Islamic Medical Issues -Fatawa

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1He is addicted to drugs and wants to repent

Question:

My sister's husband uses drugs. Although he wants to stop using it, he can't because of his addiction, but elhamdoulillah he fears Allah swt.
My sister wonders what to do in this situation, she has 3 children with him, and leaving him would be worse because then there wouldn't be anyone for him so he could go and use more & or commit suicide etc..
I ask you for help with the power of the "One" in whose hand my life is.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.  

We advise your sister to stand by her husband in his repentance and attempt to rid himself of addiction to drugs, and not to leave him to the human wolves who would destroy him. He needs her more than ever right now. 

You have to seek help from medical centers that treat addiction. There is nothing wrong with that, because this will help him to get rid of his addiction. 

She should not hesitate in that, and she should hasten to get in touch with those who specialize in dealing with such matters. But she should always remind him to be pious and fear Allaah, and remind him of death and the meeting with Allaah, whilst encouraging him to give up his addiction and giving him the hope that he will recover and his repentance will be accepted by his Lord. 

Please also see the answer to question no. 6540. 

And Allaah is the Source of strength.

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2A Christian woman is asking about cupping

Question:

In your numerous pages of disallowed matters you state that cupping is forbidden on certain days and allowed on others. I am not muslin but I am studying this religion and wanted to know exactly what cupping is.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.  

The rulings of Islam were revealed from Allaah, and Allaah has decreed that this religion is the final religion, and that our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is the last of the Prophets. Allaah sent him to all of mankind and made the Qur’aan His miraculous Book until the Day of Resurrection. The Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is also revelation from Allaah. 

It is no wonder that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us of things that were revealed to him from his Lord, and these include information about scientific matters that were unknown at that time. This is a miracle which serves as proof that he is a true Prophet. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was not a doctor but he told of some things that have been confirmed by modern medicine to be true. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not have laboratories or x-rays, but he spoke of things which mankind did not know to be true until after they were tested in laboratories and seen under microscopes. 

There are many examples of that, but this is not the place to discuss it in detail. Here we will limit our comments to cupping. We have already spoken of cupping and some of its benefits in the answer to question no. 21406. 

What is cupping? 

Cupping means letting out bad blood that is beneath the skin. 

It is a kind of medical treatment: 

It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Healing is in three things: in the incision of the cupper, in drinking honey and in cauterizing with fire, but I forbid my ummah (nation) to use cauterization.”  

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5356. 

It was narrated that Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “If there is anything good in your medical treatments, it is in the incision of the cupper, drinking honey or in touching with fire when there is certainty that this will cure the disease, but I do not like to be cauterized.” 

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5359; Muslim, 2205 

The angels advised the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his ummah to use cupping. 

The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I did not pass by any group of angels on the night of the Isra’ [the Prophet’s night journey when he was taken from Makkah to Jerusalem and back in the course of a single night], but all of them said to me, “You should use cupping, O Muhammad.” 

Classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 2263. 

Our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was treated by means of cupping: 

It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was treated with cupping when he was in ihraam [a special state of devotion at the time of pilgrimage to Makkah], and he was treated with cupping when he was fasting. 

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1836. 

Some of his companions stated that he was treated with cupping for a pain in the head, i.e. a “migraine”. 

It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was treated with cupping in his head for pain when he was in ihraam, at an oasis called Lahi Jamal.  

And it was narrated from him that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was treated with cupping on his head when he was in ihraam for a migraine that he was suffering. 

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5374. 

It was narrated from Ibn Buhaynah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was treated with cupping on the way to Makkah when he was in ihraam, in the middle of his head. 

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1739; Muslim, 1203. 

Lahi Jamal is a place on the way to Makkah. 

His companions were treated with cupping and they recommended it: 

Muslim (2205) narrated that ‘Aasim ibn ‘Umar ibn Qataadah said:  

Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah came to us and there was a man suffering from an abscess or a wound. He said, “What is wrong with you?” He said, “An abscess that is causing me pain.” He said, “O boy, bring me a cupper.” He said, “What will you do with a cupper, O Abu ‘Abd-Allaah?” He said, “I want to apply a cupping glass to him.” He said, “By Allaah, even if the flies land on me it hurts me, or if my garment touches me it hurts me.” When he saw how reluctant he was, he said, “I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say, ‘If there is anything good in your medical treatments, it is in the incision of the cupper, drinking honey or in touching with fire.’ And the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘But I would not like to be cauterized.’” Then he brought the cupper and made the incision, and his problem went away. 

Recommendation of cupping on certain days of the month 

It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:  “The best days for cupping are the seventeenth, nineteenth and twenty first [of the months of the Islamic Hijri calendar]. I did not pass by any group of angels on the night of the Isra’ [the Prophet’s night journey when he was taken from Makkah to Jerusalem and back in the course of a single night], but all of them said to me, “You should use cupping, O Muhammad.” 

Narrated by Ahmad, 3306. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 1847. 

Recommendation to avoid cupping on certain days of the week 

What the questioner has read on our site appears in the book, “Things which are forbidden according to sharee’ah.” 

It was narrated that Ibn ‘Umar said: The Messenger of Allaah (S) said: “Cupping on an empty stomach is better, and there is healing and barakah (blessing) in it. It improves clarity of mind and the memory. So use cupping with the blessing of Allaah on Thursdays, and avoid cupping on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, and use cupping on Mondays and Tuesdays, for that is the day when Allaah relieved Ayyoob (Job) of his afflictions, and He smote him with those afflictions on a Wednesday. So no leprosy begins except on a Wednesday or the night of Wednesday.” 

Narrated by Ibn Maajah, 3487. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 766. 

Cupping in modern medicine 

Modern medicine has proven that cupping brings many benefits, and numerous books have been written about that, such as al-Dawa’ al-‘Ajeeb alladi shafa min Marad al-Qalb al-Qaatil wa’l-Shalal wa’l-Shaqeeqah wa’l-‘Uqum wa’l-Sarataan wa Marad al-Naa’oor al-Waraathi al-Haemophilia (The Amazing Cure that may heal fatal heart disease, paralysis, migraine, infertility, cancer and the genetic disease haemophilia). This is the most recent and most important book that has been published recently by the researcher ‘Abd al-Qaadir Yahya, which deals with the science of cupping. 

This book is regarded as a scientific reference and medical dictionary that is unique in the world because of its excellent explanations and scientific evidence. It is divided into 12 chapters, covering 500 pages. 

In the last chapter, he quotes clinical reports on the condition of some patients who recovered or whose condition improved with the application of cupping, by comparing the reports on their sickness before cupping and after cupping was applied. He also quotes the testimony of opinions of members of the Syrian medical team who took part in the research on cupping, who numbered 25 clinical and laboratory experts. 

Details of the physical benefits of cupping 

1 – Modern science has proven that cupping may be a cure for some heart diseases, some blood diseases and some liver diseases. In cases where the lungs have become swollen because of heart failure, when all means of treatment such as use of diuretics, tying the hands and feet to reduce the flow of blood to the heart have failed, releasing some of the blood by opening a vein may be essential, to bring about a rapid recovery from heart failure. Similarly in the event of a sudden rise in blood pressure accompanied by semi-consciousness and a loss of awareness of time and place, or accompanied by unconsciousness as a result of the sudden increase in blood pressure, releasing some of the blood by opening a vein may be a treatment for such cases. Similarly, for some liver diseases such as cirrhosis there may be no effective remedy apart from releasing some of the blood by opening a vein. There are also some blood diseases which are distinguished by overproduction of red blood cells and a high ratio of haemoglobin in the blood, which require releasing some of the blood by opening a vein, which is the most effective treatment in such cases, so as to avoid further complications. It is worth mentioning that an increase in red blood cells may be the result of living in the mountains at high altitude and a low ratio of oxygen in the air, or it may be the result of intense heat that has an obvious effect of increasing glandular excretions, which leads to an increase in the number of red blood cells. So releasing some of the blood by opening a vein is the appropriate treatment in such cases. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The best of the remedies that you use is cupping.” Narrated by Ahmad, 11634; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 1053. This is a view which is approved by science, as has recently been confirmed by scientific research. 

Ref: al-‘I’jaaz al-‘Ilmi fi’l-Islam wa’l-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah, by Muhammad Kaamil ‘Abd al-Samad. 

It should be noted that the author used the word fasd (opening a vein, venesection) instead of hijaamah (cupping). It is well known that there is a difference between the two. Fasd (opening a vein) means taking blood from the veins, which is more like having a blood sample taken, and cupping means removing bad blood from beneath the skin. 

2 – Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah – who was well-versed in medicine – said: 

Cupping on the upper back helps to relieve pain in the shoulder and throat. Cupping on the veins on the side of the neck is beneficial in relieving  diseases of the head and its parts such as the face, teeth, ears and eyes (and the nose and throat if applicable) which are caused by an excess of blood or corruption thereof, or by both. 

Zaad al-Ma’aad, 4/55, 56 

Al-Tirmidhi (2051) narrated that Anas said: The Messenger of Allaah (S) used to have cupping done on the veins on the side of the neck and the upper back. 

We ask Allaah to make this answer beneficial for you, and we ask Allaah to open your heart to the truth and make it easy for you to do that which He loves and is pleased with. 

And Allaah knows best.

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3Is witchcraft real? Is it permissible to seek treatment from practitioners of witchcraft

Question:

Is there anything such as witch doctors? What should we do if someone says "I don't believe in magic" because "this is just an illusion"?.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.  

Sihr (witchcraft or magic) is a word referring to something hidden. It is real and there are kinds of witchcraft that may affect people psychologically and physically, so that they become sick and die, or husbands and wives are separated. Its effects happen by the will of Allaah. It is a devilish action, most of which is only achieved by means of shirk and drawing close to the jinn and shayaateen (devils) by means of that which they love, and it is based on associating others with Allaah (shirk). 

There are doctors who are also practitioners of witchcraft, who treat people by means of seeking the help of the jinn. They claim to have knowledge of the sickness with no need to identify it, and they prescribe for the patient foods and drinks that bring him closer to his allies among the devils. He may tell them to slaughter a pig whilst saying “Bismillaah” over it, or to slaughter a permissible animal without saying “Bismillaah”, or when saying the name of one of the devils. 

This is kufr or disbelief in Allaah, and it is not permissible under any circumstances to go to people like these. The hadd punishment for these people is execution. It has been proven from three of the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) that the practitioners of witchcraft are to be put to death. 

The Standing Committee was asked a question about this matter, in which it was said: 

Please note that in Zambia there is a Muslim man who claims that he has with him a jinn, and the people come to him and ask him to treat their sicknesses, and this jinn states what their treatment should be. Is that permissible? 

They replied: 

It is not permissible for that man to use the jinn, and it is not permissible for the people to go to him seeking treatment for sickness through his using the jinn, or to meet any other need by this means. 

Seeking treatment through human medical doctors and using permissible medicines is sufficient and means that there is no need for that, and it keeps people safe from the sorcery of the magicians.  

It was narrated in a saheeh report that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever goes to a fortune-teller and asks him about something, his prayer will not be accepted for forty days.” Narrated by Muslim. 

And it was narrated by the authors of al-Sunan and by al-Haakim, who classed it as saheeh, that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever goes to a soothsayer and believes what he says has disbelieved in that which was revealed to Muhammad.” 

This man and his companions from among the jinn are regarded as being among the fortune-tellers and soothsayers, so it is not permissible to ask them anything or to believe them. 

Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 1/408, 409 

Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz said: 

Given that there are so many charlatans lately, who claim to be doctors and to treat people by means of magic and witchcraft, and they have become widespread in some countries and they exploit the naïveté of the ignorant, I thought that in the spirit of sincerity towards Allaah and His slaves, that I should explain the grave danger that this poses to Islam and the Muslims, because it involves dependence on something other than Allaah and going against His command and the command of His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), so I say, seeking the help of Allaah: 

It is permissible to seek treatment according to scholarly consensus. The Muslim may go to a doctor to seek treatment for internal diseases, injuries, nervous complaints, etc, so that he can identify the disease and treat it in an appropriate manner, using medicines that are permissible according to sharee’ah, based on his knowledge of medicine, because this comes under the heading of using the ordinary means, and it is not contrary to the idea of putting one's trust in Allaah. Allaah has sent down the disease but He has also sent down with it the cure; those who know it know it and those who do not do not. But Allaah has not created the healing for His slaves in that which He has forbidden to them, so it is not permissible for the sick person to go to a soothsayer who claims to know the unseen, in order to find out from them what is wrong with him. And it is not permissible for him to believe what they tell him, because they speak of the unseen without knowledge, or they summon the jinn and seek their help in doing what they want. The ruling on these people is that they are kaafirs and misguided, because they claim to have knowledge of the unseen. Muslim narrated in his Saheeh that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever goes to a fortune-teller and asks him about something, his prayer will not be accepted for forty days.” And it was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever goes to a soothsayer and believes what he says has disbelieved in that which was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).” Narrated by Abu Dawood and by the four authors of al-Sunan; classed as saheeh by al-Haakim who narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever goes to a fortune-teller or soothsayer and believes what he says has disbelieved in that which was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).” And it was narrated that ‘Imraan ibn Husayn (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “He does not belong to us who observes bird omens or has that done for him, or who seeks divination or who has that done for him, or who practices witchcraft or has that done for him. Whoever goes to a soothsayer and believes what he says has disbelieved in that which was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).” Narrated by al-Bazzaar with a jayyid isnaad. 

These ahaadeeth demonstrate that it is forbidden to go to soothsayers, fortune-tellers, witches and the like, and ask them questions and believe them, and a warning is issued to those who do that. Community leaders and those in positions of power and authority must forbid going to fortune-tellers, soothsayers and the like, and not allow anyone who deals in such things to operate in the marketplaces or elsewhere. They should denounce them emphatically, and denounce those who go to them. We should not be deceived by the fact that they may get things right sometimes, or by the fact that many people go to them, because they are ignorant and the people should not be deceived by them. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade going to them, asking them questions and believing them, because that is a great evil, a serious danger and leads to bad consequences, and because they are immoral liars. These ahaadeeth also indicate that soothsayers and witches are also kaafirs, because they claim to have knowledge of the unseen, which is kufr, and because they only reach their goals by serving the jinn and worshipping them instead of Allaah, which is kufr or disbelief in Him and associating others with Him (shirk). The one who believes them and their claims to have knowledge of the unseen is like them. Everyone who goes to these people and deals with them, is disowned by the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). It is not permissible for the Muslim to accept what they claim is a kind of treatment, such as their muttering mumbo-jumbo or pouring lead and other kinds of nonsense that they do. This is a kind of sorcery and deception of the people. Whoever accepts that is helping them in their falsehood and kufr. 

Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 3/274-281. 

Secondly: 

With regard to witchcraft (sihr), it is real and is not an illusion, and it may have an effect by Allaah’s leave. 

Al-Quraafi said: Sihr is real, and the person against whom it is done may die, or his nature or habits may be changed, even if he does not deal with it himself. This was the view of al-Shaafa’i and Ibn Hanbal… 

Al-Furooq, 4/149. 

The Mu’tazalis, Qadaris and some of the scholars held a different view, but no attention should be paid to that. Al-Quraafi and others mentioned that the Sahaabah were unanimously agreed that it is real before there appeared those who denied that. 

The evidence of Ahl al-Sunnah concerning that is as follows: 

1.     Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“but the Shayaateen (devils) disbelieved, teaching men magic and such things that came down at Babylon to the two angels, Haaroot and Maaroot, but neither of these two (angels) taught anyone (such things) till they had said, “We are for trial, so disbelieve not (by learning this magic from us).” And from these (angels) people learn that by which they cause separation between man and his wife, but they could not thus harm anyone except by Allaah’s Leave. And they learn that which harms them and profits them not”

[al-Baqarah 2:102] 

This verse clearly indicates what we are trying to say, which is that sihr (witchcraft) is real, and that the practitioner of witchcraft may create a division between a man and his wife thereby, and that he may harm people by means of his witchcraft, but he cannot do any harm except by Allaah’s leave. 

2.     Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And from the evil of those who practise witchcraft when they blow in the knots”
[al-Falaq 113:4] 

“those who practise witchcraft when they blow in the knots” refers to female witches whose witchcraft involved tying knots then blowing into them. If witchcraft were not something real, Allaah would not have commanded us to seek refuge from it. 

3.     Further evidence is provided by the fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was bewitched by the Jew Labeed ibn al-A’sam. This is a saheeh hadeeth that was narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim. 

Ibn al-Qayyim said: The witchcraft which can cause sickness, lethargy, mental sickness, love, hatred and delusions is something that does exist and is known by the masses. Many people know it from experience. 

Al-Tafseer al-Qayyim, p. 571 

Thirdly: 

There are many kinds of witchcraft, including illusions and deceiving the eyes. But not all sihr is like that. Some of the scholars listed different kinds of witchcraft, and counted eight kinds, the most well known of which are: 

1.     Knots and incantations  

i.e., reciting words and mumbo-jumbo by means of which the witch is able to use the devils to do what he wants of harming the person being bewitched. But Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“… but they could not thus harm anyone except by Allaah’s Leave”

[al-Baqarah 2:102] 

2.     Sleight of hand. 

They become skilled in this by means of practice and training to do things quickly, and bring out something hidden.  

For example, the magician may bring a dove and strange it in front of the audience, then he hits it with his hand and it gets up and flies. 

But in fact there was a kind of anaesthetic in his hand and he made it smell it and made the audience think that he had strangled it and killed it, then when he hits it, he wakes it up from that stupor. 

3.     Bewitching the eyes. 

This is very common among the liars; the magician does not really put a sword in his body, rather he bewitches the eyes of the audience, and puts the sword by his side, but the bewitched people think that he puts it through his middle. 

These tricksters have become well known among us, because among the audience there are those who protected themselves with Qur’aan and dhikr, and remembered Allaah a great deal whilst sitting in the gathering watching the magician, so they saw what really happened, unlike what those who were bewitched saw. 

4.     Using chemicals

This is done well by those who know how substances react with one another, thus producing a substance that is not affected by some other substances, such as the Sufi Rifaa’iyyah who make people think that they are not affected by fire, when in fact they coat themselves with some fireproof substances. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) challenged them to wash with hot water before entering the fire and they refused because this would have exposed their deceit. 

And there are many other things that the practitioners of witchcraft do, which could not happen unless Allaah decreed it. 

See Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 1/146; Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 2/178; al-Sihr by Shaykh ‘Umar al-Ashqar. 

And Allaah knows best.

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4Ruling on childhood immunizations and vaccinations

Question:

What is the Islamic perspective on childhood immunizations or vaccinations? There is evidence to prove that they can be harmful to the body, but they are required in many countries. This is a very important topic that many do not have an adequate understanding of.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.  

Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked: 

What is the ruling on giving treatment before sickness occurs, such as vaccinations? 

He replied: 

There is nothing wrong with giving treatment if there is the fear that the disease may occur because of the presence of an epidemic or other factors which may cause disease. There is nothing wrong with giving medicine to ward off the feared disease, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, according to the saheeh hadeeth, “Whoever eats seven dates of Madeenah in the morning will not be harmed by witchcraft or poison.” This is a kind of warding off a problem before it happens. So if there is the fear of sickness and a person is vaccinated against an infection that is present in the land or elsewhere, there is nothing wrong with that, because it is a kind of protection. But it is not permissible to wear or hang up amulets etc against sickness, the jinn or the evil eye, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade that, and explained that this is a kind of minor shirk [associating others in worship with Allaah], so it must be avoided. 

Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 6/21 

With regard to the harm suffered by those who are given some vaccinations, namely a short-lived fever or other side-efects, these drawbacks may be overlooked when compared with the great harm that is warded off, namely the diseases that may kill or cause great harm to a person’s health. 

This is similar to the case of circumcising boys by cutting off a piece of skin and the intense pain that is caused to the infant; this is outweighed by the great benefits that are served by this action, serving the religious interest of purity (tahaarah) and numerous worldly benefits. 

The general shar’i principle with regard to this matter is that the lesser of two evils may be done in order to ward off the greater evil, if it is necessary to do one of them. Al-Ashbaah wa’l-Nazaa’ir by al-Subki, 1/45. 

But if it is medically proven that a specific vaccine causes harm to the body or that its harmful effects outweigh its effects of warding off disease, then it is not permissible to use it in that case, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “There should be neither harm nor reciprocating harm.” 

And Allaah knows best.

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5Donating corneas

Question:

Muslims can donet our eye after death ?.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.  

The Council of Senior Scholars has issued the following statement: 

Firstly: 

It is permissible to remove the corneas from a person after his death has been confirmed, and to implant them in the eye of a Muslim person who needs them, if it is thought most likely that the operation will be successful, and so long as the next of kin (of the deceased) do not object. This is based on the principle of serving the greater of two interests and doing the lesser of two harms, and of giving precedence to the interests of the living over the interests of the dead. There is the hope that the living will be able to see again after having lost his sight, and that this will benefit him and he will benefit the ummah in turn. The deceased person from whom the cornea is taken does not lose anything, because his eyes will turn to dust anyways. Removing the cornea from his eyes is not a visible mutilation of his body, because his eyes will be closed. 

Secondly: 

It is also permissible to remove a sound cornea from a sound eyeball that has been removed from a person to protect him against some danger that may result from leaving it in place, and to transplant it into the eye of another Muslim who needs it, if removing it is in the interests of the health of the original owner and transplanting it to another person will not cause him any harm and will benefit the other person. All of that in permitted in sharee’ah. 

And Allaah is the Source of strength. 

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6It is permissible to masturbate for the purpose of medical testing

Question:

I know masturbation is haraam in Islam. But if one want to check for the infertility, the laboratory people asking the sperm's of the man. We can't get the sperm without masturbating in the laboratory. So Please clear this issue as soon as possible. InshaAllah Allah will reward for U for this issue.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.  

Yes, that is permissible. It says in Fataawa al-Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Humayd (may Allaah have mercy on him) that he was asked about that and he replied: 

There is nothing wrong with that so long as there is a need for it. Whoever masturbates without there being a need for it should be punished. But this is for a need, which is to produce semen for testing and to find out the reason why this person is not having children. The reason for that may rest with him or with his wife, so in this case there is nothing wrong with it in sha Allah.

 From Fataawa al-Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Humayd, p. 271.

 And Allaah knows best.

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7Is it permissible to use an enema as medical treatment?

Question:

It was reccomended to me to do an enema as a medical treatment for a problem I am having. Is this a permissible treatment or not.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.  

There is nothing wrong with using this treatment, if it is prescribed for you by a competent doctor. 

The scholars (may Allaah have mercy on them) have stated that it is permissible to use an enema as a medical treatment, and some of them did that, such as Abu Yoosuf the companion of Abu Haneefah, and Imam Ahmad (may Allaah have mercy on them). In this case it is permissible to uncover the ‘awrah because there is a need to do so. 

Al-Kaasaani said in Badaa’i’ al-Sanaa’i’ (5/128): 

There is nothing wrong with enemas because that is a kind of medical treatment, and it is something that is recommended because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Seek medical treatment, O slaves of Allaah, for Allaah does not send down any disease but He also sent down the cure, apart from death and old age.” 

Narrated by Ahmad, 17987; Abu Dawood, 3855; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 3264. 

Al-Sarkhasi said in al-Mabsoot, 10/156: 

With regard to looking at the ‘awrah, that is haraam… but if there is a reason for doing so, there is nothing wrong with looking at the ‘awrah for a necessary purpose. That includes: 

When a woman is giving birth, (her attendants) may look at the vagina and other parts of the woman’s body. 

Similarly a man may look at the site where an enema is given, when necessary. 

In the case of sickness, there is a necessary reason, and an enema is a kind of medical treatment. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Seek medical treatment, O slaves of Allaah, for Allaah does not send down any disease but He also sent down the cure, apart from death and old age.” And it was narrated that Abu Yoosuf suffered from emaciation so it was said to him: An enema will relieve you of the emaciation you are suffering. So there is nothing wrong with showing that area to the person performing the enema. This is correct, because extreme emaciation is a kind of sickness. 

Al-Mirdaawi said in his footnote to al-Furoo’ (2/171): 

Is it makrooh to have an enema, whether that is necessary or not? Then he said: The correct view is that it is not makrooh, rather it is permissible if there is a need, but it is makrooh if there is no need…. Al-Marroodhi said: It was prescribed for Abu ‘Abd-Allaah – i.e., Imam Ahmad – and he did it, i.e., an enema. 

And Allaah knows best.

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8The Qur’aan and medicine

Question:

I heard in a lecture that medical scientists or doctors claim that many medicines&treatements have been discovererd&propounded by inferring facts frm the Holy Quran.  
Now my question is, Is that all regarding medicine is mentioned in the Holy Quran? Or is there more left which we've to still put into use? 
I'm asking this question with regards to an earnest request frm a friend of mine, a hindu named Vignesh and he asked me whether there r matters left still in the Holy Quran to control some of these deadly diseases.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.  

Firstly: 

Allaah sent Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) with a religion that covers all aspects of life, as Abu Dharr (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) left us and no bird flapped its wings in the sky except that he had taught us some knowledge about it. 

(Narrated by Ahmad, 20399. See Majma’ al-Zawaa’id, 8/263. al-Haythami said: it was narrated by al-Tabaraani and its men are the men of saheeh apart from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Yazeed al-Muqri’ who is thiqah (trustworthy)). 

Islam came to meet the needs of people in all aspects of their lives.  

Secondly: 

What is narrated in the Sunnah from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) complements what is in the Qur’aan. These two sources are the principal sources for Muslims. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) has told us that Allaah has not sent down any disease but He has also sent down a cure for it. 

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah has not sent down any disease but He has also sent down a cure for it.” 

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5678. 

Thirdly: 

What the questioner has mentioned, that some Muslims say that many remedies were discovered through the Holy Qur’aan, we say that this is somewhat exaggerated. 

The Qur’aan is not a book of medicine or geography or geology as some Muslims like to say to westerners. Rather it is a book of guidance for mankind and one of the greatest of its miracles is its eloquence and the ideas and concepts that it contains. This is the main aspect of its miraculous nature. Allaah revealed it to His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) at a time when eloquence had reached great heights, so this book came to amaze those people and challenge them in their area of expertise, to prove to them that it was from Allaah. 

This is not strange, and it is nothing new in religion. The signs of Moosa (peace be upon him) – his stick and his hand – were of the kind that was prevalent during his time, which was magic (sihr). The signs of ‘Eesa (peace be upon him) – raising the dead and healing the blind and lepers – were of the kind that his people were skilled in and that was widespread among them, which was medicine. 

Hence we say that the greatest feature of the Qur’aan is its eloquence. Scholars nowadays are still discovering new aspects of its eloquence through their study of its verses.  

This does not mean that there is no other miraculous aspects to the Qur’aan. Rather in some verses Allaah mentions things about the design of the human body, the stages of its creation and development, some natural phenomena, etc. 

But with regard to cures for various diseases, as the questioner mentions, the Qur’aan is a healing for the believers. This includes healing the heart (mental or spiritual disease) and physical healing. Allaah mentions honey in the Qur’aan and says that it is a healing for mankind. And He mentions the principle of preserving good health and guarding against sickness. So whoever says that the Qur’aan says a lot about medicine in this regard is right, but whoever goes beyond that is exaggerating. Rather this is a kind of exaggeration coined by some Muslims. The Qur’aan is not a book of medicine. There are some diseases that did not exist previously, so how could their cure come – according to what the questioner says – before they appeared? 

Fourthly: 

(a)    The following are some of the verses which indicate that the Qur’aan is healing: 

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And We send down of the Qur’aan that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe”

[al-Isra’ 17:82] 

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: 

Allaah says “And We send down of the Qur’aan that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe”. The correct view is that the word min (translated here as “of”) serves to explain the nature of the Qur’aan as a whole, not to refer to parts of it and not other parts.  

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“O mankind! There has come to you a good advice from your Lord (i.e. the Qur’aan, enjoining all that is good and forbidding all that is evil), and a healing for that which is in your hearts”

[Yoonus 10:57] 

The Qur’aan is the complete healing for all mental, spiritual and physical diseases, all diseases of this world and the Hereafter. But not everyone is guided to use it for the purpose of healing. If the sick person uses the Qur’aan for healing in the proper way, and applies it to his disease with sincerity, faith, complete acceptance and firm conviction, fulfilling all its conditions, then no disease can resist it. 

How can disease resist the words of the Lord of heaven and earth which, if He had revealed it to the mountains they would have crumbled and if He had revealed it to the earth it would have broken it apart? There is no sickness, spiritual or physical, but in the Qur’aan there is that which indicates its remedy, its cause and how to protect against it for those who are blessed with understanding of His Book. 

Zaad al-Ma’aad, 4/352 

(b)   The Qur’aan contains the treatment for hearts and souls, and as such it is a means of expelling all sicknesses from the body. In this regard the Qur’aan is a healing and a remedy for many diseases. 

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: 

We and others have tried this on many occasions and we have seen that it works in ways that physical remedies do not. Indeed we now regard physical medicine as the doctors regard folk medicine. This is in accordance with the law of divine wisdom, not contrary to it, but the causes of healing are many and varied. When the heart is in contact with the Lord of the Worlds, the Creator of the disease and the remedy, the Controller of nature Who directs it as He wills, he has other remedies apart from the remedies that are sought by the heart that is far away from Him and that turns away from Him. It is known that when a person’s spirits are high and his body is in good shape, they cooperate in warding off disease and suppressing it, so if a person is in high spirits and physical good shape, finds comfort in being close to his Creator, loving Him, enjoying remembrance of Him (dhikr), devoting all his strength and power for His sake and focusing on Him, seeking His help, putting his trust in Him, how can anyone deny that this is the greatest medicine or that this spiritual power gives him the means to ward off pain and defeat it completely? No one would deny this but the most ignorant of people, those who are furthest away from Allaah and the most hard-hearted and unaware of human nature. 

Zaad al-Ma’aad 4/12 

(c)   In the Qur’aan there is Soorat al-Faatihah which is a ruqyah to be recited as a prayer for healing. 

It was narrated that Abu Sa’eed (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “A group of the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) set out on a journey and traveled until they stopped in (the land of) one of the Arab tribes. They asked them for hospitality but they refused to welcome them. The chief of that tribe was stung by a scorpion and they tried everything but nothing helped them. Some of them said, ‘Why don’t you go to those people who are camped (near us), maybe you will find something with them.’ So they went to them and said, ‘O people, our chief has been stung by a scorpion and we have tried everything but nothing helped him. Can any of you do anything?’ One of them said, ‘Yes, by Allaah, I will recite ruqyah for him, but by Allaah we asked you for hospitality and you did not welcome us, so I will not recite ruqyah for you until you give us something in return.’ Then they agreed upon a flock of sheep.’ Then he went and spat drily and recited over him Al-hamdu Lillaahi Rabb il-‘Aalameen [Soorat al-Faatihah]. (The chief) got up as if he was released from a chain and started walking, and there were no signs of sickness on him. They paid them what they agreed to pay. Some of them (i.e. the companions) then suggested to divide their earnings among themselves, but the one who performed the ruqyah said, ‘Do not divide them until we go to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and tell him what happened, then wait and see what he tells us to do.’ So they went to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and told him what had happened. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) asked, ‘How did you know that it (al-Faatihah) is a ruqyah?’ Then he added, ‘You have done the right thing. Share out (the flock of sheep) and give me a share too.’ And the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) smiled.”   

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2156; Muslim, 2201 

Ibn al-Qayyim said concerning Soorat al-Faatihah:  

Whoever is guided by Allaah and is given good insight to understand the deep meaning of this soorah and what it contains of Tawheed, understanding of the Divine nature, the names, attributes and actions of Allaah, the Divine decree, the Resurrection, rejecting any misconception that undermines the concept of the Oneness of the Divine Lordship and Divine nature, complete trust in Allaah and referring all one’s affairs to the One Who has full control of all things – to Him be all praise, for all goodness is in His hand and to Him all things return – and feeling in need of Him in seeking guidance that is the root of happiness in this world and in the Hereafter, will realize the connection between the contents of this soorah and bringing good and warding off evil. He will understand that ultimate goodness and blessing is connected to this soorah and is dependent upon understanding it and acting upon it. Then this soorah will make him independent of many other kinds of medicine and ruqyah, and it will open the door to a great deal of goodness and ward off a great deal of evil. 

Zaad al-Ma’aad, 4/347 

(d)   The Qur’aan mentions the principle of maintaining good health. 

Ibn al-Qayyim said: 

The basic principles of medicine are three: prevention, maintaining good health, and removing harmful substances from the body. 

Allaah has mentioned them all together, to His Prophet and his ummah in three places in His Book. 

He prevented the sick person from using water lest it harm him, as He says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And if you are ill, or on a journey, or one of you comes after answering the call of nature, or you have been in contact with women (by sexual relations) and you find no water, perform Tayammum with clean earth and rub therewith your faces and hands (Tayammum)”

[al-Nisa’ 4:42] 

Allaah allowed the sick person to do tayammum to protect him, just as He permitted it to the one who has no water. 

Allaah says concerning the maintenance of good health: 

“and whoever is ill or on a journey, the same number [of days which one did not observe Sawm (fasts) must be made up] from other days”

[al-Baqarah 2:185] 

The traveller is allowed to break his fast during Ramadaan, to protect his health lest the combination of fasting and the difficulties of travel weakens him and affects his health. 

And Allaah said concerning the removal of harmful things by shaving the head of the person in ihraam (for Hajj or ‘Umrah): 

“And whosoever of you is ill or has an ailment in his scalp (necessitating shaving), he must pay a Fidyah (ransom) of either observing Sawm (fasts) (three days) or giving Sadaqah (charity — feeding six poor persons) or offering sacrifice (one sheep)”

[al-Baqarah 2:196] 

So if a person has an ailment in his scalp when he is in ihraam, he is permitted to shave his head and remove the harmful thing or the bad substance that is causing lice to develop – as happened to Ka’b ibn ‘Ajrah – or if it is causing sickness to develop. 

These three matters are the basic principles of medicine. We have mentioned an example of each one in order to point out the blessing of Allaah to His slaves in preventing sickness, protecting their health and removing harmful substances from them, as a mercy and kindness towards His slaves, for He is the Most Kind, Most Merciful. 

Zaad al-Ma’aad, 1/164, 165 

Ibn al-Qayyim said: On one occasion I discussed this with one of the chief doctors of Egypt, and he said: By Allaah if I had to travel to the west to obtain these benefits that would not be too much – or words to that effect. 

Ighaathat al-Lahfaan, 1/25 

(e)    Mention of honey in the Qur’aan, and that it is a healing for mankind.

 Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“There comes forth from their [bees’] bellies, a drink of varying colour wherein is healing for men”

[al-Nahl 16:69] 

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: 

With regard to the Prophet’s guidance concerning drinking, it is the most perfect guidance that maintains good health. He used to drink honey mixed with cold water. This is very healthy and no one can understand how healthy it is except the most prominent doctors. For drinking honey on an empty stomach dissolves phlegm, cleanses the stomach, reduces its viscosity, washes away waste matter, warms it up a little and opens its inlet and exit. It has a similar effect on the liver, kidneys and urethra. It is more beneficial to the stomach than any other kind of sweet that enters it. However it may cause side effects in people who are suffering from jaundice because it is hot and jaundice is hot, so it may aggravate it; in order to avoid this effect vinegar may be added, then honey will become beneficial and drinking it will be more useful than many or most of the drinks that are made from sugar, especially for those who are not used to these drinks, for if they drink them they will not suit them as well as honey does, or even come close.  

With regard to drinking it when it is collected and well-prepared, this is one of the most beneficial things for the body, and one of the greatest means of preserving health; it is very refreshing and energizing, and it is good for the liver and heart. If it is well-prepared it provides nutrition and makes food reach all parts of the body in the most effective manner. 

Zaad al-Ma’aad, 4/224, 225 

And he said (may Allaah have mercy on him): 

Honey contains great benefits, for it cleanses impurities from the veins and stomach etc, whether it is eaten or applied to the skin. It is good for the elderly, the phlegmatic and those whose humours are cold and wet. It is nourishing, aids digestion, energizes, makes unpleasant medicine palatable, is good for the liver and chest, is a diuretic and helps to ease coughs caused by phlegm. If it is drunk warm mixed with rosewater it is beneficial for one who has been bitten by a scorpion or who has consumed opium. If it is drunk on its own mixed with water, it is good for the one who has been bitten by a rabid dog or eaten poisonous mushrooms. If fresh meat is placed in honey, it will stay fresh for three months, as will cucumbers, pumpkins and eggplants. Many fruits can be kept in it for six months. It will also preserve a dead body, and it is known as the trustworthy preserver. If the body of one who is afflicted with lice is painted with honey, it will kill the lice and their eggs. It makes the hair long, beautiful and smooth. If used on the eyes like kohl it clears the vision. If the teeth are brushed with it, it whitens the teeth and makes them bright, and keeps the gums healthy. It opens the veins and induces menstruation. If taken on an empty stomach it takes away phlegm and cleanses the stomach, clearing away waste matter and restoring the correct temperature. It does likewise to the liver, kidneys and urethra.

 As well as all this, it has no side effects and causes little harm. It may cause side effects in one who is suffering from jaundice, but that may be counteracted by vinegar and the like, in which case it becomes very beneficial for him.

 It is a kind of nourishment, a kind of medicine, a kind of drink, a kind of sweet, a kind of cream. There is nothing that has been created for us for a similar purpose that is better than it, or even comes close. The ancient peoples relied on it, and in most of the books of the ancients there is no mention of sugar at all and it was unknown to them, for it is something that is very new. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to drink honey mixed with water on an empty stomach, and this is the secret of maintaining good health that no one can understand except one who is intelligent and blessed.

 Zaad al-Ma’aad, 4/33, 34.

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9Ruling on narcotic and intoxicating medicine

Question:

In the hospital we use medicine for post-operative pain and other kinds of pain that contain narcotic substances and other medicines that contain varying amounts of alcohol. Is there anything wrong with using them?.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

There is nothing wrong with medicines which give a patient relief and reduce his pain before and after surgery, unless it is known that they c