If he accedes to such request and administers the medicine by his own hand...

If he accedes to such request and administers the medicine by his own hand, he will be guilty of murder If he gives the patient the medicine and the patient takes the medicine by his own hands, it will be suicide; and the doctor will be guilty of helping in the suicide. Q76: DEFORMED BABIES A few years ago, as a result of some medicines which women were taking to prevent pregnancy, many children were born with some of their limbs missing.

Was it allowed to give such children some medicine to terminate their lives, so that they would not suffer as a result of their freak creation? A. The reply of Question 75 applies here also.

Q77: A PATIENT KEPT ALIVE BY ARTIFICIAL EQUIPMENTS If a patient is kept alive only with the help of some medical equipment like artificial kidney; and if the doctor is sure that the patient can never be cured, is it allowed for him to remove that equipment from the patient so that he may die and be saved from pain? A. The detailed answer may be understood from the answer to the previous two questions.

Q.78: CANNIBALISM IN SOUTH AMERICA I have sent you cuttings from 'Times' Newspaper on cannibalism that took place in South America after an aircrash. Are we allowed, according to Islamic Sheriat, to eat human flesh (dead or alive) when we are starving (to death) as that happened with the Christians who were involved in that crash? A Muslim here in UK told me that we can even kill a weak person amongst us and eat his flesh if we are stranded (as in the above case). Please, comment on this. A.

In the situation under reference it is allowed to eat the dead body, because saving human life is more important than saving a dead body. But by the same reason, nobody is allowed to kill another person to eat his flesh to save himself from starvation, because it will mean taking away a life. Q79: ANIMAL SLAUGHTERED BY A JEW Is it halal or haram for Muslims to purchase, and eat meat of any kind from a Jewish kosher market? Give me, please, Qur'anic verse about it.

When are we allowed to eat the meat of an animal killed by a non-Muslim? A. The conditions, by which the meat of a slaughtered animal becomes halal, are as follows: - The person who slaughters the animal must be a Muslim. There is no exception to this rule. It must be slaughtered by an instrument made of iron. In emergencies, sharp glass or other metals may be used. At the time of slaughter, the face, stomach and legs of the animal must be facing towards Qibla, i.e., Kaaba or Mecca.