Ruling on drinking human urine as a medicine
Fatwa No: 265930

Question

Ayurvedic treatment allows cow's and human urine (own's wife) what is the islamic teachin?

Answer

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 is His slave and Messenger.

With regard to the urine of cows, it is pure, so whoever is content with drinking it, there is nothing wrong with that and he is not sinful because the urine of animals which are lawful for us to eat is pure according to the most valid view of the scholars.

The proof that their urine is pure is that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, ordered some Bedouins who came to Madeenah and who became sick to drink the urine and milk of camels. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]. If this urine is impure, he, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, would not have ordered them to drink it. For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 93051.

As regards the urine of a human being, it is impure and it is not permissible to drink it without necessity. In principle, it is forbidden to seek treatment with what is unlawful and impure due to the general evidence about this, like the saying of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam: “Indeed, Allaah has sent down the disease and the cure, and He made for every disease a cure. Therefore, seek treatment, but do not seek treatment in what is forbidden.” [Abu Daawood]

Also, Abu Hurayrah said: “The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, prohibited impure medicine.” [Ahmad, Abu Daawood and at-Tirmithi]

However, in case of necessity, it is permissible to seek treatment with what is forbidden, like impure things; the proof for this is the general evidence on the permissibility for a person who is in necessity to commit what is forbidden, like the saying of Allaah (which means): {…while He has explained in detail to you what He has forbidden you, excepting that to which you are compelled.} [Quran 6:119] This verse and other verses are evidence that it is permissible to consume what is forbidden in case of necessity.

Al-‘Izz ibn Abdus-Salaam said in his Qawaa‘id al-Ahkaam: “It is permissible to seek treatment with impurities if a person does not find a pure alternative because the benefit of being safe  and in good health is greater than the benefit of avoiding impurities.” [End of quote]

Besides, An-Nawawi said in  his Al-Majmoo‘: “If a person is compelled to drink blood, urine or other fluid impurities other than intoxicants, then it is permissible to drink them without any difference of opinion. . . . (till he said), but it is permissible to seek treatment with impurities only if a person does not find a pure alternative instead. In case there is a pure alternative, then the impurity becomes forbidden without any difference of opinion. It is on this basis that the Hadeeth ‘Allaah did not put your cure in what He has forbidden from you’ should be interpreted as such thing is forbidden when there is a pure alternative and if there isn’t any, then this is not forbidden. This is permissible if the person seeking treatment knows medicine and knows that there is no other alternative for it, or if a trustworthy doctor informs him of that.” [End of quote]

Finally, what we know about Ayurveda, which you mentioned in the question, is that, to Indians, it is one of the branches of the philosophy of Veda, a system of treatment from diseases that has been widespread in India since ancient times. It [Ayurveda] seeks to create a balance and harmony between body and mind. If this is the case, then it is not permissible to accept what it says about drinking the urine of humans being that it is the only means for cure, so it is not permissible to rely on what they say; rather, it is necessary to consult doctors in this regard.

Allaah Knows best.

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