Is it permissible to remove a patient from a ventilator when they are in a coma with a dead brain stem, but their heart is still beating?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
It is Islamically permissible to remove life support from a patient if brainstem death is confirmed, because it leads to brain death, which means the brain has completely ceased to function and is no longer viable. The Islamic Fiqh Academy has approved the removal of life support if all brain functions have permanently ceased, and a committee of specialized doctors has determined that the cessation is irreversible, even if the heart and respiration are mechanically functioning due to the devices.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/163647
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 163647
- 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