SUICIDE IS NOT THE OPTION
Tousif Raza
Suicide has become a fashion nowadays. Our youth is ending their lives with enthusiasm, considering it a matter of pride. There have been many incidents when young people died in a mere suicide attempt even when they did not have such an intention.
Suicide is forbidden in Islam, no school of thought allows it. In every religion it is strictly prohibited because life is a gift from Almighty Lord and it is our duty to value it. In fact, one’s own body and life is not his personal property but it is a trust given by Almighty Allah.
Life is such a great blessing of Almighty Allah which is the basis for all other blessings. Therefore, the summary of Islamic teachings about suicide is that it is a Haraam (forbidden) act.
The one who commits suicide is disobedient to God. As believers we are obliged to protect our lives in any case. Islam does not allow any human being to destroy his/her own life at all. Although He repeatedly says to protect our body, soul and all the organs and urges them to pay their dues, so how can it be permissible in Islam to squander this great blessing bestowed by Allah through suicide?
The real owner of life and death is Allah, just as killing another person is considered the murder of all humanity, so is one’s own life, which is not really his own, but a great blessing from Allah. Eliminating it or destroying it for no reason or due to any grief or problem is also an undesirable thing in the sight of Allah.
Allah has made this vow in the Quran through these words “And do not throw yourselves to perdition with your own hands, and be the benefactors. Indeed, Allah loves the benefactors.” (Al- Baqrah V -195)
It means committing suicide is a crime, socially and even through religious perspective. However, the numbers of such incidents in our society are unfortunately increasing day by day. It invites wrath even though Allah has guided man step by step and made him understand that he should not dare to judge his life as his property.
In Surah Al Nisa Allah spells out an order” And do not kill yourselves. Indeed, Allah is Most Merciful to you. And whoever does that, We will soon cast him into Hell, and that is easy for Allah (Al Nisa V 29-30).
Imam Fakhar Udin Razi is of the opinion regarding this verse saying that “This blessed verse has a constitutional argument against the prohibition of killing a person unjustly and committing suicide. Now that it has been proven that suicide is haraam, it is obligatory to avoid suicide for the things like grief and failure, and to save others.
The Crown Prince of the Universe Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) has promised double punishment to the person who commits “Whoever kills himself by falling from a mountain, he will be kept repeating this act till domes day and will go to hell, and he will stay there forever. He who ends his life through poison will also repeat this act as punishment therein forever, and he who kills himself with an iron weapon will have it in his hand, which he will strike on his stomach repeatedly forever in the fire of Hell”.
Man by nature does not tolerate sorrow and suffering, so he is tired of life and gets ready to end his life. There are two reasons for this. One is that man is convinced to live in happiness and he thinks that death is easy for him as grief is intolerable.
Second reason is that ideologically suicide attempting people think that death is the cure for grief. But this concept is against human nature. This ideology distinguishes human from all other creatures but still man thinks that heart is filled with pain due to some tragedy as it is not a stone.
We will cry a thousand times we are delicate by every mean. Imprisonment of grief and life are actually one not two, why should a person be saved from grief before death ultimately they think let’s end it up. But we know it is not the solution.
Grief is a divine companion to man which teaches him the difference between rise and fall, annihilation and survival. Therefore, committing suicide over small things is an unconscious act. Ibrahim (AS) was thrown into the blazing fire. But he did not put back footsteps; instead he fought with the challenges.
Why should we touch our bodies and souls to be destined for eternal torment, because it has been proved above that the one who commits suicide is not free, but completely commits suicide? Don’t do it, as it is an inhuman and un-Islamic act. Be brave to fight against the ongoing challenges instead of suicide.
(The author hails from Tangmarg and is a student)
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