Islam holds life as sacred and belonging to God and that all creatures will die one day. Suicide is forbidden. Muslims believe death is only a transition between two different lives. The terminally ill Muslim desires to perform five ritual requirements. Do not resuscitate (DNR) orders are acceptable. A deceased Muslim must always be buried after being ritually washed and wrapped. There are different Muslim schools of thought, but they are united regarding their views on death and dying.
Abdalati H: Islam in Focus. 6th Ed.Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Al-Jumah Press, 1993.
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Aziz S: Death and dying—A Muslim perspective. J Society of Medicine. 1998; 91: 138-140.
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Rahman F: Health and Medicine in the Islamic Tradition. New York: Crossroad, 1987: 91-134.
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Hathout H, Yamani AZ: Reading the Muslim Mind. 1st Ed.Plainfield, IN: American Trust Publications, 1995: 129-137.
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See also Neuberger J: Cultural issues in palliative care. In Doyle D (ed.): Oxford Textbook of Palliative Medicine. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998.
8.
Bodell J, Weng MA: The Jewish patient and terminal dehydration: A hospice ethical dilemma. American J Hospice & Palliative Care. 2000; 17(3): 185-188.
9.
al Mousawi M, Hamed T, al Matouk H: Views of Muslim scholars on organ donation and brain death. Transplant Proc. 1997; 29(8): 3217.
10.
Sakr AH: Life, Death and Life After. 1st Ed.Lombard, IL: Foundation for Islamic Knowledge, 1992: 41-49.
11.
Gatrad AR: Muslim customs surrounding death, bereavement, postmortem examinations, and organ transplants. BMJ. 1994; 309(6953): 521-523.
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Khan F: Ethic of critically ill patients—An Islamic viewpoint. J Islamic Medical Assn. 1983; 15: 105-109.
13.
Rehman KL: Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation and life support, the current laws and the Muslim perspective. J Islamic Medical Assn. 1993; 25: 20-22.
