According to various surveys, India has the 46th highest suicidal rank per lakh in the
world. Suicide cases are increasing every year and an average of 30 people commit
suicide every day. According to the report of the World Health Organization (WHO)
on the occasion of 10th September ‘World Suicide Prevention Day’, in the world,
one person attempts suicide every 2 seconds and one person succeeds in suicide
every 40 seconds. According to the organization’s calculations, in 2011, India ranked
16th in the world for suicides, and in 2013, it increased to 1st.
Suicide is the act of intentionally taking one’s own life. The English word suicide breaks down into two Latin words sui and caedere, which together translate to “kill oneself.”Doctors consider suicide attempts to be a serious symptom of depression. Attempted suicide has already been declared a crime in many countries around the world. It is considered a sin in almost every religion. A person who actively and consistently considers taking his own life is known as a suicidal person in society.
Pessimism has no place in Islam. Losing one’s life and taking one’s own life is strictly prohibited in Islam. However, many Muslims suffer immense mental distress and are resorting to suicide. Suicide is one of the 20 leading causes of death in the world today. According to the World Health Organization report, about eight million people commit suicide every year. In particular, young people between the ages of 19 and 25 are reported to commit suicide more. Which is an irreparable loss to humanity.
According to various surveys, India has the 46th highest suicidal rank per lakh in the world. Suicide cases are increasing every year and an average of 30 people commit suicide every day. According to the report of the World Health Organization (WHO) on the occasion of 10th September ‘World Suicide Prevention Day’, in the world, one person attempts suicide every 2 seconds and one person succeeds in suicide every 40 seconds. According to the organization’s calculations, in 2011, India ranked 16th in the world for suicides, and in 2013, it increased to 1st.
According to Wikipedia suicide rates in India have been rising over the past five decades. Suicides during 2021 increased by 7.2% in comparison to 2020 with India reporting the highest number of suicides in the world. India’s contribution to global suicide deaths increased from 25.3% in 1990 to 36.6% in 2016 among women, and from 18.7% to 24.3% among men. In 2016, suicide was the most common cause of death in both the age groups of 15–29 years and 15–39 years. Between 1987 and 2007, the suicide rate increased from 7.9 to 10.3 per 100,000, with higher suicide rates in the southern and eastern states of India.
According to experts, some of the reasons behind suicide are clinical depression and depression, sadness, marital discord or disunity in any relationship, poverty, unemployment, lack of awareness about mental health and an uncooperative environment. When people’s knowledge, intelligence, perception and understanding power disappear, they feel helpless and hopeless, then they commit suicide.
In Islam, suicide is one of the major sins. Only Allah gives birth to man and only He causes death. But in the case of suicide, the slave ignores natural death and kills himself with his own hands. This is why it is a great sin. Almighty Allah does not like it at all. For this reason, although the funeral of a suicidal person can be performed according to the Shari’ah, but the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) never performed the funeral of a suicidal person. It was taught by the Companions of Prophet Mohammed (pbuh). [Tirmidhi- 1068; Nasai- 1964; Abu Dawud- 3185; Ibn Majah- 1526]
Suicide destroys both this life and the Hereafter. Suicide cannot be committed for any reason. The Prophet (PBUH) has given a stern warning about suicide. Allah taala created man as a mortal; the rich and the poor, the learned and the foolish, the king and the vassal all must die.
However, there is a clear understanding in the development of Islamic jurisprudence that mental health and the lack thereof of a healthy state of mind means that those who are not in their senses cannot fully be held accountable for their actions, including suicide; there has also been great strides in the study of mental health and suicide and therefore, one must be sensitive to those families who have lost a member to suicide, which causes them immense grief and social trauma. We cannot pass judgement on whether people who commit suicide will be forgiven by Allah SWT or not; it is in His dominion only that this can be decided. Those who seek mental health counselling and help must be welcomed with open arms and the stigma of suicide must fade in order to offer them fair, efficient and helpful treatment.
Allah SWT says, “Every soul will taste death, then to Me you will all return.” [Surah Ankabut, verse 57] Only Allah grants death. No one can give death to anyone except Him. “It is He who gives life and causes death and to Him you shall return.” [Surah Yunus, verse 56]
From the above two verses, it can be understood that the work of causing human death is only Allah’s. Therefore, if someone takes the work into his own hands, and causes his own death by his own hands, then he will practice injustice to himself. And no one is expected to practice injustice among people. Allah Almighty has specifically instructed to refrain from this act and severe and painful punishment has been revealed in the Quran and Hadith to think about its consequences.
The Qur’an says-
1. “ (And do not kill ˹each other or˺ yourselves. Surely Allah is ever Merciful to you.” [Surah Nisa, verse 29]
2. “Do not cast yourselves into your own destruction.” [Surah Baqarah, verse: 195]
3. “Do not despair of God’s mercy. Allah forgives all sins.” [Surah Zumar, verse 53]
4. “Whoever takes a life—unless as a punishment for murder or mischief in the land—it will be as if they killed all of humanity; and whoever saves a life, it will be as if they saved all of humanity” [Surah al-Maida, verse 32]
Consequences of suicide in Al-Hadith:
1. Jabir bin Samurah (r) narrated: A companion of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was wounded. Unable to bear the pain, he committed suicide by shooting his arrow. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) did not lead his funeral prayer. Rabi said it was instructive (punishment) on his part. [Tirmidhi 1068; Nasai 1964; Abu Dawud 3185; Ibn Majah- 1526]
2. Abu Hurairah (R) narrated :
He said that the Messenger of Allah PBUH) said, “Whoever commits suicide by jumping from a mountain, he will continue to commit suicide in the same way in Hell, and this will be his permanent abode. Whoever commits suicide by drinking poison, the poison will remain in his hands, he will continue to commit suicide by drinking poison in Hell forever. And this will be his permanent residence. And whoever commits suicide with an iron weapon, that iron weapon will remain in his hand. In Hell, he will put it into his belly, and there he will remain forever.” [Sahih Bukhari-5778 and Sahih Muslim-200]
3. On the authority of Thabit bin Ad-dahhak (R): He said, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, “Whoever kills himself with an object in this world, he will be punished with that object on the Day of Resurrection.” [Sahih Bukhari- 1363, 6047, 6105, 6652; Sahih Muslim- 202, 203; Sunan Tirmidhi- 2636; Sunan Abu Dawud- 3257; Sunan Nasa’i- 3770, 3771, 3813; Riyadus Salehin- 1559; Al Lu’lu Wal Marzan- 70]
Far from suicide, Islamic Shariah forbids even wishing for one’s own death due to danger or pain in life. When someone kills himself, he essentially makes himself a victim of Allah’s wrath and anger. Whether he will ever enter Paradise is up to Allah. Because suicide is not an act of shirk. Shirk is the only sin that Allah has declared not to forgive.
Suicide is a terrible social disease. Sometimes news of suicide appears on the pages of newspapers that desperate men and women in various adverse situations choose the unfortunate path of suicide. The young generation should move forward on the path of creation, not destruction. But in reality, many highly educated personalities, intellectuals, industrialists, and businessmen are not free from such worries. Apart from the educated and the uneducated, suicide is seen among the young and the old, as well as among men and women. Nevertheless, according to many reports, Muslim countries have the lowest rates of suicide due to religious reasons. Financial hardship and unemployment is undoubtedly a major reason for suicide. But that is not the only reason. Because the number of suicides in developed countries is relatively high.
There are several ways to avoid suicide.
A. Remember the Lord’s prohibitions regarding suicide:
Human life and death are determined by God. This time will not change. Allah Almighty says, ‘To every people is a term appointed: when their term is reached, not an hour can they cause delay, nor (an hour) can they advance (it in anticipation).’ (A’raf 7/34). Even after that, Allah forbids taking one’s own life, i.e. committing suicide.
B. Do not wish for death: No matter how much trouble a person may suffer, one should never wish for suicide let alone death. It was narrated that Anas (R) said that the Messenger of Allah PBUH said, “None of you should wish for death because of a calamity befalling him; but if he has to wish for death, he should say: “O Allah! Keep me alive as long as life is better for me, and let me die if death is better for me.” [Sahih Bukhari-5671]
C. Belief in Qadr (Predestination):
Believing in Qadr is very important. Because what is written in your fate will happen. It must be accepted. Almighty Allah says, “Say, nothing reaches us except what Allah has written in our destiny” (Tawbah 9/51).
D. Trust in Allah at all times:
Allah says,’ Whosoever puts his trust in Allah, He is sufficient for him’ (Talaq 65/3).
E. Patience in times of trouble:
Almighty Allah says, ‘Indeed, the patient will have their reward immeasurably’ (Zumar 39/10).
“Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return.” Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy. And it is those who are the [rightly] guided. (Baqarah 2/155-157).
Allah the Exalted says, ‘Then verily with hardship there is ease’. ‘Surely with hardship there is relief’ (Insha’rah 94/5-6).
G. Don’t despair:
Allah the Most High says, “Who responds to the distressed when they cry to Him, relieving ˹their˺ affliction, and ˹Who˺ makes you successors in the earth? Is it another God besides Allah? Yet you are hardly mindful!”
(Naml 27/12).
Remember, Shaytan is the open enemy of man. In the battle for human life, he indulges in desperate attempts to take his life by whispering on the occasion of despair and depression. He never gets along with a believer who has immense faith in Allah and believes in destiny. But he is able to completely mislead and enthral the materialist worldlings. Despair has no place in the Islamic creed and its way of life. There is no room for an inferiority complex that destroys life. Believers believe that the end of human life is not death.
Life is only a gift from Allah. Real life is the life of the Hereafter. This earthly life is only for the performance of preparatory work for the Hereafter. Therefore, the evaluation of this life will be considered helpful for receiving rewards in the Hereafter. Thus, life should be led towards ultimate success through complete patience and endurance.
Nice article .
Parents and teachers have a great role to play and teach children to be positive and never lose hopes.parents and teachers shouldn’t be very strict about marks and never underestimate and mock on any child but help the child with love and respect to achieve success in life .Teach the child to contribute to the society and benefit others .Message of Quran is for the whole of mankind , message of mercy and blessings showing the straight path.