Why It is Not Haram for a Male Doctor to Treat a Female in Islam
C.J Ahmed-13.04.2023
There is nothing wrong in a male doctor treating a female because treating ailments and disease are of necessity and under Islam, anything that is haram is halal under necessity.
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)
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.
There is an opinion amng some sholars that a male doctor cannot directly treat a femle patient and he is only allowed to treat her if the following conditions are met,
. Islam encourages helping other people and being a doctor is not only halal in Islam, it is a rewarding in Islam.
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said,
“Whoever relieves the hardship of a believer in this world, Allah will relieve his hardship on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever helps ease one in difficulty, Allah will make it easy for him in this world and the Hereafter. Whoever conceals the faults of a Muslim, Allah will conceal his faults in this world and the Hereafter. Allah helps the servant as long as he helps his brother. Whoever travels a path in search of knowledge, Allah will make easy for him a path to Paradise. People do not gather in the houses of Allah, reciting the Book of Allah and studying it together, but that tranquility will descend upon them, mercy will cover them, angels will surround them, and Allah will mention them to those near Him. Whoever is slow to good deeds will not be hastened by his lineage.”(Sahih Muslim)
During the time of the prophet (sal) there were doctors who performed surgeries and the below hadiths prove them,
Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah:
‘’ The Prophet (sal) sent a physician to Ubayy (ibn Ka'b), and he cut his vein.” (Abu Dawud-Graded Sahih by Albani)
Prophet (sal) sent to Ubayy b. Ka'b a physician who cut a vein of his and cauterized it. (Sahih Muslim and Mishkat ul Msabih which was authenticated by Sheikh Albani)
Abu Rimthah said “My father said to him (the Prophet): Show me what is on your back, for I am a physician. He (the Prophet) said: You are only a soother. Its physician is He Who has created it.” (Abu Dawud-Graded Sahih by Albani)
A doctor can look at the awrah of the opposite sex because it is a pragmatic necessity and there is nothing haram in a male doctor treating a female if the patient is consenting to it.
There is nothing wrong in a male doctor treating a female because treating ailments and disease are of necessity and under Islam, anything that is haram is halal under necessity.
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)
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.
There is an opinion amng some sholars that a male doctor cannot directly treat a femle patient and he is only allowed to treat her if the following conditions are met,
- A female specialist doctor should treat the femle patient
- And if there is no female patient, then a non-Muslim female doctor should treat the female patient
- And if there is no Muslim or non-Mslim doctor, the male doctor ca treat the female patient
. Islam encourages helping other people and being a doctor is not only halal in Islam, it is a rewarding in Islam.
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said,
“Whoever relieves the hardship of a believer in this world, Allah will relieve his hardship on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever helps ease one in difficulty, Allah will make it easy for him in this world and the Hereafter. Whoever conceals the faults of a Muslim, Allah will conceal his faults in this world and the Hereafter. Allah helps the servant as long as he helps his brother. Whoever travels a path in search of knowledge, Allah will make easy for him a path to Paradise. People do not gather in the houses of Allah, reciting the Book of Allah and studying it together, but that tranquility will descend upon them, mercy will cover them, angels will surround them, and Allah will mention them to those near Him. Whoever is slow to good deeds will not be hastened by his lineage.”(Sahih Muslim)
During the time of the prophet (sal) there were doctors who performed surgeries and the below hadiths prove them,
Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah:
‘’ The Prophet (sal) sent a physician to Ubayy (ibn Ka'b), and he cut his vein.” (Abu Dawud-Graded Sahih by Albani)
Prophet (sal) sent to Ubayy b. Ka'b a physician who cut a vein of his and cauterized it. (Sahih Muslim and Mishkat ul Msabih which was authenticated by Sheikh Albani)
Abu Rimthah said “My father said to him (the Prophet): Show me what is on your back, for I am a physician. He (the Prophet) said: You are only a soother. Its physician is He Who has created it.” (Abu Dawud-Graded Sahih by Albani)
A doctor can look at the awrah of the opposite sex because it is a pragmatic necessity and there is nothing haram in a male doctor treating a female if the patient is consenting to it.