Committing Suicide

[Sstikstof]

What does the quran says about suicide? Can someone express verse from Quran?

[wanderer]

Suicide is expressly prohibited in verse 4:29 of the Quran.

[Sstikstof]

Suicide is expressly prohibited in verse 4:29 of the Quran.

But the verse is saying "do not kill yourselves". It means not to kill your people/closest person. Its not telling "dont not kill yourself".

[munir rana]

4:29
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!

There are variations in translation of the verse (part).

Yusuf Ali translated as "Nor kill (or destroy) yourselves". But many other translated as
"and do not destroy one another" (Muhammad Asad),
"and do not kill your people" (Shakir)
"and kill not one another" (Pickthal)

In arabic the word is 'anfusakum' means yourselves. Then why they translated it as 'one another'? Which is correct?

[Duster]

Shalom / peace, ....this might also help -

http://quransmessage.com/forum/index.php?topic=94.0 

Like the link says ...its not just about killing ourselves .... also verse 4:30 is interesting .. So does that mean some cases where people kill themselves ... because the are sick or just of a sound state of mind .... may not be automatically residents of hellfire??? ....Interesting....>>>

[Amira]

Assalamu alaikum,

The verse after 4:29 says (Yusuf Ali): If any do that in rancour and injustice,- soon shall We cast them into the Fire: And easy it is for Allah.

If 4:29 refers to suicide, then this verse only says that that people who kill themselves out of injustice will be punished. People who are mentally ill usually kill themselves because of sadness or because they can't help it, not because of injustice. So I doubt a depressed person who commits suicide would ever go to hell.

Contrast that with suicide bombers, who definitely do kill themselves out of "rancour and injustice." I think this would refer more to them.

[Nura]

Salam Everyone

Murder or killing of any kind is not taken very lightly. Let's take a look at the circumstances when murder or killing someone is considered justified in the Quran. Murder or killing someone is given as a justified option when a person is proven to cause corruption or in a war or as a recompense for unfair murder of a relative. But in all the above cases God gives us other options too. That of exiling someone who causes corruption, accepting blood money/ forgiving the murderer entirely for unfairly murdering a dear one, taking prisoner of war and releasing them when power is gained over them. In all of these scenarios we can choose mercy over aggression if we want to.

Even during times when committing a murder is justified, we can choose to not do so. But let's take a look at the issue whether suicide is ever justified? In the above scenarios discussed one cannot commit murder before a trial is conducted. In all cases except murders commited in the battlefield, a trial has to take place. So that witnesses can be presented and both sides are given a chance to defend their actions and present their sides of the story. Only after a fair trial can the decision be taken of whether to give the death sentence or not. But, during suicides who is there to judge? Does a trial take place to see whether a suicide is justified? Who is the judge? And how can anyone judge whether a suicide is justified or not? What circumstances can be considered as justified? Disability whether it is a physical one or a mental one, can we really say that a disability is a justified reason to take one's life? Then what is the purpose of the verse where Allah tells us that we will be tested with our health? Health includes both mental and physical health.

At the end of the day what is suicide? It is when u r ur own murderer. U commit a murder and become a murderer nonetheless! If we deserve to be punished for murdering someone else, who is to say we do not deserve a punishment when we murder ourselves! The only difference is if we murder someone there is a possibility we will pay the price both on Earth and in the hereafter. But can we surely say that if we take our own lives we do not deserve to be punished in the hereafter?

God informs us in the Quran that we will be tested with loss of lives, our health, wealth, spouses, family, friends, children and ourselves.

When God says we can be a test for ourselves what does He mean? Could He mean that we can become our enemies as well? How can we become our own enemies? Thankfully God gives us some ideas, examples of scenarios where we can become our own enemies. We become our own enemies when we listen to our desires and give them more importance than what God wants us to do, when we choose to covet others and their lives, strengths and perceived blessings, when we choose to not excersize patience.

It has been informed that we will be subjected to situations in life where we can choose to take two God recommended paths:
1) take the right decision and take right action accordingly
2) excersise patience when we cannot do anything to help ourselves or others in a God recommended way

So there will be times when we are going to be so helpless that we won't have the option to help ourselves during those times it is our ability to remain patient is what is being tested.
Suicide is generally chosen as a last resort, when we feel we are helpless. I am not saying all people who commit suicide are failing a test. Only God can judge. But, if possible we should remain faithful and remain patient that God will show us a way out of our predicament.


003.186 (part)
"Ye shall certainly be tried and tested in your wealth and in yourselves... ...But if you persevere patiently, and guard against evil, then that will be a determining factor in all affairs"

[ilker]

salam everyone,

yes the ayah is "do not kill yourselves" and i personally think that it also includes killing oneself by committing suicide. When the order is "do not kill one another", "do not kill yourselves", i don't think we can say "hey it's forbidden to kill another human being but we are totally free to commit suicide." It is an act of killing after all. However Allah knows our mental condition, inner thoughts and emotions. He is the One to judge and He is the most merciful. He knows best.

[Nura]

Salam

Intention and ability to discern between right and wrong, one's accountability does depend on these things. So if for some reason we lose our ability to discern between right and wrong and unintentionally or out of ignorance do such a thing surely God will take into consideration our circumstances. Only He knows our past, present and future, our strengths and our weaknesses. In the end, our God is the most merciful and we are assured that not an atom's weight of injustice will occur with any soul on the Day of Resurrection. May God have mercy on us all.

[Sstikstof]

salam everyone,

yes the ayah is "do not kill yourselves" and i personally think that it also includes killing oneself by committing suicide. When the order is "do not kill one another", "do not kill yourselves", i don't think we can say "hey it's forbidden to kill another human being but we are totally free to commit suicide." It is an act of killing after all. However Allah knows our mental condition, inner thoughts and emotions. He is the One to judge and He is the most merciful. He knows best.

Thanks, that helps