Healthcare and Its Relationship to Lifespans
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Medicine
Fatwa No. (3829)
Q: Having read the al-Da'wah magazine, issue (778), dated 22/2/1401 AH, page (32), I found that the author, in what was mentioned on that page, stated: (It is beyond doubt—as we have previously clarified—that the more healthcare increases, the fewer the deaths and the greater the population). I say in response to this: Healthcare has its effective role in the health of bodies and in combating some diseases, but that care has no share in lifespans, for that is in the knowledge of Allah, under His control, and lifespans are limited, as the Exalted said:[Yunus 10:49] Therefore, I thought that I, and many others like me, desire to clarify this in a broader way. Does healthcare have a role in delaying lifespans as the author said? And if it does not, and the above verse provides conclusive proof of that, and it has not been abrogated, I ask you to clarify this.
A: The decree of Allah the Exalted in His creation is to link causes
through their causes, so He linked the creation of offspring to intercourse, the growth of crops to sowing seeds in the earth and watering them, burning to fire, and drowning or wetness to water, among other causes and their effects. He the Exalted said:[Al-Anbya 21:30] And He said: [An-Naba 78:14-16] And He said: [Qaf 50:9-11] And He said: [Al-Anfal 8:11] These verses and their like contain material causes and spiritual and material effects, and Allah linked them, making the former a cause for the latter, and both are from the creation of Allah the Exalted and by His decree and divine decree. There are also spiritual causes for which Allah arranged material and spiritual effects, and He created them through them, and He is able to
create the effects without their causes, but He, Glorified is He, has established His Sunnah that He creates these through those, and brings them into existence by them, for a wisdom He knows. He the Exalted said:[Hud 11:1-3] And He said regarding His Prophet Hud (peace be upon him) in his call to his people: [Hud 11:52] And He said regarding His Prophet Noah (peace be upon him) in his call to his people: [Nuh 71:2-4] And He the Exalted said regarding His messengers (peace be upon them) in their call to their nations: [Ibrahim 14:10]
And He, Glorified is He, mentioned that a group of the hypocrites said about their brothers who were killed in the Battle of Uhud:[Ali 'Imran 3:156] So He, Glorified is He, commanded His Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) to say to them: [Ali 'Imran 3:154] Thus it was made clear that the killing of a soul is tied to its cause, and that the one killed is dead by his appointed time, not before it and not without a cause. It is established that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 56 Narrated by al-Bukhari , Muslim , Abu Dawud , and al-Nasa'i . Accordingly, healthcare has its effective role in the health of bodies and the combating of diseases, as the questioner said, but by the permission of Allah and His decree, according to what preceded in His knowledge, and by His making that care a cause for its results and arranging its effects upon it by His decree and divine decree, according to what preceded in His knowledge. Thus it is clear that causes have a share in their effects from the aspect of Allah making them a cause,
and from the aspect of His command to take them, hoping that Allah will arrange their effects upon them, not from their own essence or by their independent influence in their results, but by Allah making them influential. And if Allah had willed to strip them of the properties He deposited in them, He would have done so, as occurred in His stripping fire of its property, so it did not burn His friend Ibrahim (peace be upon him), but was coolness and peace for him, and in His stripping the property of fluidity and drowning from the water of the sea, until Moses (peace be upon him) and his people passed through in safety and peace, and He returned that property to it when Pharaoh and those with him passed through, so He drowned them. The effects are tied to their causes by decree and divine decree, even the appointed times, long and short, with care and neglect, according to what preceded in His knowledge. So the questioner's statement: "That care has no share in the appointed times" is not correct in an absolute sense, for it has a share in that, as explained above. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and his Companions.
Fatwa No. (3829)
Q: Having read the al-Da'wah magazine, issue (778), dated 22/2/1401 AH, page (32), I found that the author, in what was mentioned on that page, stated: (It is beyond doubt—as we have previously clarified—that the more healthcare increases, the fewer the deaths and the greater the population). I say in response to this: Healthcare has its effective role in the health of bodies and in combating some diseases, but that care has no share in lifespans, for that is in the knowledge of Allah, under His control, and lifespans are limited, as the Exalted said:
For every nation is a [specified] term. When their time has come, then they will not remain behind an hour, nor will they precede [it]."
لِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ أَجَلٌ إِذَا جَاءَ أَجَلُهُمْ فَلا يَسْتَأْخِرُونَ سَاعَةً وَلاَ يَسْتَقْدِمُونَA: The decree of Allah the Exalted in His creation is to link causes
through their causes, so He linked the creation of offspring to intercourse, the growth of crops to sowing seeds in the earth and watering them, burning to fire, and drowning or wetness to water, among other causes and their effects. He the Exalted said:
and made from water every living thing
وَجَعَلْنَا مِنَ الْمَاءِ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ حَيٍّ(14) And sent down, from the rain clouds, pouring water (15) That We may bring forth thereby grain and vegetation (16) And gardens of entwined growth.
وَأَنْـزَلْنَا مِنَ الْمُعْصِرَاتِ مَاءً ثَجَّاجًا (14) لِنُخْرِجَ بِهِ حَبًّا وَنَبَاتًا (15) وَجَنَّاتٍ أَلْفَافًا(9) And We have sent down blessed rain from the sky and made grow thereby gardens and grain from the harvest (10) And lofty palm trees having fruit arranged in layers - (11) As provision for the servants, and We have given life thereby to a dead land. Thus is the resurrection.
وَنَـزَّلْنَا مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً مُبَارَكًا فَأَنْبَتْنَا بِهِ جَنَّاتٍ وَحَبَّ الْحَصِيدِ (9) وَالنَّخْلَ بَاسِقَاتٍ لَهَا طَلْعٌ نَضِيدٌ (10) رِزْقًا لِلْعِبَادِ وَأَحْيَيْنَا بِهِ بَلْدَةً مَيْتًا كَذَلِكَ الْخُرُوجُand sent down upon you from the sky, rain by which to purify you and remove from you the evil [suggestions] of Satan and to make steadfast your hearts and plant firmly thereby your feet.
وَيُنَـزِّلُ عَلَيْكُمْ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً لِيُطَهِّرَكُمْ بِهِ وَيُذْهِبَ عَنْكُمْ رِجْزَ الشَّيْطَانِ وَلِيَرْبِطَ عَلَى قُلُوبِكُمْ وَيُثَبِّتَ بِهِ الأَقْدَامَcreate the effects without their causes, but He, Glorified is He, has established His Sunnah that He creates these through those, and brings them into existence by them, for a wisdom He knows. He the Exalted said:
(1) Alif, Lam, Ra. [This is] a Book whose verses are perfected and then presented in detail from [one who is] Wise and Acquainted. (2) [Through a messenger, saying], "Do not worship except Allah. Indeed, I am to you from Him a warner and a bringer of good tidings," (3) And [saying], "Seek forgiveness of your Lord and repent to Him, [and] He will let you enjoy a good provision for a specified term and give every doer of favor his favor. But if you turn away, then indeed, I fear for you the punishment of a great Day.
كِتَابٌ أُحْكِمَتْ آيَاتُهُ ثُمَّ فُصِّلَتْ مِنْ لَدُنْ حَكِيمٍ خَبِيرٍ (1) أَلا تَعْبُدُوا إِلا اللَّهَ إِنَّنِي لَكُمْ مِنْهُ نَذِيرٌ وَبَشِيرٌ (2) وَأَنِ اسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ ثُمَّ تُوبُوا إِلَيْهِ يُمَتِّعْكُمْ مَتَاعًا حَسَنًا إِلَى أَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى وَيُؤْتِ كُلَّ ذِي فَضْلٍ فَضْلَهُ وَإِنْ تَوَلَّوْا فَإِنِّي أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ كَبِيرٍAnd O my people, ask forgiveness of your Lord and then repent to Him. He will send [rain from] the sky upon you in showers and increase you in strength [added] to your strength. And do not turn away, [being] criminals."
وَيَا قَوْمِ اسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ ثُمَّ تُوبُوا إِلَيْهِ يُرْسِلِ السَّمَاءَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِدْرَارًا وَيَزِدْكُمْ قُوَّةً إِلَى قُوَّتِكُمْ وَلاَ تَتَوَلَّوْا مُجْرِمِينَ(2) He said, "O my people, indeed I am to you a clear warner, (3) [Saying], 'Worship Allah, fear Him and obey me. (4) Allah will forgive you of your sins and delay you for a specified term. Indeed, the time [set by] Allah, when it comes, will not be delayed, if you only knew.' "
يَا قَوْمِ إِنِّي لَكُمْ نَذِيرٌ مُبِينٌ (2) أَنِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَاتَّقُوهُ وَأَطِيعُونِ (3) يَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ مِنْ ذُنُوبِكُمْ وَيُؤَخِّرْكُمْ إِلَى أَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى إِنَّ أَجَلَ اللَّهِ إِذَا جَاءَ لاَ يُؤَخَّرُ لَوْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَTheir messengers said, "Can there be doubt about Allah, Creator of the heavens and earth? He invites you that He may forgive you of your sins, and He delays your death for a specified term."
قَالَتْ رُسُلُهُمْ أَفِي اللَّهِ شَكٌّ فَاطِرِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ يَدْعُوكُمْ لِيَغْفِرَ لَكُمْ مِنْ ذُنُوبِكُمْ وَيُؤَخِّرَكُمْ إِلَى أَجَلٍ مُسَمًّىAnd He, Glorified is He, mentioned that a group of the hypocrites said about their brothers who were killed in the Battle of Uhud:
If they had been with us, they would not have died or have been killed
لَوْ كَانُوا عِنْدَنَا مَا مَاتُوا وَمَا قُتِلُواEven if you had been inside your houses, those decreed to be killed would have come out to their death beds.
لَوْ كُنْتُمْ فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ لَبَرَزَ الَّذِينَ كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْقَتْلُ إِلَى مَضَاجِعِهِمْAnyone who wants to have his provision expanded and his term of life prolonged should maintain ties of kinship.
من أحب أن يبسط له في رزقه وأن ينسأ له في أثره فليصل رحمهand from the aspect of His command to take them, hoping that Allah will arrange their effects upon them, not from their own essence or by their independent influence in their results, but by Allah making them influential. And if Allah had willed to strip them of the properties He deposited in them, He would have done so, as occurred in His stripping fire of its property, so it did not burn His friend Ibrahim (peace be upon him), but was coolness and peace for him, and in His stripping the property of fluidity and drowning from the water of the sea, until Moses (peace be upon him) and his people passed through in safety and peace, and He returned that property to it when Pharaoh and those with him passed through, so He drowned them. The effects are tied to their causes by decree and divine decree, even the appointed times, long and short, with care and neglect, according to what preceded in His knowledge. So the questioner's statement: "That care has no share in the appointed times" is not correct in an absolute sense, for it has a share in that, as explained above. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and his Companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.