What is the ruling on touching a patient for medical purposes? In the radiology section, the female radiologist has to touch the male patient in order to adjust his position for radiology. Please note that the radiologist has no right to choose the gender of the patient whom she deals with. What is the sharia ruling? May Allaah reward you.

All perfect praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah  and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

Principally a woman is not allowed to remain in seclusion with a non-Mahram (permanently unmarriageable) man, let alone touch him, even if he is a patient. If necessary, however, it is permissible for a female radiologist to touch a male patient in order to ”adjust his position for radiology”. This is applicable when there is no one except her to carry out this task and she is obliged to do so. Nevertheless, the following regulations must be observed:

First: there must be no meeting in seclusion.

Second: there must be a separating medium between her and him, such as gloves.

Third: she must not look at his ‘Awrah (bodily parts which must be covered).

Allaah  Knows best.