Question:
Is it permissable to prescribe morphine or Pethidin for patients? Is morphine
a type of intoxicant (khamr) that is forbidden as medicine?
Answer:
Verily the praises are to Allah, and may Allah’s peace and blessings be
upon prophet Muhammed.
Generally speaking, medications such as morphine, etc. are not allowed
because they are intoxicants (khamr), and rasul Allah, may Allah’s peace and
blessings be upon him, stated that they are not cures, but rather a malady
Darul Ifta, the lead scholars of the world directed by shaikh Bin Baz, has ruled that
in cases where there are no other permissable drugs that can be used to relieve pain except
for them, it would be permissible to make use of them when necessary, as long as
greater harm does not result from them like being addicted to them. They also ruled that
it is not allowed to prescribe them if they advance death, even if a patient suffers
profusely without them.
And Allah knows.
Shaikh Sajid