What is the ruling on exposing a woman's 'awrah (part of the body that must be covered) to determine the symptoms of an illness, and what is the ruling on students who expose the 'awrah of female patients for the purpose of learning?
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The questioner : What is the ruling on exposing a woman's 'awrah (part of the body that must be covered) to determine the symptoms of an illness, and what is the ruling on students who expose the 'awrah of female patients for the purpose of learning?
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family, his Companions, and those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment. I ask Him for success in being correct. Exposing what a woman is obligated to cover for the sake of medical interest, in order to identify and diagnose the illness within her, is permissible. This is because it is for a pressing need, and a pressing need permits such a forbidden act. The well-known principle among scholars is that what is forbidden as a means is permitted by a pressing need.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And what is forbidden intrinsically and as an end is not permitted except by dire necessity. They cited examples of this, including this issue: looking at what is not permissible to look at in a woman for a pressing need. Just as it is permissible for a suitor to look at what is not permissible to look at for the sake of the benefit of marriage, so too in this issue the brother asked about, it is permissible for the doctor to expose the woman to know the illness and diagnose its symptoms.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : He also says.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family, his Companions, and those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment. I ask Him for success in being correct. Exposing what a woman is obligated to cover for the sake of medical interest, in order to identify and diagnose the illness within her, is permissible. This is because it is for a pressing need, and a pressing need permits such a forbidden act. The well-known principle among scholars is that what is forbidden as a means is permitted by a pressing need.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And what is forbidden intrinsically and as an end is not permitted except by dire necessity. They cited examples of this, including this issue: looking at what is not permissible to look at in a woman for a pressing need. Just as it is permissible for a suitor to look at what is not permissible to look at for the sake of the benefit of marriage, so too in this issue the brother asked about, it is permissible for the doctor to expose the woman to know the illness and diagnose its symptoms.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : He also says.