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Statement on Prohibition of Suicide
Author : The General Iftaa` Department
Date Added : 20-03-2023

Statement on Prohibition of Suicide

 

All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.

Suicide is one of the major sins, which come after associating partners in worship with Allah, because it is taking life, which Allah Has Made sacred where He Said (What means): "Nor take life - which God has made sacred - except for just cause." {Al-Isra`, 33}. Life is Allah`s property, not man`s. He The Almighty Says {What means}: "Nor kill (or destroy) yourselves: for verily God hath been to you Most Merciful!" {An-Nisa`, 29}.

Suicide is taking one`s life by any means: pistol, poison, fire, drowning or hunger and thirst; all of which are forbidden by scholarly consensus. It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) observed: He who killed himself with steel (weapon) would be the eternal denizen of the Fire of Hell and he would have that weapon in his hand and would be thrusting that in his stomach for ever and ever, he who drank poison and killed himself would sip that in the Fire of Hell where he is doomed for ever and ever; and he who killed himself by falling from (the top of) a mountain would constantly fall in the Fire of Hell and would live there for ever and ever. {Bukhari & Muslim}.

 

According to the apparent meaning of this text, one who commits suicide is doomed to Hell and shall abide therein forever. However, it actually addresses the one who considers suicide lawful while, according to some scholars, this text multiplies the punishment for suicide as means of deterring people from committing this heinous crime. If one attempting suicide didn`t succeed in killing him/herself, then he/she should be disciplined and taught that what he/she committed is an act of evil because he/she attempted to take life that Allah has made sacred.

 

A Muslim mustn`t wish for death because he is afflicted by evil circumstances. Anas reported God's messenger as saying: "None of you must wish for death because he is afflicted by evil circumstances, but if he cannot help doing so he should say, ‘O God, give me life as long as life is better for me, and take me when death is better for me." {Bukhari}.

 

If a Muslim`s soul whispers suicidal thoughts or the like, the he/she should frequently seek refuge with Allah from the evil suggestions of the devil, seek forgiveness, deliver acts of obedience, and remember the Hereafter and the reward that Allah has prepared for those who patiently persevere. Allah Says {What means}: "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, Who say, when afflicted with calamity: "To God We belong, and to Him is our return":- They are those on whom (Descend) blessings from God, and Mercy, and they are the ones that receive guidance." {Al-Baqarah, 155-157}.

 

We remind that the culture of suicide is strange to our society because belief in Allah bans a Muslim from committing such acts. And Allah The Almighty Knows Best.

 

 

 

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

What is the Iddah period upon death of husband? What is the ruling when the woman observing Iddah after death of husband leaves her home to visit relatives although her Iddah hasn`t ended? What is the ruling on her wearing gold during Iddah period?

All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.
For a woman whose husband has died, the 'Iddah*  is four months and ten days after the death of her husband. If a woman is pregnant, the 'Iddah lasts until she gives birth. Moreover, she has to mourn, not wear gold, perfume nor saffron-colored garment. The evidence on this is that The Prophet (PBUH) said: "It is not lawful for a Muslim woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to mourn for more than three days, except for her husband, for whom she should mourn for four months and ten days." [Agreed upon]. And Allah The Almighty Knows Best.
 
*The iddah is a waiting period that a Muslim woman observes after the death of her husband or after a divorce. The Quran says: For those men who die amongst you and leave behind wives, they (the wives) must confine themselves (spend iddah) for four months and ten days.

What is the ruling of Sharia on charging one`s mobile from the plug of the university`s lecture room?

Praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.
The pious wouldn`t do that. And Allah The Almighty Knows Best.

I have concluded my marriage contract at a Sharia court; however, one day I was talking to my fiancée over the phone and she got on my nerves leading me to utter one divorce. This is knowing that I can`t tell my her father because he is very strict and will not accept that at all. What is the best course of action that I should pursue in this situation?

All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.
When divorce takes place before the consummation of marriage it is called Ba`in divorce (Minor irrevocable divoce), so your wife is considered unlawful to you until you conduct a new marriage contract and pay Mahr , and you should visit the Iftaa` Department in order to know the correct Fatwa. And Allah The Almighty Knows Best.

[1] Minor irrevocable divorce [Ar.Talaq al-Ba'in Binona Soghra]: It is a divorce where the husband cannot take his ex-wife back unless with her consent, conducting a new marriage contract and paying new bridal wealth [Ar.Mahr].

[1] In Islam, a Mahr is the obligation, in the form of money or possessions paid by the groom, to the bride at the time of Islamic marriage. While the Mahr is often money, it can also be anything agreed upon by the bride such as jewelry, home goods, furniture, a dwelling or some land.

Is Zakah due on the orphan`s money?

Yes, Zakah is due on the money of the orphan.