Taking a patient off a respirator and the ruling on mercy killing
Question

                I would like to ask your opinion on the view of some doctors are supervising the treatment of my mother who is sick with several diseases which led to her being admitted to the intensive care unit of the hospital on two occasions in a serious condition which required her being put on a respirator on both occasions for several days, and she suffered partial paralysis (hemiplegia). Praise be to Allah, she is now well and breathing naturally. But my siblings and I was shocked by the doctors’ request that we should agree not to resuscitate my mother with a respirator again, if she should need it, on the grounds that it would be a cause of pain for her, due to the difficulty in inserting the tubes into the lungs and that there would be no hope of recovery, and this is their scientific opinion. Please note that all these doctors are Muslim. My mother is fine at present and she can speak to us normally. My siblings and I object to their negative view and refuse even to consider their suggestion on this issue. All we need is an opinion from you.
Praise be to Allah.
    Firstly: 

    It is not permissible to remove or withhold the respirator 
    from a patient except in the case where it has been definitely established 
    that he comes under the ruling of one who is dead, because all brain 
    function has completely ceased, or his heart and breathing have completely 
    stopped in such a way that the doctors have determined is irreversible. 

    It says in a statement of the Islamic Fiqh Council belonging 
    to the Muslim World League, issued during its 10th session on 24/2/1408 AH:

    In the case of a patient whose body has been hooked up to 
    life support, it is permissible to remove it if all his brain functions have 
    ceased completely, and a committee of three specialist, experienced doctors 
    have determined that this cessation of function is irreversible, even if the 
    heart and breathing are still working mechanically with the help of the 
    machine. But he cannot be ruled dead according to sharee’ah until his 
    breathing and heart stop completely, after the machine is removed. End 
    quote. 

    It says in a statement of the Islamic Fiqh Council belonging 
    to the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, that was held during its 
    third conference in ‘Ammaan, the capital of Jordan, 8-13 Safar 1407 AH/11-16 
    October 1986 CE, after the presentation of all points of view on the topic 
    of life support machines and listening to detailed explanations from 
    specialist doctors: From a shar’i point of view, a person is considered to 
    have died, and all the rulings that apply to death come into effect at that 
    point, when one of the following signs appear:

    1.When his heart and breathing 
    stop completely and the doctors rule that this cannot be reversed

    2.When all his brain functions 
    cease completely and specialist, experienced doctors determine that this is 
    irreversible and necrosis has begun to occur in the brain.

    In this case it is justified to remove life support from the 
    patient, even if some of these organs, such as the heart, are still working 
    mechanically due to the action of the equipment. End quote. 

    Secondly: 

    So-called mercy killing is not permissible, whether it is 
    done by withholding treatment from the patient or by any other means. It 
    comes under the heading of haraam killing which the Prophet (blessings and 
    peace of Allah be upon him) regarded as one of the major sins. There are no 
    exceptions to that except what has been mentioned above concerning one who 
    comes under the rulings of those who have died. 

    As for withholding treatment on which life depends on the 
    basis of reducing the suffering of the patient and putting an end to his 
    pain and suffering, it is not permissible and this comes under the heading 
    of haraam killing. 

    Al-Bahooti (may Allah have mercy on him) said in Kashshaaf 
    al-Qinaa’ (5/495): It is not permissible to kill it -- meaning the 
    animal -- or to slaughter it for the sake of giving it relief, because it is 
    wealth so long as it is alive, and slaughtering it is destroying it, and it 
    is forbidden to destroy wealth, like the human who is suffering from painful 
    disease, because his life is protected by sharee’ah so long as he is still 
    alive. End quote. 

    We ask Allah to heal your mother and grant her well-being. 

    And Allah knows best.