Islam & Euthanasia (Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B)

Islam & The Nature of Euthanasia

The Nature of Euthanasia

• Euthanasia, from the Greek eu (good) thanatos (death), literally means ‘good death’ or ‘easy death’

• Euthanasia is the deliberate administering of life-ending medication by a third party. It is sometimes known as ‘assisted dying’

• There are two types of euthanasia

  • Voluntary euthanasia – when a person’s life is ended deliberately for them at their own request

  • Non-voluntary euthanasia – this is ending a person’s life deliberately and painlessly for them when they are unable to ask, but there are good reasons to think that this is what they would want

• Active euthanasia is a deliberate act by someone to end the life of another. For example, administering a lethal injection. This is illegal in the UK

• There are also actions known by medical professionals as Non Treatment Decisions that can end life

  • This is when doctors decide to withdraw medical intervention or treatment to a person when that is all that is keeping them alive and they know they are not going to get better. Sometimes this is known as passive euthanasia

• Assisted suicide is when the person who is seriously ill takes their own life: they will administer the action themselves, not a third party. Assisted suicide is not euthanasia

Muslim Teachings & Divergent Responses to Euthanasia

• Muslims are definitely against euthanasia and consider it murder in all circumstances

• They would say this because they believe in the sanctity of life: all life is sacred and is a gift from Allah

  • Euthanasia does not respect the sanctity of life

• Allah gave life, and only Allah knows how long life is

• Muslims believe that all human life has a purpose and a plan given by Allah

  • Euthanasia is wrong because it does not allow a person to fulfil their life’s purpose

• Life is a test, and suffering is part of this test. Muslims think that when people face difficult circumstances in their lives, they need to remain strong in their faith

  • This means that if they are faced with a serious illness, they should not kill themselves or have others assist them to die

  • The Qur’an teaches that people will never be given more than they can cope with:

• Muslims believe that everyone is judged by their actions on earth

  • Euthanasia is against Allah’s will and therefore someone who has had euthanasia may possibly be punished in the afterlife for their actions

• Most Muslims would say that if a person is being kept alive only via a machine, and that they would have no hope of survival if the machine was switched off, then it would be acceptable to do so and let nature take its course

  • The Islamic Code of Medical Ethics explains this position:

Muslim Responses to Non-religious Arguments About Euthanasia

Non-Religious Arguments in Support of Euthanasia

• Non-religious people, such as atheists and humanists, may support euthanasia

• Arguments they might make include

  • Euthanasia gives the person the right to die as they choose

  • The kindest action for someone who is suffering and in pain with no hope of recovery would be to allow them to end their life if it is their wish to do so

  • It allows the patient to die with dignity instead of struggling with a poor quality of life

  • Euthanasia will save medical resources, which could be used for someone who has a better chance of survival instead

  • Euthanasia relieves the patient’s family from the emotional and financial stresses they face in caring for their relative

  • Humanists believe that everyone has free will and the right to make decisions about their lives for themselves

    • In the case of euthanasia, as long as the person has not been pressured or persuaded to take the action and it is truly their will, then it is their right to make the decision for themselves

Muslim Responses to Arguments for Euthanasia

• Muslims would respond to these statements by saying that euthanasia does not respect the sanctity of life

• Arguments they might make include

  • People do not have the right to ‘play God’ with life – only Allah has the right to give and take life

  • Patients might feel pressured into agreeing to euthanasia, not because they want to die, but to ease the burden on their medical carers and their families

  • There are alternatives to euthanasia, including hospices, which are places where people with a terminal illness can receive palliative care to help them manage the symptoms of their illness and can ease their pain at the end of their life

  • Taking care of their families and honouring their parents in old age is a special duty for Muslims, and they are following Allah’s will in caring for family members who are seriously ill, instead of ending their lives through euthanasia

Ethical Theories & Muslim Responses

• Situation ethics is the ethical theory that seeks the most loving action in the  circumstances

• In the case of euthanasia, situation ethicists might say that the most loving action would be to allow the patient to die with dignity and not to continue with their lives when they are suffering and have no quality of life left

• However, euthanasia might not be the most loving thing for everyone concerned

  • The family of the patient would be left grieving for the loss of their loved one

  • Because euthanasia is illegal in the UK, the people who assisted the euthanasia would be in danger of prosecution

  • Muslims may fear that they have acted against Allah’s will if they have aided euthanasia in any way, and that they will be judged for this and potentially punished in the afterlife

  • A more loving action would be to provide hospice care for the patient so that they are not suffering unnecessarily and can have palliative care