Is it permissible for a doctor to perform tests on a healthy patient to reassure him, even though it will cost him money?

The questioner : Well, to complete this question, sometimes we also perform medical tests for a patient who complains of a symptom, and the doctor knows for certain that the tests will be normal, but this is to reassure the patient and convince him of that. For example: a man committed the forbidden act of zina, and of course he reads in the newspapers about modern diseases like AIDS, syphilis, herpes, and so on. He comes to us afraid that he might contract one of these diseases. Of course, we know their symptoms, but he comes and says, "Doctor, I am afraid, and by Allah, I do not know how to sleep at night because of what happened." Of course, we take advantage of this situation and advise him for the sake of Allah to repent and not return to it. But to remove this fear from his heart, you tell him that we will reassure him with a test, and we say to him, "We will convince you that it is fine. We will perform a medical test for you, and these tests will most likely be normal, if Allah wills." And in fact, they come out normal. So, is it permissible for us to perform these tests, knowing that they will cost him money, and our conviction as doctors is that they will come out normal, but this is so that he is convinced?

The Shaykh : No, I do not think this is permissible as long as there is a loss. The same solution is what came before: dire necessities permit the prohibited.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : But this principle...

The questioner : I try to convince him, and if he is not convinced, I go along with him.

The Shaykh : Yes, because what happened to me yesterday...

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : I developed an ulcer on the lower part of my right leg.

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : I am not bothered by it, but it is not normal; there is some redness around it and some pain that does not hinder my walking. The important thing is that we called a friend who is a doctor, like your story, a sincere person. He told me, "I will find you a doctor." The bottom line is that he referred us to a doctor we also know, one of the good Muslim doctors who appreciate me and love me. The important thing is that we went to him, and he told me—I forgot the medical term, but the point is—he said there are two ways for us. The first way is to leave this ulcer alone to see the result, because there is no major concern regarding it or from it. The second way is to take an X-ray of the leg.

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : I asked him, "What do you estimate the result of the X-ray to be? Is there a likelihood that there is something?" He mentioned to me that there might be a blockage in these arteries or the fine capillaries that are not performing their duty, so a vein needs to be tied off. This is from the kind of talk that you know better than I do.

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : The important thing is that I asked him, "What do you think? Is this procedure mostly going to have a positive result in terms of the image?" He said, "Yes, eighty to ninety percent." We said to him, "Well, you choose. As for me, I am not complaining, but my family insisted on me out of fear that it might have consequences."

The questioner: Correct.

The Shaykh : Ah, so the doctor himself told me, "By Allah, eighty to ninety percent, it should mean that the result of the image is positive." The bottom line is that we went to the radiologist. He said, "You do not need a referral; I will handle the details." The important thing is that he finally asked me for fifty dinars. I was carrying thirty, so I gave him thirty and promised him that I would send him the rest today, meaning in the evening, to complete the balance. When we returned in the evening to the first doctor, so that I could ask him for the images...

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : I said to him, "Please call the doctor so we can see him there, so that I can go back to him and complete the fee." This doctor asked me, "What is this doctor's name?"

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : He told me, "How much did he ask for, or take from you?" I said to him, "He asked for fifty, and I only had thirty, so that is why I want to reassure him that he is there so I can complete it for him." He said to me, "Fifty is a lot. Check the government list that mentions the fees for images."

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : I found it written there as thirty.

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : ... .

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : I called him and chatted with him in English. Apparently, the important thing is that he said to him in Arabic, "Take it, talk to the Shaykh." He called me and greeted me. I said to him, "I came according to the promise, or to fulfill the promise. I called the doctor, or I came to Dr. Yusuf so that he can see you are there, so that I can come to you and complete the payment for you." The doctor said very gently, "I apologize to you. I made a mistake; the fee was forty, not fifty. So he is apologizing that he asked me for ten extra."

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : And so he says that there is no need for you to come to me. First, I admit my mistake, and second, this extra ten on top of the thirty is, so to speak, out of respect for the Shaykh and his knowledge, of that sort of thing.

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : A long story. The bottom line is that if this was our first doctor, Yusuf, and he did this with me out of a desire to reassure me, he lost me thirty dinars.

The questioner : Yes, but my Shaykh, I called... First, I want to know, meaning the image came out normal, if Allah wills.

The Shaykh : Yes, negative, there is nothing.

The questioner : Praise be to Allah.

The Shaykh : Contrary to the doctor's expectation, meaning.

The questioner : Sometimes it comes out positive and has important matters, meaning.

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner : Yes, sometimes it comes out, and by the permission of Allah, it means the person took precautions, and many problems could have occurred, but by the grace of Allah, he discovered them.

The Shaykh : In any case, my intention with this example is that the doctor here is like the jurist; he must, meaning, as they say about us in Syria, walk like one walking on eggs.

The questioner : Allah is the Helper.

The Shaykh : He needs to be cautious, meaning.

The questioner : I have become very afraid, between you and me.

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner : By Allah, I am very afraid of the story.

The Shaykh : Yes, that is it. Therefore, estimate and think carefully, then proceed after placing your reliance on Allah.