September 11, 2026

This position paper addresses the responsibilities of Muslim patients and physicians under the Illinois End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act, also known as Deb’s Law. The law is slated to take effect on September 12, 2026. The law permits a physician to prescribe medication intended to bring about the death of a qualified terminally ill patient. Although no physician is required to prescribe the medication or otherwise participate in aid-in-dying care, the law does require physicians to refer the patient either to a willing professional or to a person or organization that can assist the patient in seeking such “care.”

AUTHORS AND CORROBORATING SCHOLARS

Mufti Hisham Dawood
Chair, Darul Ifta
Author

Mufti Shaheer Pathan
Assistant Mufti, Darul Ifta
Co-Author

Shaykh M.A. Kholwadia
President, Darul Qasim
Corroborates

Mufti Ehzaz Ajmeri
Mufti, Darul Ifta
Corroborates