The Islamic code of ethics

The art of healing is a noble profession and the knowledge of medicine, like all knowledge, comes from God. Since God’s mercy, like the rays of His sun, the comfort of His breeze and the bounty of His provision, falls upon all, both good and evil, virtuous and vicious, friend and foe, so must medical care be dispensed to all, in the name of mercy alone. The medical profession must never yield to social pressures, enmity of feud, be they personal, political or military.

In working to preserve and safeguard life and health, the physician will always pay the utmost regard to his patient’s dignity, feelings, vulnerability and right to privacy. The patient is entitled to his physician’s full attention and best care and should be able to place trust in him. The physician’s privileged exemption from certain applications of the Law is matched by his heightened duty to practice conscientiously, with excellence and in the name of God.

The physician should be wise and gentle, smiling not frowning, loving not hating, bearing no malice and harbouring no grudge. He should be an instrument of God’s mercy not of His justice. The physician should be quiet in his manner, chaste in his speech, neat in his appearance, polite in his behaviour, composed and dignified in his attitude.

The physician should ever bear in mind that life is given by God and taken away only by God and that death is the end of one life and the beginning of another. In his practice the physician is a soldier in the defence of life.

The physician should always be true to his word and never give false testimony. He is an instrument through whom God works to preserve life and health and so should remain ever humble and thankful. As an instrument it is incumbent on him to constantly add to his skills by study, the pursuit of knowledge being in itself a form of worship.

The patient is master and the physician is at his service. No matter how humble or how high in the land, the patient within the sanctuary of his illness shall have a right to the physician’s best attention and his family to the physician’s most kindly and considerate support. Since health is a need, the physician shall not withold his services when his rightful fee cannot be met but rather shall he lavish his best care on the poor in the manner of alms and in the knowledge that God’s eye is upon him.

A physician shall therefore always have regards for the high standards demanded of his profession and never yield blandishments of persuaders nor lend himself to profitmaking.

The physician shall not permit any of his special knowledge to be used to harm, destroy or inflict damage on the body,mind or spirit, whatever the military or political issues…

(Excerpts from: Islamic Code of Medical Ethics published in World Medical Journal, December 1988, pages 78- 80. By courtesy of Amnesty International.)