Need Islamic advice about my 4-month-old son’s serious heart condition
As-salamu alaykum everyone, I’m reaching out for some genuine Islamic guidance on a really tough situation with my baby boy. He’s only 4 months old and was born with a complex heart defect-one major artery didn’t form right and there’s a big hole in his heart. The doctors say he needs open-heart surgery to patch the hole and put in a metal tube to work like that missing artery. But this tube won’t grow with him, so he’d likely need more open-heart surgeries every few years to swap it out. Even with all that, they can’t promise he’ll make it long-term or live a normal life. Without surgery, they think he might only have 4 to 6 months left. But truly, only Allah knows the exact time for each soul. It’s heartbreaking seeing him turn a bit blue sometimes from his heart, but then when he smiles and plays, subhanAllah, it’s like a little piece of Jannah right here. Every second with him is such a gift, alhamdulillah. Our family is stuck on what to do. Islamically, when the treatment means big surgeries, lots of risks, possible pain, and no sure recovery, what’s our duty as parents? Do we go ahead with the surgeries, put our trust in Allah, and hope He grants healing beyond what doctors think? Or if the path is full of suffering and the outlook isn’t good, is it okay to focus on keeping him comfortable, loved, and just grateful for whatever time Allah has written for us? We don’t wanna give up on him when there’s an option, but we’re also scared of making a tiny baby go through so much if it won’t really help. I know this isn’t a substitute for doctors or scholars, but if anyone knows about Islamic medical ethics or has been through something similar, I’d really appreciate it. Any Quran verses, hadith, or fatwas about when treatment is a must and when it’s allowed to step back would help so much. Please make dua for our little one. May Allah give him shifa, ease his pain, guide us to what pleases Him, and bless us with sabr and tawakkul no matter the outcome. Hasbunallahu wa ni’mal wakeel. JazakumAllahu khairan.