Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Salaam-ualaikum

my question to you is: is there any way under islamic law where one is permitted to commit suicide?

I am so unhappy with my life and the cruelty muslims around the world are experiencing on a daily basis. I cannot bear to see or even hear of it and wish to permanantely walk away from this world.

please help

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Commit suicide

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Beloved brother in Islam, suicide should never ever be an option for the one who sincerely believes in Allah and the Last Day; for no matter what the reason, if one commits suicide, the punishment for this abomination of a sin is guaranteed Hell Fire in the life Hereafter!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verse 29:

O ye who believe!  Eat not up your property among yourselves in vanities: but let there be amongst you traffic and trade by mutual good-will:   nor kill (or destroy) yourselves: for verily Allah hath been to you Most Merciful.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) warned that whoever commits suicide,  his punishment will be guaranteed Hell Fire,  and he will be eternally tortured in the same manner in which he killed himself.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 2.445         Narrated by Thabit bin Ad Dahhak

The Prophet (p.b.u.h) said, "Whoever commits suicide with piece of iron will be punished with the same piece of iron in the Hell Fire." Narrated Jundab the Prophet said, "A man was inflicted with wounds and he committed suicide, and so Allah said:  My slave has caused death on himself hurriedly, so I forbid Paradise for him."

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 2.446         Narrated by Abu Huraira

The Prophet (saws) 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."

Dear and beloved brother, we urge you to fear Allah Subhanah, and be patient with whatever befalls you in the life of this world, for Allah is our witness, whatever calamities and afflictions befall man in this world are nothing but a trial set upon them by their Lord.  Beloved brother in Islam, we assure you from the guidance of the Quran and Sunnah, that no matter what befalls one in the life of this short and transitory world, it is only a test and a trial ordained and decreed for them by their Lord……. the real life is indeed the everlasting life of the Hereafter alone.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verses 155-157:

155    Be sure We shall test you with something of fear, and hunger, some loss in goods, or lives, or the fruits (of your toil); but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere.

156    Who say when afflicted with calamity: "To Allah we belong and to Him is our return."

157    They are those on whom (descend) blessings from Allah and Mercy, and they are the ones that receive guidance.

Your Question: is there any way under islamic law where one is permitted to commit suicide?

Dear and beloved brother in Islam, we assure you in the Blessed Name of Allah, there is absolutely nothing, we reiterate, nothing in the guidance of Truth called Al-Islam whereby one is permitted to take one’s own life!  The one who commits suicide for any reason whatsoever is guaranteed the eternal and everlasting torment of the Hell Fire!

Your Statement: I am so unhappy with my life and the cruelty muslims around the world are experiencing on a daily basis. I cannot bear to see or even hear of it and wish to permanantely walk away from this world.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 57 Surah Hadid verses 22-23:

22      No misfortune can happen on earth or in your souls but is recorded in a Decree before We bring it into existence: that is truly easy for Allah.

23      In order that ye may not despair over matters that pass you by, nor exult over favors bestowed upon you.  For Allah loveth not any vainglorious boaster

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 268:

268    The Shaytaan threatens you with poverty, and bids you to conduct unseemly.  Allah promises you His Forgiveness and Bounties, and Allah Cares for all, and He Knows all things.

Dear and beloved brother in Islam, rest absolutely assured that whatever is happening to you and around you, is nothing but a set of conditions pre-ordained and Decreed by The All-Knowing, All-Wise Lord.  Man has absolutely no control over the conditions of good and bad which he finds oneself in…….these conditions are no more than a trial set upon each individual and/or nation by the Lord Most High, to see who amongst them is grateful when bestowed with good, and who amongst them is patient when afflicted with evil.  We reiterate again that man has absolutely no control over the conditions of good and/or evil he finds himself in…..but what man does control, and will definitely be accountable for is how he conducts himself in the given set of good or evil conditions which was ordained for him.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 21 Surah Anbiyaa verse 35:

35      Every soul shall have a taste of death: and We test you by evil and by good (only) by way of trial: to Us must ye return.

Dear and beloved brother in Islam, taking one’s own life in desperation and hopelessness is not the answer, nor the solution to all the evil one is witness to……for without an iota of a doubt, at the One Call of the Lord, everything, absolutely everything, good and evil, will perish and cease to exist one day….the period of tests and trials ordained by the Lord will end, and all mankind will be gathered by the Lord to give a full accounting for their deeds!

Thus brother, the answer or solution is not to bring this chaos of life to an end or try to run away or hide oneself from the ‘test of life’ ordained by the Lord….but the answer is to immerse oneself wholeheartedly and unreservedly into doing deeds which would bring upon oneself the Pleasure and Good-Will of the Lord, and to abstain from doing deeds which would bring upon oneself the Wrath and Anger of the Lord Most Majestic, Most Supreme!   

Beloved brother, strengthen you faith in your Lord, strive hard to learn and understand what He Approves of and is Pleased with, and what He disapproves of and thus brings about His Wrath; and immerse yourself wholeheartedly and unreservedly in doing deeds which will bring you closer to His Mercy and His Rewards.  Strive your hardest to become the best believer of your generation, strive your hardest to acquire as much knowledge of the Truth as you can, and selflessly dedicate yourself to serve your Lord Creator, His Cause, and His creation only for the Sake and Pleasure of Allah.  Seek absolutely no material reward or thanks for your efforts from your fellow man for your service unto them, seeking only the Pleasure of your Lord Creator…..help one person become a better muslim, dedicate your life to help one person come closer to his Lord Creator, invite even only one non-muslim brother to the Truth of Islam, or do whatever you can in your capacity to further the Cause of Islam…..beloved brother, if you can bring yourself to do this only for the Sake and Pleasure of your Lord, we assure you that your heart will find contentment and you will beseech and implore your Lord to give you a long life so that you have more time to do good deeds; deeds which will determine your salvation in the eternal and everlasting life of the Hereafter.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 47 Surah Muhammad verse 7:

O ye who believe! If ye will help (the Cause of) Allah; Allah will help you, and plant your feet firmly (on the path of Islam).

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 5.521 Narrated by Sahl bin Sad

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: 'I swear by Allah! Even if a single man is led on the Right Path (of Islam) by Allah through you, then that will be better for you than the nicest red camels (the most prized worldly possession of those times!)."

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone.  Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan