Is it permissible for a doctor to carry out the request of the patient's guardian to let the patient die if they enter a coma, knowing that treating them against the guardian's wishes would expose the doctor to legal accountability and license revocation?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
Some scholars permit not resuscitating a patient if their life is despaired of, as certified by trustworthy doctors. This includes cases such as: mental lethargy with a chronic illness, advanced cancer, chronic heart and lung diseases, or intractable brain damage. This concession is further affirmed if the doctor is not authorized to determine the course of treatment, and the patient's guardian requests not to resuscitate, and the doctor would be subject to legal accountability.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/180530
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 180530
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy