Legal and Regulatory Rulings for Alzheimer's Patients 10.35781/1637-000-112-002

Abstract

Objectives of the Research: -To explain the nature of Alzheimer’s disease and the legal characterization of patients in its various stages. -To understand the regulations in Saudi Arabia related to Alzheimer’s patients and their caregivers. -To serve the Islamic community and enrich the jurisprudential library with foundational studies addressing frequently asked questions and clarifying their rulings. -To demonstrate the ease and flexibility of Islamic law, emphasizing its noble objectives of alleviating hardship. Research Methodology: Inductive and deductive approach. The study highlights that medical advancements have brought many new issues that jurists address through legal characterization and by discussing their rulings, grounding them in the principles and objectives of Islamic law. One such topic is the legal and systematic rulings concerning Alzheimer’s patients. -Alzheimer’s disease progresses through three stages with varying symptoms, which differ from one patient to another based on their physical condition, level of education, lifestyle, and other factors. -In the first stage, Alzheimer’s patients are treated under the rulings applicable to the forgetful and the incompetent, which are considered natural impediments to legal capacity beyond a person’s control. These affect their actions depending on the type of action. For instance, if the patient’s actions in this stage relate to the rights of Allah, such as acts of worship (e.g., prayer, fasting, purification), they are not excused for neglecting or delaying them.