Every religion forbids praying for death, so how is it possible for a person to be entitled to suicide due to suffering from hardships, illness and so on? If a person commits suicide, he commits a forbidden act and his punishment will be severe. The Prophet (PBUH) said: Associating partners with Almighty, disobeying one’s parents, killing one’s soul, and swearing falsely are among the major sins.
No matter how pious a person may be, and no matter how many good deeds he has done, if he kills himself in the face of worldly troubles and failures, then all his good deeds will be in vain and ruined.
Nature has given man amazing power in the form of the mind. Negative thoughts do arise in the human mind, hence people make wrong decisions, but those with a mature mind adapt to every situation so that their life journey can continue.
Suicide is a way out of adversity. This world is a place of test, every time and at every place. The only person who succeeds is the one who copes with all kinds of worries. The person who loses patience in hardships and difficulties and ends his life in haste and impatience is reprehensible. Islam has made this world an appendage to the next world to come. The good or bad deeds done here will be rewarded in the next life. Suicide is a wrong act which will ruin man’s hereafter.
All the conditions of man in this world are of hardship; even food and drink are not free from hardship. But Allah Almighty has given man such power and strength that he overcomes these hardships. Not only Allah’s punishment of the suicidal person will be painful, but the consequences will be bad for his family and loved ones as well. He will also lose the sympathy of society. The one who committed suicide will be gone, but he will leave behind harm to his friends and family. That is why when the Prophet heard that a Muslim had committed suicide, he became angry and said that he would not offer his funeral prayers.
The Prophet said, “Your body has a right over you and your eyes have a right over you.” This clearly urges the protection of one’s body and soul and all its organs. A person who commits a horrible and forbidden act like suicide will go to hell and stay there forever.
If a person keeps the moral principles of religion in his mind, he can easily tolerate the hardships and sufferings of a lifetime, and thus he cannot commit suicide, nor can a patient suffering from incurable and severe pain can invite death.
Surprisingly, despite such clear forbidding of suicide in our religion, it has become very common in our society today. Problems and worries have certainly increased but a person should seek help for them and face them with courage.
The causes of suicide are not easy to determine because human thinking varies from individual to individual, but if we analyse the everyday cases of suicide, some common causes can be identified:
1. Stress in the marital life of the parents affects the minds of the children. Parents have a responsibility to play their part in the development of the child and to resolve their personal disputes amicably.
2. Highly educated youth, hoping for government jobs and the desire for a good life, do not shy away from saying goodbye to life when they are constantly failing. No work is small or big. Don’t waste your time looking for jobs but look for employment opportunities in the private sector or start your own small business. You can avail many government schemes in this regard.
3. Laziness. There are many people in society who want luxury without work and when they do not get this life, they suffer from mental illness and commit suicide. Parents need to inculcate virtues of hard work in their children, not to pamper them so much that they become a burden on society.
4. Lack of counselling. Some children are quick to choose subjects and streams after 10th grade and when they do not succeed or are not interested in those streams ahead, they become mentally harassed and even commit suicide. There is a general lack of academic counselling in Kashmir. Parents do not think about which subjects the student should choose and do not consult expert counsellors. The choice is imposed on children so that they can maintain their status in society and in some cases it is the children who force the parents to make wrong decisions.
5. Drug abuse. Drug addiction has become prevalent in Kashmir. A large number of young people are addicted to smoking, alcohol and other drugs. They end their lives by committing suicide after suffering from deadly diseases. Parents have a responsibility to keep an eye on their children and hold them accountable when giving cash. They should also keep track of which friends the children have. It’s a duty of parents to provide an environment free from obscenity, shamelessness, oppression, murder, unjust bloodshed, bribery and wrongdoing.
6. Lack of spiritual and moral education. Every religion teaches us the same truth and the same goal. No religion allows you to do wrong deeds. In this materialistic world where spiritual and moral education is not considered as foundational to character and spirit, a person who does not follow moral and religious principles becomes mentally weak. If one is not acquainted with moral values, then one is more likely to fall prey to suicidal tendencies. Today, our society is in turmoil and there is a world of narcissism everywhere, due to which distressed people are committing sins like suicide out of frustration. We should not despair of Allah’s mercy at all and our rulers should also end unemployment and terrorism so that people do not waste their precious lives by committing suicide.
May Allah keep us safe and sound.

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Aubaid Ahmed Akhoon