Abu huraira R narrates that prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said: "He who killed himself with a sharp weapon shall enter fire and therein shall remain forever stabbing himself repeatedly. He who killed himself by drinking poison shall enter fire and shall remain therein forever poisoning himself. He who killed himself by jumping off a cliff shall enter fire and shall remain therein forever throwing himself from above to the bottom".
- [Muslim]
What is suicide ?
Suicide is an act of putting an end to one's life by own hands. Nowadays, this trend is becoming common to a danger proportion. In the above mentioned hadeeth, various forms of suicide have been described and we are also warned of their consequences in the hereafter. A part from the above mentioned methods of suicide, people resort to various other methods also like hanging, drowning, sleeping on the railway tracks, burning, electric shock, explosion etc. Whatever the method may be, all such acts come under suicide.
Why suicide is forbidden ?
Suicide is prohibited in Islam. Allah says: "And make not your own hands contribute to your destruction" [Al-Baqarah:195]. Elsewhere, Allah says, "And do not kill (each other or) yourselves. Surely Allah is ever Merciful to you. And whoever does this sinfully and unjustly, We will burn them in the Fire. That is easy for Allah." [An-Nisa:29-30]
The reason for prohibition of suicide is that it is very much against the faith in Allah. The Qur'an says, "Never be disappointed with Allah's Mercy". Quran also says, "Allah does not burden a soul beyond that it can bear" [Al-Baqarah:286]. Thus suicide is not the option in any of the extreme conditions because Allah never puts a person in the situation beyond that he can bear.
Islam is the first religion in the world, which prohibited suicide and also took care to eradicate the causes because of which a person is compelled to commit suicide. The learned among the Jews and Christians consider suicide as a wrong act but neither do they have any authentication to condemn it altogether nor do they have any method of limiting the cases of suicide among their people. In the Hindu religion due to the concept of rebirth, suicide is not considered as prohibited act because a person in any way is supposed to take a new birth. Customs such as SATI in fact encourage suicide whereas in reality such customs are nothing more than oppressive acts of greed and injustice.
A person thinks of committing suicide only when he is totally depressed and is hopeless about his future. Islam teaches us to face all difficulties with bravery and to find out solutions amidst all odds. Whatever losses and injuries a person suffers during difficulties, such a struggle will all be rewarded by Allah. Condition do not remain same all the time.
"Verily, with every hardship, there is ease"
[Ash-Sharh:6]
It is cowardice to give up the fight whereas it is bravery to fight all the difficulties with a smiling face. During riots and war, incidents of suicide increase, but nevertheless they are still prohibited.
Nowadays, a belief is taking root in the minds of people that it is a justifiable act to put to an end the lives of such people who are suffering from painful and incurable diseases. But from Islamic point of view, such an act is also prohibited because the authority to give and take away life rests with Allah alone. Cure is in ALLAH's hands. If he wills he can make alive a dead person or cure a person of a disease which otherwise was incurable.
People who advocate the killing (known as Mercy killing) of patients with incurable diseases do so because they lose all hopes after putting in all their efforts. But for a believer such a thing is not possible because apart from his own capabilities, he has faith in Allah, the Greatest Healer. A believer knows that Allah's healing powers are limitless.
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Allah and his messenger knows best