Egypt’s Dar Al-Ifta: A Doctor May Disclose Patient Secrets to Prevent Harm to Others
Dar Al-Ifta stated that while medical confidentiality is a religious duty, a doctor may reveal a patient’s secret if certain harm to others is confirmed.
Dar Al-Ifta Egypt has clarified that doctors are religiously obliged to maintain their patients’ confidentiality, as revealing medical secrets without necessity violates the trust inherent in their profession.
However, the fatwa emphasized that disclosure becomes permissible — and even required — if the doctor is certain that withholding the information would lead to serious harm to others.
In such cases, the physician must notify the appropriate authorities to prevent harm, without exceeding this necessity or sharing the information with unrelated parties.
Dar Al-Ifta highlighted that trust and confidentiality are among Islam’s core ethical principles, citing the Quranic verse:
“And those who are faithful to their trusts and their covenants” (Al-Mu’minun: 8), and the warning: “O you who believe, do not betray Allah and the Messenger, nor betray your trusts knowingly” (Al-Anfal: 27).
The fatwa quoted Imam Abu Al-Baqa’ Al-Kafawi, who described the concealment of secrets as “the greatest form of trust,” stressing that safeguarding others’ privacy and safety is a moral obligation.
Dar Al-Ifta concluded that if a doctor is certain that silence could result in harm to others, he must report the case to the authorities — doing so is not a betrayal, but a duty rooted in Islamic ethics.
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