Q149 :Is it permissible for a Muslim woman to have
her baby delivered by a male doctor?
A149 : In normal circumstances, a Muslim woman
should have her baby delivered by a Muslim woman midwife or doctor. It
is not permissible for her to reveal of her body what a man is not
allowed to see of her. However, there are circumstances which make a
woman’s condition particularly difficult and she needs to be attended
by an experienced or specialized male doctor. It may happen that such a
doctor, with the necessary expertise, cannot be found among the lady
doctors in the netmunity. In such circumstances, if the man doctor
equipped with the necessary experience attends her delivery, that is
permissible. One must not forget that this is in an emergency case and
emergencies are treated individually, according to the need and the
risk involved in every particular case. [ Added: e.g. Haraam meat is
permissible to save life, so long as it is not taken more than
absolutely necessary to sustain life. It is the niyyah that is the
crucial factor.] The rule is that if a woman can do the job in hand
satisfactorily, resort to a man is not permissible to a Muslim patient.
When the skill or experience required is possessed only by a man, his
services may be employed within what is needed.
Our Dialogue ( Source : Arab News – Jeddah )