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Opinions on the Legitimacy of Brain Death Among Sunni and Shi’a Scholars

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Abstract

The concept of brain death poses a great challenge to clinicians who may be required to bridge the interface of culture, religion, law, and medicine. This review discusses and applies Islamic jurisprudence to the question of whether brain death is accepted as true death under Islamic law. Among the five sources of Islamic law, the Qur’an and Sunnah do not directly address brain death. Scholarly consensus (Ijmā’) does not exist, and Qiya does not apply. When applying Ijtihad, the identified collection of non-binding fatwā offer conflicting results. Debate continues as to the validity of brain-death criteria within Islamic circles.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Emergency Medicine, West Virginia University School of Medicine, 1 Medical Center Drive, Morgantown, WV, 26506-9149, USA

    Andrew C. Miller

  2. Critical Care Medicine Department, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA

    Andrew C. Miller

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  1. Andrew C. Miller
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Correspondence to Andrew C. Miller.

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The opinions expressed are those of the author. They do not represent any position or policy of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, the Public Health Service, the Department of Health and Human Services, or the State of West Virginia.

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Miller, A.C. Opinions on the Legitimacy of Brain Death Among Sunni and Shi’a Scholars. J Relig Health 55, 394–402 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-015-0157-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-015-0157-8

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