Islam’s View on Suicide Essay

Islam views human life as a gift and something sacred that should be protected for the sake of Allah Ta’ala. No Muslim should take his or her life for granted. In the Qur’an, Allah speaks to His followers and educates them on their purpose of life: â€Å"And I (Allah) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone)†. (Adh-Dhariyat: 56). This indicates that humans should continue living to worship their Lord. Through other verses, Muslims are protected from death through various forms of worship. â€Å"He has forbidden you only the carrion (flesh of dead animals), and blood, and flesh of swine, and that which is slaughtered as a sacrifice for others than Allah (or has been slaughtered for idols, on which Allah’s Name has not been mentioned whilst slaughtering). But if one is forced by necessity without wilful disobedience nor transgressing due limits, then there is no sin on him. Truly, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. â€Å"(Surah Al-Baqarah: 173). These forbidden foods can only cause harm upon a person in the long-run and therefore a Muslim is forbidden to consume them. Consumption of prohibited substances will only entice death. Similarly, alcohol, cigarettes and drugs are explicitly shunned in Islam. During the one month fast of Ramadhan, Muslims appreciate hunger during the day. At the end of the month, they appreciate the life that they are given the opportunity to live with the bounty that Allah bestows upon them. Muslims believe that death is ordained by Allah and no person will die until his or her time is duely prescribed: â€Å"And no person can ever die except by Allah’s leave and at an appointed term† (Imraan: 145). Suicide in Islam Suicide is prohibited in Islam. As killing is prohibited in Islam, killing one’s self amounts to murder. Strict warnings appear in the Qur’an as relayed below: â€Å"Do not take life, which Allah made sacred, other than in the course of justice,† (al-Israa’: 33); and If anyone kills a person – unless it be for murder or spreading mischief in the land – it would be as if he killed the whole of humanity (al-Ma’idah :32) Suicide, generally, is seen as a result of cowardice. Someone who wishes for an easy way to escape from stress and related difficulty in his or her life, sometimes entertain suicide. This type of mentality is frowned upon in Islam as Muslims believe that Allah would never burden a believer more than he or she can bear. It is through a Muslim’s intellect and perseverance, coupled with a lot of faith, that he or she should continue to overcome worldly obstacles by submitting to the Creator. More importantly though, many factors can lead to suicide. Among them are depression, substance abuse, personal losses and problems, personal health and disability. (a) Depression Depression is a medical condition that needs to be treated. A person who has an isolated and detached lifestyle including mental ability, sleeping patterns, the inability to socialise, eating disorders and a dangerous aptitude of stress is most likely to fall under the category of depression. If this person still has the ability to decide for him or herself, treatment should be sought immediately. Alternatively, friends and family who suspect this person is entertaining thoughts of suicide, must seek help from medical practitioners. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings upon him) reminded his followers that â€Å"Allah had not created any disease (except for cancer) without a cure for it,† (Bukhari). It is therefore vital for a person suffering from depression to seek medical attention. (b) Substance abuse Substance abusers can be often lead to suicide through overdoses. Anything that harms a human’s health is considered as haraam (prohibited). Substances that are intoxicating, such as cigarettes and alcohol have no benefit to mankind. On the contrary, they are harmful to the user and those who surround him or her. Even if this person does not overdose in the short run, steadfast addiction to either can cause cancer in the long run, a disease that does not have a cure. The same ruling applies to the use of drugs. â€Å"Every intoxicant is Khamr, and every Khamr is haram,† (Muslim) (c) Personal losses and problems The loss of a loved one can spark suicidal tendencies. Practicing Muslims however accept death as part of life. The saying â€Å"inna lillahi wa innalillahi rajiun† implies that Muslims accept that from Allah they originate from and to Allah they will return. Muslims accept the passing of a loved one calmly with prayers for his or her happiness in the after life. Personal problems are amass in today’s society. Many people are especially burdened by mounting financial debt. This is usually due to poor planning of resources. Though difficult to overcome, emerging from a financial difficulty is possible. Muslims are prohibited to leave debt when passing, so it is only wise to eliminate debt rather than end one’s life. The first step would be to remove the element of riba (interest) from financial holdings – whether they are assets or liabilities. Pay off all interest first. In assets such as savings accounts, remove all interest income by donating them to charity. When interest is removed, it will be easier to pay-off loans and an opportunity to start saving money will also unfold. Allah condemns usury, and blesses charities. Allah dislikes every disbeliever, guilty. O you who believe, you shall observe Allah and refrain from all kinds of usury, if you are believers. If you do not, then expect a war from Allah and His messenger. But if you repent, you may keep your capitals, without inflicting injustice, or incurring injustice. If the debtor is unable to pay, wait for a better time. If you give up the loan as a charity, it would be better for you, if you only knew. (Baqarah: 276-280) Engaging in a professional financial planning service will induce healthy spending tendencies. (d) Personal health and disability Again, Muslims are not to be disheartened by continuous pain and suffering endured in life. In fact, these experiences expatiate sins. The more suffering a Muslim is subjected to during his life-span, the easier his condition will be during the hereafter. Suicide is not an option. â€Å"Be sure We shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods, lives, and the fruits of your toil. But give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere. Those who say, when afflicted with calamity, ‘To Allah we belong, and to Him is our return. ‘ They are those on whom descend blessings from their Lord, and mercy. They are the ones who receive guidance. † (Baqarah:155-157) Patience is prescribed for Muslims undergoing undue stress. There are blessings in overcoming hardship and the first step to doing this is to patiently accept the course of obstacles with determination and strength. There are cases where a patient who is enduring continuous pain, and is most probably bed-ridden, requires his or her life to be terminated. This is called euthanasia, or mercy-killing. In some cases, a family member or close friend â€Å"feels† that the patient will be better off deceased, and requests for his or her life to end. Muslims are disallowed from practicing euthanasia. â€Å"And do not kill yourselves. Surely, Allah is Most Merciful to you†. (An-Nisa: 29). Assisting a person to terminate his or her life is unlawful in Islam as this translates into assisting suicide. There are blessings in suffering and a person’s life is still as valuable as it would be should he or she be perfectly healthy. A person must continue living until his or her time is due. â€Å"And take not life, which Allah has made sacred, except by way of justice and law,† (Al-An`am: 151). In a case where a person is proclaimed as brain-dead and does not feel any pain, a doctor may recommend terminating the use of the life-support machine. This machine is keeping the patient â€Å"alive† when he or she is actually is not. If there is medical justification that there is nothing in the power of the practitioners to be able to cure the patient in question, it is permissible for families of the patient to discontinue the use of the life-support machinery and allow nature to take its course. Suicide in the news: Suicide Bombing Suicide bombing is synonymous with Muslim followers in the mainstream media. Suicide bombers reap more attention than those who illegally invade countries, causing the lives of innocent civilians – some in their own homes. Suicide bombing entails a person killing him or herself through an explosion of a bomb. This explosion also encroaches of lives around the suicide bomber. Countries like Palestine and Iraq have been warped with suicide bombing. Islam, no doubt, is a religion of peace, and never condones any form of violence. Having said that, Islam disallows oppression in any way. It is not permissible for a Muslim to be an oppressor nor is it allowed for him to be oppressed and remain to be oppressed without seeking options of overcoming such violation of basic rights. A Muslim thus, is required to seek mediation and negotiation with the oppressing party, to release him, his family, his community and country from the shackles of violence. Since Muslims are bound only by Allah’s law, it is prohibited for a country to have the nation’s freedom curbed by an illegal invasion, all in the name of justice. Should there no means of disentangling a country’s operation from being ruled by a foreign party, Muslims sometimes do have to resort to violence in order to regain their rightful land. War is allowed in Islam when a Muslim party requires to defend their land, property and family. Defending a country for the sake of Islam, is mandatory upon every Muslim, man or woman. For example, in the case of Iraq, inhumane sanctions are being imposed on innocent civilians of the country. There are no medical facilities to allow recovery from alien bombs and fire. Children are being killed every day. Women are sexually assaulted. Iraqis are being beaten, wrongly imprisoned and killed by the minute. The country is constantly under attack by missiles and bombs that are released from the air. How are Muslims in this care required to fight? Suicide bombing here is reflected as a need to curb attacks upon innocent people. The Islamic Fiqh Academy affiliated to the OIC, in its fourteenth session, held in Duha (Qatar) 5–13 Dhul-Qi`dah1423 A. H., 11–16 January 2003 C. E. states: The Islamic Fiqh Academy stresses that martyr operations are a form of jihad, and carrying out those operations is a legitimate right that has nothing to do with terrorism or suicide. Those operations become obligatory when they become the only way to stop the aggression of the enemy, defeat it, and grievously damage its power. According to a fatwa issued by Sheikh Faysal Mawlawi, deputy head of the European Council of Fatwa and Research (ECFR), not only are these suicide bombers unassociated with suicide, they are neither terrorists. In fact, these suicide bombers are known as martyrs: those who risk their lives in defense of their country, property, family, and foremost, religion. It is not befitting for a suicide bomber in this context to be condemned. Allah Ta’ala narrates: â€Å"And spend of your substance in the cause of Allah, and make not your own hands contribute to (your) destruction; but do good; for Allah loveth those who do good,† (Baqarah: 195). In the case of Palestine, civilians suffer from displacement of their own kind to aggressive occupation. Such occupation has been in operation for years on end. All Israeli civilians who are occupation of Palestine, are seen as oppressors. In this case, Sheikh Faysal Mawlawi stresses that the demise of non-aggressive Israelis through suicide bombing also constitutes martyrdom and not terrorism. He continues to state that though Muslims should target military personnel over the lay-civilian, every Israeli who is living in hostility on Palestinian land should also be removed as they themselves continue to violate Muslims right to Holy land and to the Holy Masjid of Al-Aqsa. According to Sheikh Faysal, Muslims should retaliate the way they are too, being attacked, and in this case, attacked with great injustice. â€Å"If ye punish, then punish with the like of that wherewith ye were afflicted. â€Å"(An-Nahl: 126). Muslims living in the West Just because the Islamic Fiqh Academy defines suicide bombing as an act or martyrdom and does not associate it with terrorism or suicide, Muslims in countries that do not live under the realm of war, are not entitled to exploit the ruling. Muslims are not allowed to cause harm to other people, regardless of their faith, who are not oppressing Muslim brothers or sisters. On the contrary, Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, head of the European Council for Fatwa and Research (ECFR), and the president of the International Association of Muslim Scholars (IAMS) advises that all Muslims are to act in full kindness and convey the beautiful message of Islam to the best of their ability. Muslims in the West are not allowed to cause destruction in their country of residence, even though Muslim brothers and sisters fall victim to hands of violence. Muslims living under peaceful conditions should take full advantage to speak up on unfair dealings through interfaith dialogues, charity runs, neighbourhood gatherings and through other social events. Muslims should not resort to violence when there is none surrounding them. â€Å"O you who believe! Stand out firmly as Allah’s witnesses to fair dealing, and let not the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: that is next to piety and fear Allah. And Allah is well acquainted with all that you do. † (al-Ma’idah: 8) This whole world is made by God. Anything that exists in this world is also made by God. We all are made by God and for God. God has made this earth on which we are living, and the sky. He sends rain to the earth. He has created different kinds of fruits for us to eat like grapes, dates, mango, banana, orange, apple, papaya, pineapple, custard apple and many more. He also created different kinds of vegetables for us to eat like onion, spinach, tomatoes, lemon, carrot, cabbage, cauliflower, ginger, garlic etc. Then He also created different kinds of meat that we eat like chicken, beef, mutton, fish etc. There are also other many different kinds of food we eat, unlimited and uncountable on this earth. Can we live without water? It is created by our Lord. We need water to drink, we need water to grow vegetables, fruits, rice, wheat and other plants. We need water to cook food, we need water to clean ourselves, we need water to clean our houses, wash clothes, wash dishes and then there are much more uses of water. We on this earth can’t live without water. It’s a fact and we known this fact. This water is created by our God so that we can survive on this earth. That is, we cannot survive if there will be no water on this world. This means that we are really and solely dependent on our Lord for His mercy on us, we cannot live or survive without our Lord and His mercy. Can we live without air and oxygen? It is also given to us by our Creator, our Lord. God has sent to us on this world for some purpose in life. He has created all these things and shown His mercy on us for some reason. There is some valid genuine reason for which we sent to this world. We’re not created purpose less. How can we know our purpose in this life then? We can only know this by His books, He has sent to us and learning from His prophets. After sending us to this world God hasn’t left us alone in darkness. From His book we know that when He expelled Adam from paradise, He told Him, â€Å"Go down to earth, and some of you will be enemy of others, and you will live there for small period of time, then you’ll have to come back to me one day. I’ll keep sending you my commandments, whoever will obey me, I’ll take him to paradise, and whoever will deny me and reject my commandments, I’ll reject him and take him to hell. † (Al-Quran, The Cow) From these lines now we know that our purpose of existence is only and only for God. We’re not only created by God but for God. He said in His book, â€Å"I’ve created mankind to worship me and to recognize me. † (Al-Quran) God has created all these things for us on which we’re dependent like food, water, earth only and only to submit to our Lord. We should show our respect to God, be dutiful to Him and become His obedient. Muslims should not be overbearing upon non-Muslims and force them to understand Islam. Lecturing and preaching to followers of other faith must always be done with tact. A more effective method of da’wa would be to lead by action through constructive community projects and general amiable behaviour. Muslims who resort to suicide bombing in countries that do not harbour war, are not considered as martyrs. In fact, they have committed suicide and in turn, have also killed innocent civilians. â€Å"Let therebe no compulsion [or coercion] in the religion [Islam]. The right direction is distinctly clear from error. † (Baqarah: 256) Killing other people just as a form of expression, or rather to merely make a point, is not a trait of a Muslim. â€Å"Allah forbiddeth you not those who warred not against you on account of religion and drove you not out from your homes, that ye should show them kindness and deal justly with them. Lo ! Allah loveth the just dealers. † (Al-Mumtahanah: 8) Different hadith from Prophet Mohammad (salalaho alaihay wasalam) also stresses the same view that suicide is not permitted and extremely prohibited in Islam. References 1. Http://www. inter-islam. org/prohibitions/suicide. html 2. www. therevivial. co. uk 3. www. readingislam. com 4. www. islam. about. com 5. www. submission. org 6. www. islamonline. net.