Medical Errors in the Islamic Jurisdiction

علاج میں خطاء کےشرعی احکام

Abstract

This paper aims at explaining the meaning of medical errors, highlighting their types, methods for prevention, when does the doctor take the responsibility for his error and what are the standards and principles which Foqaha' (Legists) used in order to
determine a doctor's responsibility for any harm that a patient experiences when he/she is exposed to medical treatment.This meant that the doctor is not alone in this field but there is a team of experts in different fields such as laboratory analyses, x-ray, nursing and others.The research has discussed the principles upon which medical error is based and what are the basics with which this error is measured. Also what is the criterion that the Foqaha' have set to free the doctor from any accountability whenever he commits an error. Among those issues that the research has talked about are the impacts of the medical error that our Foqaha' have explained.The concluding part includes the final decisions of different Islamic Fiqh academies on this matter.