Euthanasia

Islam attaches utmost sanctity to human life. Its inviolability is guaranteed not only against the aggression by an outside assailant but also the person himself/herself except as justified by Islamic law. Accordingly, both homicide and suicide are prohibited in Islam. Advancements in the field of medicine, however, have created a new way of ending the life of a patient either on his/her own initiative or if a treating physician deems it fit to discontinue futile medical care, which is called euthanasia. This entry aims to present a compact view of Islamic juridico-ethical stand on the issue