Suicide seems to be so common nowadays in our society. Many people commit suicide out of emotional breakdown and being stupid. But, what does Islam say about this terrible act? Let’s ponder the topic of suicide for a while, talk about how your faith in Islam can save you from falling prey to it.

Today, suicide is a leading cause of people’s death around the world. According to a World Health Organization (WHO) survey conducted from 2000 to 2016, nearly 8,00,000 people around the world die every year only by committing suicide. And if you calculate it further, around one crore people may die around the world in next thirteen years only by committing suicide, if the trend continues.

Let’s see how Islam, a religion or a way of life, can help a person understand life and its purpose, and how it can save a believer from committing suicide, even at the moment of his greatest difficulty. In the meantime, it is mentionable here that in order to understand anything in Islam, you have to look at two things; one is the holy Quran, the words of Almighty Allah revealed to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), and another is the authentic Hadiths (the written records of the sayings and deeds of the prophet).

On the first place, in the holy Quran, in Surah Ar-Ra’d, chapter 13, verse number 28, Allah says, “Verily, in the remembrance of Allah doth hearts find satisfaction.” That means whenever a person finds himself sunken into depression, he should remember Allah and His grace and thus the person will surely get back his peace of mind and never commit suicide.

Secondly, Islam also says that this life is merely a test for the Hereafter. God is testing human being in different ways in this world and the duty of a man is to pass the test so that he may be rewarded by God in the Akherah, on the Day of Judgment. The Quran says in Surah Al-Bakarah, chapter 2, verse 155 to 156, “And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient, who, when disaster strikes them, say, ‘Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return.’” Therefore, in the moment of difficulty, a believer should keep it in his mind and be patient, and then he will surely be saved.

Thirdly, committing suicide has been strictly been prohibited in Islam. Allah says in the holy Quran, in Surah Bakarah, chapter 2, verse 195, “…make not your own hands cause of your own destruction, for Allah loveth those who doth good.” Furthermore, in the holy Quran, in Surah an-Nisa, chapter 4, verse 29, Allah says, “And do not kill yourselves (or one another). Indeed, Allah is to you ever Merciful.”  Well, when our Creator is the Most Merciful and He can forgive us any sin if we repent, then why should one be so cruel to himself and commit suicide?

Moreover, the act of suicide has been discouraged in the Hadith as well. For example, it is mentioned in Sahih al-Bukhari, volume-2, book-23, Book of Funerals, Hadith number 446, that Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said, “He who commits suicide by throttling shall keep on throttling himself in the Hell Fire (forever) and he who commits suicide by stabbing himself shall keep on stabbing himself in the Hell-Fire.”

Therefore, one should not commit suicide and close the door of receiving God’s mercy in the next life. The believers should never lose his hope, rather he should always keep in mind what Allah says in the glorious Quran (in Surah Ali ’Imran, chapter 3, verse 160), “If Allah helps you, none can overcome you. But if Allah forsakes you, then none can help you, and therefore let the believers put their trust in Allah.”