Why It is Halal for a Male Doctor to Examine a Female Patient
C.J Ahmed-14.04.2023
A male doctor can examine a female patient and there is nothing haram in doing so.
There is much debate on whether a doctor, especially a male doctor could examine a female patient and the answer to this is , there is nothing haram in a male doctor examinine a female patient and vice verse because touching a non-Mahram is not haram in Islam and the evidence is as follows,
Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:
“A slave girl of Madīnah would take hold of the hand of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and would take him wherever she wished” (Bukhari)
If touching was haram, the prophet (sal) would not have held the hand of the woman as mentiond in this hadith. The other issue a doctor would have is whether he or she can look at the private part of the opposite gender and the answer is yes, you can look at the private parts of the opposite gender because in Ilsma, under necessity you can do so,
Narrated Anas (rali):
The Prophet (sal) allowed `Abdur-Rahman bin `Auf and Az-Zubair bin Al-`Awwam to wear silk because they were suffering from an itch" .
(Sahih Al Bukhari)
Large amounts of silk is generally forbidden for men and and certain reasons and necessity the two mentioned Sahabi in the hadith were allowed to wear silk. Allah (says in the Quran,
"He hath only forbidden you dead meat, and blood, and the flesh of swine, and that on which any other name hath been invoked besides that of Allah. But if one is forced by necessity, without wilful disobedience, nor transgressing due limits,- then is he guiltless. For Allah is Oft-forgiving Most Merciful." (Al-Quran 2:178)
He has only forbidden you dead meat, and blood, and the flesh of swine, and any (food) over which the name of other than Allah has been invoked. But if one is forced by necessity, without wilful disobedience, nor transgressing due limits,- then Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."
(Al Quran-16:115)
Eating dead animals is generally haram but under necsity it was allowed and the following hadith proves this,
Narrated Jabir ibn Samurah:
A man alighted at Harrah with his wife and children. A man said (to him): My she-camel has strayed; if you find it, detain it.
He found it, but did not find its owner, and it fell ill. His wife said: Slaughter it. But he refused and it died.
She said: Skin it so that we may dry its fat and flesh and then eat them.
He said: Let me ask the Messenger of Allah (sal). So he came to him (the Prophet) and asked him. He said: Have you sufficient for your needs? He replied: No. He then said: Then eat it.
Then its owner came and he told him the story. He said: Why did you not slaughter it? He replied: I was ashamed (or afraid) of you (Abu-Dawud-Graded Sahih by Albani)
Conclusion
A doctor can look at the awrah of the opposite sex because it is a pragmatic necessity. Being a doctor is not only halal, but is a profession which brings rewards in the hearafter because helping another will bring rewards in Islam.
A male doctor can examine a female patient and there is nothing haram in doing so.
There is much debate on whether a doctor, especially a male doctor could examine a female patient and the answer to this is , there is nothing haram in a male doctor examinine a female patient and vice verse because touching a non-Mahram is not haram in Islam and the evidence is as follows,
Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:
“A slave girl of Madīnah would take hold of the hand of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and would take him wherever she wished” (Bukhari)
If touching was haram, the prophet (sal) would not have held the hand of the woman as mentiond in this hadith. The other issue a doctor would have is whether he or she can look at the private part of the opposite gender and the answer is yes, you can look at the private parts of the opposite gender because in Ilsma, under necessity you can do so,
Narrated Anas (rali):
The Prophet (sal) allowed `Abdur-Rahman bin `Auf and Az-Zubair bin Al-`Awwam to wear silk because they were suffering from an itch" .
(Sahih Al Bukhari)
Large amounts of silk is generally forbidden for men and and certain reasons and necessity the two mentioned Sahabi in the hadith were allowed to wear silk. Allah (says in the Quran,
"He hath only forbidden you dead meat, and blood, and the flesh of swine, and that on which any other name hath been invoked besides that of Allah. But if one is forced by necessity, without wilful disobedience, nor transgressing due limits,- then is he guiltless. For Allah is Oft-forgiving Most Merciful." (Al-Quran 2:178)
He has only forbidden you dead meat, and blood, and the flesh of swine, and any (food) over which the name of other than Allah has been invoked. But if one is forced by necessity, without wilful disobedience, nor transgressing due limits,- then Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."
(Al Quran-16:115)
Eating dead animals is generally haram but under necsity it was allowed and the following hadith proves this,
Narrated Jabir ibn Samurah:
A man alighted at Harrah with his wife and children. A man said (to him): My she-camel has strayed; if you find it, detain it.
He found it, but did not find its owner, and it fell ill. His wife said: Slaughter it. But he refused and it died.
She said: Skin it so that we may dry its fat and flesh and then eat them.
He said: Let me ask the Messenger of Allah (sal). So he came to him (the Prophet) and asked him. He said: Have you sufficient for your needs? He replied: No. He then said: Then eat it.
Then its owner came and he told him the story. He said: Why did you not slaughter it? He replied: I was ashamed (or afraid) of you (Abu-Dawud-Graded Sahih by Albani)
Conclusion
A doctor can look at the awrah of the opposite sex because it is a pragmatic necessity. Being a doctor is not only halal, but is a profession which brings rewards in the hearafter because helping another will bring rewards in Islam.