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: FtawySummarized from the full answer at Ftawy · imported 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.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · imported
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/180530
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 180530
- Imported
- Translation status
- Source text, unreviewed
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy