What is the religious judgement about a person who commits suicide though he/she is a Muslim?

Dear Brother / Sister,

A person’s killing himself, that is, committing suicide for this or that reason is not accepted legitimate reasonably or religiously; it is not regarded permissible. This is because a person who attempts to do such thing violates the boon of life entrusted to him by Allah in the first place and takes on the consequences of such a great sin.

Moreover, such person is not considered decent by Muslims, and people do not have a high opinion of him anymore. And as he committed such a big sin, he deserves the punishment of Hell in the hereafter.1 In addition to this, Almighty Allah may forgive such a person if He wishes.

The Prophet (pbuh) states in many of his hadiths that one who commits suicide is considered to have committed a major sin and will be subject to the punishment of Hell. As a matter of fact, people who do such things are the ones who are weak in religious and unworldly matters as far as we see in the society.

Even though committing suicide is a major sin, one who has committed suicide does not become an unbeliever because only the denial of one of the essentials of faith makes a person an unbeliever. For this reason, his/her funeral prayer is performed like any other Muslim. The majority of Islamic scholars, including Imam Azam Abu Hanifa and Imam Muhammad, adopt this view. Regardless of the reason why he has committed suicide, whether accidentally or deliberately, his funeral prayer is performed.

On the other hand, Imam Abu Yusuf says: “Funeral prayer of someone who has committed suicide cannot be performed, unless he did so accidentally or because of a severe agony.” However, the consensus of the majority of the scholars is that the funeral prayer of someone who has committed suicide can be performed.2

References:
1. Muslim, Iman: 175.
2. al-Fatawa’l-Hindiyya, I/163.

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