The concept of brain death refers to the irreversible
loss of brain function which includes the brain stem.
The diagnosis of brain death is a controversial
issue among Muslim scholars and medical experts because it involves the pronouncement of death
of a patient whose heart is still beating with the
assistance of a ventilator (breathing apparatus).
Many countries recognise brain death as true death.
However, there are religious scholars and medical
experts who disagree with the concept of brain
death because they believe that the soul still exists in
one’s body although the brain has been diagnosed as
dead. From their point of view, the heartbeat shows
that the soul is still present in the body. From the
perspective of Islam, a person is considered dead
when there is separation between the soul and body.
This paper will discuss the arguments pertaining
to the soul which have been used in rejecting the
concept and diagnosis of brain death.