Quote:
Originally Posted by iliketofish
I've always had a hard time understanding the rationality of haram and halal when dealing with drugs. It seems that our modern religious opinion is influenced heavily by the FDA, government laws, and public opinion. Controlled opiates are OK for pain but marijuana isnt- despite the disparity in side effects. Caffeine is almost a fardh in certain households yet amphetamines/methylphenidates are shunned upon. Sure they're all different classes, but their uses- whether recreational or therapeutic- overlap.
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Dear brother,
This is not a surprise. Rather, it is a result of Islam matching up with science.
The Islamic law dictates that all these things are haram, but haram things can become halal
if there is a medical necessity. So who better to decide if there is a medical necessity other than the medical community?
Furthermore, the medical community operates on this same principle: that these things are not to be given
unless there is a medical necessity.
So the coincidence is not that big, considering the fact that both Islamic law and the medical community act on the same principle, which is that these things are not to be given/taken, unless there is a medical necessity.
Furthermore, the scholars should refer to experts in the field to dictate a ruling. Therefore, the Islamic scholars establish the principle, whereas the experts (i.e. medical doctors) provide the facts and then the principles are applied to those facts.