man to look at any part of a woman’s body, with or without desire. There is, however, another position within the school that permits men to look at the face and hands of unrelated women, provided there is no desire or fear of temptation. This position is a strong position that may be followed for one’s personal practice, especially in our times, and especially for Muslims who are living in non-Muslim lands.

السؤال: ما هي الشروط التي يجب على الطبيب الذكر أن يراعيها عند علاج النساء من رؤية ولمس مواطن أبدانهن؟ القانون في الغرب لا يسمح للطبيب أن يفرِّق بين مَن يأتيه للعلاج ويوجب عليه ويلزمه بقبول كل مَن يأتيه فهل يؤثر هذا على الحكم؟

الجواب: الأصل في علاج النساء أن يقوم به امرأةٌ أو محرمٌ، أما الأجنبيُّ فيحرم عليه نظرُ ومسُّ عورة الأجنبية ولو للعلاج إلا في حالات مخصوصة، ومنها ما ذكره الشهاب ابن حجر في “التحفة” (7/203): أنه لو كان الطبيبُ الأجنبيُّ أمهرَ من الطبيبة الأنثى أو الطبيب المحرَم فيجوز له علاجُ الأجنبية ويجوز لها تمكينُه من ذلك ولو كان كافراً، وكذلك يجوز للمرأة أن يعالجها طبيبٌ أجنبيٌّ إن كانت الطبيبةُ الأنثى أو الطبيبُ المحرَمُ لا يرضى إلا بأجرة زائدة على أجرة المثل وإن قَلَّتْ تلك الزيادةٌ كما قال الشبراملسي، واحتمل ابنُ حجر في “التحفة” جوازَ علاج الكافر للمسلمة إن كان يرضى بدون أجرة المثل وكان المسلمُ لا يرضى إلا بأجرة المثل، فيكون المسلمُ كالعدم هنا، لكنه عاد واحتمل عدمَ الجواز ولم يجزم بشيء، لكن جزم الشيخُ علي الشبراملسي بأن المعتمدَ الجوازُ حينئذٍ. 

وهاتان المسألتان الأخيرتان فيهما فسحةٌ كبيرةٌ فيما يقع فيه أكثرُ النساء اليوم من الذهاب إلى المستشفيات الحكومية والمراكز الطبية الخيرية للعلاج بسبب قلة أجرة الأطباء هناك، فيتفق أن الذي في النوبة اليوم طبيب أجنبي وقد يكون كافراً؛ فيجوز لهن تمكين الأجنبي من علاجهنَّ حينئذٍ.

أما بالنسبة لما ذكره السائلُ من أن الدول الغربية تلزم الأطباءَ بعلاج كل مَن يأتيهم دون تفريق بين الرجل والمرأة، وهل يؤثر هذا على الحكم؟ فالجوابُ عنه: أنه إن كان للطبيب مَخْرَجٌ من المسائل التي ذكرتها فحكمُه واضحٌ، أما إن لم يكن له مخرجٌ مما ذُكِر فمتى قدر على التخلص من غير أن يصيبَه أذى وجب عليه ذلك، أما إن لم يمكنْه ذلك وكان يلحقُه بالتخلُّص أذى ومشقة فالذي استظهره شيخنا الخطيب أن هذا يقع في دائرة الضرورة؛ لأن الطبيبَ قائمٌ بفرضٍ كفائي فإذا هجر المسلمون عمل الطب لذلك كان تضييعاً لهذا الفرض وفاتت المسلمين مصالحُ بسبب ذلك، فيجوز لمن ذكر آخراً علاج الأجنبيات لكن بقدر الضرورة -والله أعلم- مع وجوب أخذه بالأحكام والآداب الآتية، هذا كله بالنسبة لما يُسأل عنه متى يجوز للأجنبي علاجُ الأجنبية.