Islam Museum Islam Museum islam.museum
Search ⌕ ARENUR
Accessibility
Text size 100%

Saved on this device only — nothing is sent anywhere.

Khatar (mortal danger and risk)

الخطر

Khatar is lexically the brink of ruin and fear of loss, a matter hanging between happening and not happening; wagering is mukhatara. Exposing oneself to mortal danger is forbidden by agreement, since preserving life is among the highest aims of the law; the verse on not casting oneself into ruin is cited. 1 Dispensations for danger: carrion may be eaten by one forced by hunger, wine may be used to swallow a choking morsel when life is at risk, and a diseased organ must be cut if leaving it risks life. 12 Hardship that reaches the danger to life or limb brings relief: dry ablution is required when water threatens life or a limb, the Hajj lapses when the journey is risky, sea travel is forbidden if death is likely, and fasting lapses for the sick, the nursing and the pregnant if their life or the infant is endangered. 2 Jihad is an exception, and it is allowed to risk life in it, since hardship is its nature; flight from a larger enemy is forbidden; and repelling an aggressor is also excepted. 23 Removing a gland or a diseased organ: forbidden when cutting endangers life more than leaving it, and allowed when there is no danger or leaving it is worse; a stranger who cuts it without leave owes retaliation if the patient dies. 34 Contracts of risk are those that hang between being and not being and between gain and loss, like wagers and gambling; the race is lawful on conditions. 4

Depth

At a glance

Era
The Prophetic Era
Region
Global / Diaspora
Review
Draft Completeness 1/5 · Help complete it

Law and courts

Summary

Khatar is lexically the brink of ruin and fear of loss, a matter hanging between happening and not happening; wagering is mukhatara. Exposing oneself to mortal danger is forbidden by agreement, since preserving life is among the highest aims of the law; the verse on not casting oneself into ruin is cited. 1 Dispensations for danger: carrion may be eaten by one forced by hunger, wine may be used to swallow a choking morsel when life is at risk, and a diseased organ must be cut if leaving it risks life. 12 Hardship that reaches the danger to life or limb brings relief: dry ablution is required when water threatens life or a limb, the Hajj lapses when the journey is risky, sea travel is forbidden if death is likely, and fasting lapses for the sick, the nursing and the pregnant if their life or the infant is endangered. 2 Jihad is an exception, and it is allowed to risk life in it, since hardship is its nature; flight from a larger enemy is forbidden; and repelling an aggressor is also excepted. 23 Removing a gland or a diseased organ: forbidden when cutting endangers life more than leaving it, and allowed when there is no danger or leaving it is worse; a stranger who cuts it without leave owes retaliation if the patient dies. 34 Contracts of risk are those that hang between being and not being and between gain and loss, like wagers and gambling; the race is lawful on conditions. 4

People and things also explored

Ahliyya (legal capacity: to have rights and duties, and to act; its stages from the womb to full maturity, and what impairs it)· Democracy and the Sharia — compatibility and conflict· Fatwa on the satellite channels — its benefit and harm· Secularism and Islam — conflict or concord· Stoning (rajm) as a penalty for zina· Allusion to a proposal during the waiting period· Aman (safe-conduct granted to enemies in war)· Amana (trust, deposit and what is entrusted)

Sources

  1. al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.7729
  2. al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.7730
  3. al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.7731
  4. al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.7732
Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “Khatar (mortal danger and risk)”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/concept/khatar-fiqh/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-23.

Improve this page on GitHub · Report an error · JSON

Wing

Ideas

Beliefs, concepts, sciences and schools, explained in plain words. Related

Ahliyya (legal capacity: to have rights and duties, and to act; its stages from the womb to full maturity, and what impairs it)

Ahliyya is lexically suitability, and it is of two kinds: capacity to have rights and duties, the capacity of liability; and capacity to act, that is to perform acts recognised by the law. Its bearer passes through the stages of the foetus, childhood, discernment, puberty and maturity. Liability is complete from birth and incomplete for the foetus; the capacity to act is partial at discernment and full with puberty and reason. It is affected by heavenly impediments such as madness, imbecility, sleep, fainting, illness, slavery, menstruation, childbirth and death, and by acquired ones such as ignorance, drunkenness, jest, folly, travel, error and coercion.