Health & Medicine

What are the Islamic rulings on COVID-19 medical decisions: intubation, ventilators, and end-of-life care?

A Muslim is not obligated to accept ventilation/intubation for COVID-19 if the outcome is uncertain and they find it undignified. Every adult should prepare an advance directive. Withdrawing life support when there is no realistic benefit is permissible. These decisions must be made by the patient or their proxy, not physicians alone.

Is it obligatory (wajib) to take medicine or undergo medical treatment in Islam?

Taking medicine is mustahab (recommended), not wajib (obligatory), per the majority of all four schools. It becomes obligatory only if death is nearly certain without an easily accessible treatment. Declining treatment is not a sin in most circumstances.

Is it obligatory to take medicine or undergo medical treatment when sick?

Taking medicine is not obligatory (wajib) according to any of the four major madhabs. The mainstream position is that medicine is mustahab (recommended) at most. It only becomes wajib in the narrow case where death is near-certain without treatment, the treatment is reliable, and it is accessible. Quality of life considerations are valid — a terminally ill person who refuses difficult treatment with uncertain odds is not sinning.