Qur'an, 4:29 has strictly forbidden people to kill themselves, while various ahadith have made it clear that whoever kills himself with something, Allah (Subhaanahu wata'alah) will punish him with whatever he has killed himself with in the Hell-fire;
— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran
[Surah An Nisa/4 : Ayat 29]
What is the punishment for suicide in Islam?
In another hadith, narrated by Abu Huraira, the Prophet said, "He who commits suicide by throttling shall keep on throttling himself in the Hell Fire (forever) and he who commits suicide by stabbing himself shall keep on stabbing himself in the Hell-Fire."
Suicide and Mental Health in Muslim Community
Today, we see many people resorting to suicide when life gets hard for them. Even severe depression led people to have suicidal thoughts. Some even try to commit suicide to end their painful life. As per the study of WHO, an average 80000 people die every year from suicide due to mental illness.
Suiciding is one of the most painful things that no one wishes to bear in life. And almost every religion has labelled it as ‘not the last option’. No matter what religion you follow, killing oneself is forbidden. Suicide is a taboo topic in Muslim society. Just because people in Muslim society do not talk about it openly, doesn’t mean it is not happening.
Why people commit suicide?
The most common reasons of people resorting to self-harm are depression, sadness and extreme stress. Deep depressive thoughts, finding no hope in life lead people to end their life believing that their pain will end too.
From a young age in the Muslim community, individuals are strictly told to stay away from suicide as it is declared haram in Islam. Allah said in the Quran;
"Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “Come! Let me recite to you what your Lord has forbidden to you: do not associate others with Him ˹in worship˺. ˹Do not fail to˺ honour your parents. Do not kill your children for fear of poverty. We provide for you and for them. Do not come near indecencies, openly or secretly. Do not take a ˹human˺ life—made sacred by Allah—except with ˹legal˺ right.1 This is what He has commanded you, so perhaps you will understand."
— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran
[Surah n Anam/6: Ayat 151]
In media, Islam and suicide have unfortunately been seasonalised and linked. Even though Muslims strongly believes that our religion has condemned the act of harming oneself, still there are Muslims that are promoting it. This life is a gift from Allah (swt) and He does not like people who take their own life.
In Quran, it is said:
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَأْكُلُوٓا۟ أَمْوَٰلَكُم بَيْنَكُم بِٱلْبَـٰطِلِ إِلَّآ أَن تَكُونَ تِجَـٰرَةً عَن تَرَاضٍۢ مِّنكُمْ ۚ وَلَا تَقْتُلُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِكُمْ رَحِيمًۭا ٢٩
— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran
“And do not kill yourselves. Surely, God is the most merciful”
[Surah An Nisa/4: Ayat 29]
“So, verily with hardship, there is ease”
[Surah Ash Sharh/94: Ayat 5]
Thabit Ibn Al-Dahak narrated that the Prophet [peace and blessings be upon him] said:
“Whosoever kills himself with anything in this world will be tortured with it on the Day of Judgment” [Sahih Bukahri]
If Muslims Commits Suicides What Happens To Them?
We usually often come across people who are Muslims, who have thoughts to end their due to depression lives knowing the fact that it is prohibited. But very few people knows what happens when a Muslim takes his/her own life?
If a person commits suicide, he goes straight to hell. This statement is enough to shook one’s mind but that’s a reality that even our Prophet (PBUH) told us at different instances.
Narrated Thabit bin Ad-Dahhak:
The Prophet said, "Whoever swears by a religion other than Islam, is, as he says; and whoever commits suicide with something, will be punished with the same thing in the (Hell) Fire; and cursing a believer is like murdering him; and whoever accuses a believer of disbelief, then it is as if he had killed him" [Sahih Bukkhari, 78].
Allah’s rules and commandments never changes even if people think that being mentally ill makes it right for them to take their own life.
Are There Any Different Rulings for Mentally Ill?
Suicide is haram and must be avoided at all costs. But some psychologists suggest that if a person commits suicide and have lost touch with reality and they are insane different conditions apply to them. On the other hand, a believer, knowing that this is an act that Allah and Islam strictly condemns, it falls in a different category.
People dealing with clinical depression or any mental illness, suicide cannot be a breath of fresh air for them. Hallucinations and sever depression can result in people killing themselves where they themselves don’t know what they are doing or why they are doing. A suicide attempt in such case happened suddenly that these people with mental illness are not conscious.
1. Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Apostle of God (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) observed : “*He who kills himself will be awarded the same torment on the Day of Doom that he should continue to kill himself and he will kill himself in Hell in the same manner as he killed himself in the mortal world. Whosoever threw himself down from a mountain, he will continue to throw himself from the mountain in Hell also. Whosoever ended his life by taking poison will continue to drink poison; and whosoever took his life by means of a knife will continue to slaughter himself with a knife in Hell also.” (Bukhari, Muslim).
The inference is that by whatever means a man committed suicide in the mortal world he will continue to use those means to kill himself in the Infernal world.
2. Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) also reports the tradition that the Prophet of God (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) observed : ‘‘He who strangled himself in the world, he will be strangled in Hell also and he who woundedhimself in this world, the same wound shall be inflictedupon him in the infernal world.’’ (Bukhart).
3. Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) states that a wounded man committed suicide by piercing his throat with the point of an arrow. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) declined to offer funeral prayers for him. (Jbn Hibban).
4. Jundub b. ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) relates the tradition that the Apostle of God (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) stated : A wounded man killed himself prematurely (i.e. before his actual end came). Upon this the Lord God ordained : “‘O- My creature, you gave your life too soon. I have made your entry into Heaven un- lawful.’’ (Bukhari).
5. Abu-Qalaba (may Allah be pleased with him) relates a tradition originally reported by Thabit b. Dhahhak that the Prophet of God (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) observed : ‘‘Whosoever swore by paganism is like the man who committed suicide”. Severe torment awaits him on the Day PofDoom. (It is customary with some people that despite their falsehood they claim, “‘I pray I may die as a Jew or a Christian or an unbeliever, if I am false.” It is in respect of such people that the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) affirmed that they would be treated as they said they should be treated). To vilify a Muslim is tantamount to committing an act of murder. To accuse a Muslim of being an unbeliever is tantamount to committing an act of murder. Whosoever kills himself with some implement in this world, he will be killed with the samg implement on Doomsday.” (Bukhari).
Final Thoughts
We are not in a place to judge and say it to people that they will go to hell for attempting suicide. Indeed, Allah knows the best. We need to take a more holistic approach for suicide. It is haram in Islam, but bombarding people directly with such statements will only push them act on it. Prayers, Duas as well as placing one’s trust on Allah can be a part of the solution.
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