Mohammad Rafoqie
Junior Member
Committing suicide or Asking for Death
Mohammad Rafique Etesame
Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that: The Messenger of Allah (Peace and mercy of Allah be upon him) said, “Let not one of you wish for death because of a misfortune which befalls him. If he cannot help doing so, he should say: ‘O Allah, keep me alive as long as You know that life is better for me, and make me die when death is better for me”.
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
This hadith reveals that there is prohibition to asking for death with tongue or by heart as misfortune could be good for a believer. He should supplicate to Allah to grant him patience in overcoming the misfortune. If a person wishes for death, death could be an evil thing for him as he does not know and only Allah knows. A man may die only to seek punishment.
Those who kill themselves will depart to a more severe torture in hereafter. The one who kills himself will be tortured by the tools that he used to kill himself. He will be tortured in Hellfire as mentioned in a hadith of Prophet [Peace and mercy of Allah be upon him]. If he kills himself with a iron knife, he will kill himself with same iron knife in hellfire. The same would apply to jumping down or taking poison.
Narrated Sa'd bin Ubaid:
the Messenger of Allah (Peace and mercy of Allah be upon him) said:
"None of you should ask for death, for if he is a good man, he may increase his good deeds, and if he is an evil-doer, he may stop the evil deeds and repent."
[Sahih Bukhari - Book 90 - Hadith 341]
This hadith reveals that no one should ask for death because it is a calamity and terrible one, and the best way for a believer is that he may enjoy a long life and Allah gives him guidance to return to the real faith and to repentance.
Some people wish for death or commit suicide due to some fatal disease or bad circumstances, so it is prohibitive in Islam because death has its fixed time and cannot fall even anyone's wish according to the teachings of Islam. So asking for death is quite useless and the proper way is that one should be ready to face to it by good deeds. Because as someone lives long, as his/her good deeds will be increased; and there is hope for making repentance also.
May Allah give us power to act upon all His commands, Ameen.