Abstract

Although clinically assisted nutrition and hydration (CANH) can be administered to patients who are unable to meet their bodies’ need for sustenance naturally, the decision as to whether to commence, continue, and discontinue it can be fraught with difficulties. As CANH is now part of mainstream medicine, the dilemmas it gives rise to is clearly an important issue for Muslims as their religion’s ethico-legal framework imposes a value system that needs to be considered. This entry seeks to examine those challenges from an Islamic perspective.