Are some patients who undergo depression held responsible because of attempting to commit suicide?

- Is it permissible to perform janazah prayer of a person who has committed suicide?
- Some patients who undergo depression attempt to commit suicide but when they do it they are not voluntary because they cannot think healthily at that time.
- How will they be treated after death? Will they be held responsible because of committing suicide?

Dear Brother / Sister,

It is not regarded as legitimate and permissible rationally or religiously for a person to commit suicide due to any reasons. For, a person who attempts to do such a thing is regarded to have violated the boon of life entrusted to him by Allah and committed a major sin. Besides, Muslims will not have good thoughts about him and will not speak good of him. He will deserve penalty in Hell because of committing such a major sin. (Muslim, Iman: 175)

The Prophet (pbuh) states in many hadiths that those who commit suicide commit a major sin and that they will be punished in Hell. Besides, as far as what we see in the community, the people who commit suicide are religiously and spiritually weak people in general.

To commit suicide is a major sin but a Muslim who commits suicide does not become an unbeliever. For, a person becomes an unbeliever when he denies one of the principles of belief. Therefore, his janazah prayer is performed just like other Muslims. This is the view of the majority of Islamic scholars including Abu Hanifa and Imam Muhammad. That is, the janazah prayer of a Muslim who commits suicide voluntarily or involuntarily is performed. 

However, Imam Abu Yusuf states the following: “The janazah prayer of a person who commits suicide is not performed unless he commits suicide by mistake or in order to be saved from severe pain.” (al-Fatawal-Hindiyya, I/163). However, the view of the majority of scholars is that the janazah prayer of a Muslim who commits suicide is performed. 

(Mehmed Paksu Aileye Özel Fetvalar)

Acting upon the fatwa of Imam Abu Yusuf, the illness of a person who attempts to commit suicide due to undergoing depression can be regarded as a matter of mitigation. We cannot definitely know whether he is of sound mind or not at that time. Only Allah knows it. It is stated that those who are of unsound mind will not be held responsible for the sins they commit in our religion. One has to be of sound mind in order to be held responsible.

However, if what makes him go under depression is something illegitimate, he will be held responsible like a drunken person killing somebody. However, if he has gone under depression due to something that is not a sin, he can be regarded as excused. 

What is essential here is whether he is of sound or unsound mind. If a person who is of sound mind commits suicide, he is regarded to have committed a major sin. 

SUICIDE

It means man killing himself. When a person kills himself, it is called a "suicide" no matter how he does it. Suicide means ending the life created by Allah. Therefore, it is regarded among major sins. It is Allah who gives man life and who has the authority to remove it.

It is definite by verses and hadiths that it is haram to commit suicide and it causes danger in the hereafter. 

The following is stated in the Quran: "O ye who believe! Eat not up your property among yourselves in vanities: But let there be amongst you Traffic and trade by mutual good-will: Nor kill (or destroy) yourselves: for verily Allah hath been to you Most Merciful!" (an-Nisa, 4/29) Along with killing oneself, the verse means to commit that things rendered haram by Allah, committing bad deeds and to destroy oneself by eating up property of others through wrong ways. (Ibn Kathir, Tafsirul-Quranil-Azim, İstanbul 1985, II, 235)

Amr b. al-As had a wet dream in the Expedition of Dhat ath-Thalathil and led the prayer by tayammum though there was water, fearing death since the weather was very cold. When he informed the Prophet (pbuh) about it, he said he acted upon the verse above; the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) approved what Amr had done. (Abu Dawud, Taharah, 124; Ahmad b. Hanbal, IV, 203)

The following is stated in a hadith: “Avoid the seven great destructive sins.” They asked, “O Messenger of Allah! What are they?” He said, “To join others in worship along with Allah, to practice sorcery, to kill the life which Allah has forbidden, to eat up interest (usury), to eat up an orphan's wealth, to flee from the battlefield, and to accuse a believing chaste woman who is unaware of anything of fornication." (Bukhari, Wasaya, 23, Hudud, Tibb, 45; Muslim, Iman, 144)

Suicide was forbidden in the previous ummahs too. It was reported from Jundub b. Abdullah that the Prophet (pbuh) said, "Amongst the nations before you there was a man who got a wound, and growing impatient with its pain, he took a knife and cut his hand with it and the blood did not stop till he died. Thereupon, God Almighty said, 'My slave hurried to bring death upon himself so I have forbidden him to enter Paradise.'" (Bukhari, Anbiya, 50)

The Prophet said that Quzman, who fought self-sacrificingly during the Battle of Khaybar, would go to Hell. Thereupon, Huzai Akthum, one of the Companions, followed Quzman and saw that he could not put up with his wounds and committed suicide by leaning on his sword. (Bukhari, Qadar, 5, Riqaq, 33, Maghazi, 38, Jihad, 77; Muslim, Iman, 179; Kâmil Miras, Tajrid Sarikh, X, 266 268). When the Messenger of Allah was informed about how Quzman died, he said, "There are some people who do good deeds like the people of Paradise in appearance but they are among the people of Hell. There are some people who do bad deeds like the people of Hell in appearance but they are among the people of Paradise." (Bukhari, Qadar, 5, Riqaq, 33; Muslim, Iman, 179)

The penalty for the person who commits suicide is given in accordance with the form of the suicide. The following is stated in hadiths: "He who commits suicide by stabbing himself with a sharp thing like a knife shall keep on stabbing himself in Hell (Bukhari, Janaiz, 84) He who commits suicide by throttling shall keep on throttling himself in Hell; he who shoots himself in the world will also shoot himself in Hell." (Bukhari, Janaiz, 84)

"If a person jumps off from the top of a mountain and kills himself, he will fall like that in Hell; he who kills himself by drinking poison will be punished like that in Hell with the poison glass in his hand." (Muslim, Iman, 175; Tirmidhi, Tibb, 7; Nasai, Janaiz, 68, Darimi, Diyat, 10; Ahmad b. Hanbal, II, 254, 478)

According to the majority of Islamic scholars, a person who commits suicide does not exit the religion of Islam and his janazah prayer is performed. It is stated that there is no clear statement expressing that Quzman, who committed suicide during the Battle of Khaybar, will stay in Hell forever. Therefore, it is hoped that a person who commits suicide will be saved from Hell after being punished for the sin of suicide. However, it is necessary for that person to be a believer when he dies and not to believe that committing suicide is halal (permissible). (Kâmil Miras, ibid, X, 270)

It is reported that the Prophet (pbuh) did not lead the janazah prayer of a person who stabbed himself to death. However, this act aims to punish the one who committed suicide and to prevent others from doing such a thing. As a matter of fact, the Companions performed the janazah prayer of that person. (al-Asqalani, Bulughul Maram, translated by A. Davudoğlu, İstanbul 1970, II, 276-277). According to Imam Abu Yusuf, janazah prayer of a person who commits suicide is not performed unless he commits suicide by mistake or in order to be saved from severe pain.

In conclusion, the body is the greatest thing entrusted to man by God Almighty. It is necessary to protect this trust until the soul leaves the body without man’s own intervention. For this reason, it is the purpose of Islam that one should show ultimate patience in the face of psychological and physical problems. Otherwise, the person who thinks he will solve his worldly hardships and problems by committing suicide will face much bigger problems first in the grave and then in the life of the hereafter. Life is beautiful even under the worst conditions because we should not give up hope as long as the spirit remains in the body. There is a day after every night and there is ease after every difficulty. The starting point of the solution to the problem is when the slave turns toward Allah and asks for help from Him. The Supreme Creator bestows ease from unexpected places and directions. For, He has power over everything. He who relies on Him gains strength.

Hamdi DÖNDÜREN

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