What is the ruling of Islamic law regarding a doctor who caused the death of children due to negligence and poor training: Is diyah (blood money) obligatory upon him, and how much is it? Should he give it as charity on behalf of the deceased's families if he cannot reach them? And is he required to fast for each child?
It is not permissible for a trainee or ignorant doctor to practice the profession without the supervision of specialists, even if the government permits it. He must fear Allah in this noble profession. If a doctor makes a mistake and damages an organ or a life, he bears the sin and is liable for what he caused, as the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Whoever practices medicine without having been known to be skilled in it before, he is liable."
He must pay the blood money for the children who died due to his medical errors and hasten to sincere repentance. He must seek out the rightful claimants to deliver the blood money to them, which is mentioned in the Almighty's saying: "And never is it for a believer to kill a believer except by mistake. And whoever kills a believer by mistake - then the freeing of a believing slave and a compensation payment presented to his family [is required] unless they give [it in charity]." If he does not find a slave, he must fast for two consecutive months. The amount of blood money is one hundred camels, or one thousand dinars for those who use gold, or twelve thousand dirhams for those who use silver.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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