The living will (wasiyat al-hayy): A study of its legality in the light of Islamic jurisprudence

Medicine and Law

Volumn 19, Issue 1, 2000, Pages 147-160

  Ebrahim, Abul Fadl Mohsin ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF KWAZULU NATAL   (South Africa)

Author keywords

Euthanasia; Jurisprudence; Last will and testament; Living will; Medical options; Pain and suffering; Power of attorney; Refusal of treatment; Switching off life support equipment; Tubal feeding

Indexed keywords

ARTICLE; DEATH AND EUTHANASIA; HUMAN; LEGAL ASPECT; LIVING WILL; MEDICAL ETHICS; RELIGION; RELIGIOUS APPROACH; SOUTH AFRICA;

DEATH AND EUTHANASIA; RELIGIOUS APPROACH;

ETHICS, MEDICAL; HUMANS; ISLAM; LIVING WILLS; RELIGION AND MEDICINE; SOUTH AFRICA;

EID: 0033649217     PISSN: 07231393     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: None     Document Type: Article

References (40)

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2. Qur'an, 5:109.
3. Al-Bukhari, Muhammad bin Isma'il. Sahih al-Bukhari Cairo. Dar al-Sha'b, n.d. "Kitab al-Was ya". Vol. 4, p.2.
4. Omar, M.S. An Introduction to the Islamic Law of Succession. Durban. Impress 1982, p. 2.
5. Al-Rabi'ah, Ali Abd al-Rahman. "Al-Wasiyah" in Majallat Majma' al-Fiqhi. Makkah al-Mukarramah. Rabitat al-'Alam al-Islami. 1409H/1989. Vol. 3, p. 69.
6. Leonard-Taitz, Jerold. "Euthanasia, the Right to Die and the Law in South Africa" in The International Journal of Medicine and Law. 1992. Vol. 11, p. 604.
7. There are many versions of the Living Will. This particular one was issued by Save The Living Society, Westville, Durban, South Africa.
8. "Euthanasia, the Right to Die and the Law in South Africa", op. cit., p. 599.
9. Qur'an 16:70.
10. Qur'an 2:178.
11. Al-Juzayri, 'Abd al-Rahman. Kitab al-Fiqh 'ala al-Madhahib al-'Arba'ah. Beirut. Dar al-Fikr al-'Arabi, n.d. Vol. 5, p. 226.
12. Qur'an, 535.
13. Qur'an, 17:33.
14. Hathout, Hassan. "Euthanasia" in Death and Dying: Advising Patient & Family. Durban. Islamic Medical Association of South Africa. 1995, p. 14.
15. Ibid, p. 17.
16. Qur'an, 29:2.
17. Qur'an 2:155-156.
18. Karim, Al-Haj Maulana Fazlul Al-Hadis. Lahore. The Book House. 1939. Vol. 1, p. 319.
19. Qur'an, 2:286.
20. Al-Sijistani, Abu Da'ud Sulayman. Sunan Abi Da'ud. Beirut. Dar Ihy ' al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah. Kit b al-Tibb, n.d. Part 4, p. 3.
21. Al-Bukh r, Muhammad bin Isma'il. Sahih al-Bukhari. Cairo. Dar al-Sha'b, n.d. Kitab al-Sawm. Vol. 3, p. 51.
22. "Euthanasia, the Right to Die and the Law in South Africa", op. cit, p. 601.
23. Institute of Medical Ethics Working Party on the Ethics of Prolonging Life and Assisting Death, UK. "Withdrawal of life-support from patients in a persistent vegetative state" in The Lancet Vol. 337. January 12 1991, p. 97.
24. Qur'an, 4:29.
25. Al-Hadis op. cit. Vol. 2, p. 514.
26. For the different legal status of wills see Kitab al-Fiqh 'ala al-Madhahib al-'Arba'ah, op. cit Vol. 3, p. 328.
27. Sunan Abi Da'ud. Eng. Trans, by Professor Ahmad Hasan. Lahore. Sh. Muhammad Ashraf. 1984. Vol. II. Hadith no. 3102, p. 884.
28. Qur'an, 3:139.
29. Qur'an, 2:185.
30. Zuhayli, Wahbah. Al-Fiqh al-Islami. Damascus. Dar al-Fikr li al-Tiba'ah wa al-Tawzi' wa al-Nashr. 1986. Vol. 4, p. 33.
31. Resolution No. (5) of the Third Session of the Council of the Islamic Fiqh Academy in Organisation of the Islamic Conference's Islamic Fiqh Academy - Resolutions and Recommendations. Jeddah. Mat bi' Shirkat Dar al-'llm li al-Tiba'ah wa al-Nashr. 1406-1409H/ 1985-1989, p. 30.
32. Darsh. Islamic Health Rules. England Taha Publishers. 1981, p. 3.
33. Qur'an, 5:2.
34. Al-Bukh r, Muhammad bin Isma' il. Sahih al-Bukhari. Cairo. Dar al-Sha'b, n.d. Kitab al-Adab. Part 8, p. 12.
35. See "Qarar al-Majma' al-Fiqhi bi Shan Mawdu' Zira'at al-Ada' in Majallah al-Majma'a al-Fiqhi. Makkah al-Mukarramah. Matabi' Rabitat al-Islami 1408 A.H./1987. Vol. 1, p. 40.
36. Lamb, David. "Organ Transplants" in Death, Dying and Bereavement. Ed. by Dickenson, Donna and Johnson, Malcolm. London. Sage Publications Ltd 1993.
37. Resolution No. (1) of the Fourth Session of the Council of the Islamic Fiqh Academy in Organisation of the Islamic Conference's Islamic Fiqh Academy - Resolutions and Recommendations. Jeddah. Matabi' Shirkat Dar al-'Ilm li al-Tiba'ah wa al-Nashr. 1406-1409H/ 1985-1989, p. 52.
38. For an account as to who can be appointed as the wakil see Kitab al-Fiqh 'ala al-Madhahib al-'Arba'ah, op. cit. Vol. 3, pp. 170-171.
39. The provision for two witnesses is based on the Qur'anic injuction which appears in 2:282.10.
40. Qur'an, 6:2.