What is the ruling on refraining from using a ventilator for patients suffering from chronic diseases and who are in poor health, under the pretext of letting the patient die a "natural death," based on a fatwa that states the lifespan of the Prophet's (peace be upon him) nation is "between sixty and seventy"? And who is the qualified physician to issue this decision if the fatwa is correct?
This fatwa is invalid, and their reliance on the hadith: "The ages of my Ummah are between sixty and seventy, and few of them will exceed that," is incorrect. The hadith speaks about the ages of the Ummah and does not permit killing those who have passed sixty or seventy. Moreover, it is religiously forbidden to leave a patient without life-sustaining equipment, as that is causing a soul to die unjustly. These devices must not be removed from him as long as it is possible to maintain them.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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