Question 543: What is the ruling on someone who commits suicide?

122 13 Feb 2021
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✅Answer: Please pay attention to the following narrations:

1 عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ أَبِي وَلَّادٍ الْحَنَّاطِ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ يَقُولُ مَنْ قَتَلَ نَفْسَهُ مُتَعَمِّداً فَهُوَ فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِداً فِيهَا.

📚Al-Faqih, Vol. 4, p. 95

Abi Wallad al-Hannat said: I heard Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) say: A person who kills himself intentionally, then he is in the fire of hell and he will abide therein forever!

2 قَالَ الصَّادِقُ علیه السلام مَنْ قَتَلَ نَفْسَهُ مُتَعَمِّداً فَهُوَ فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِداً فِيهَا قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ لا تَقْتُلُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كانَ بِكُمْ رَحِيماً وَ مَنْ يَفْعَلْ ذلِكَ عُدْواناً وَ ظُلْماً فَسَوْفَ نُصْلِيهِ ناراً وَ كانَ ذلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ يَسِيراً

📚Al-Faqih, Vol. 3, p. 571

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: A person who intentionally commits suicide will abide in the fire of hell forever. Allah, the Exalted and Glorified, says: 'And do not kill yourselves; indeed, Allah is ever merciful to you. And whoever does that in transgression and injustice, then We will soon burn him in the Fire; and that is easy for Allah.' (Surah An-Nisa, verses 29 and 30).

3 عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ يَحْيَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ عَنْ صَفْوَانَ عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ عَمَّارٍ عَنْ نَاجِيَةَ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَر فِي حَدِيثٍ قَالَ: إِنَّ الْمُؤْمِنَ يُبْتَلَى بِكُلِّ بَلِيَّةٍ وَ يَمُوتُ بِكُلِّ مِيتَةٍ إِلَّا أَنَّهُ لَا يَقْتُلُ نَفْسَهُ.

📚Al-Kafi, Vol. 2, p. 254

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) said in a hadith: Indeed, a believer is afflicted with every calamity and dies every death, except that he does not kill himself!

4 عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ فَضَالَةَ عَنْ أَبَانٍ عَمَّنْ أَخْبَرَهُ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّه أَنَّهُ سُئِلَ عَمَّنْ قَتَلَ نَفْساً مُتَعَمِّداً قَالَ جَزَاؤُهُ جَهَنَّمُ [النار] .

📚Uqab al-A'mal, p. 326, hadith 1

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) was asked about a person who intentionally kills another person; the Imam said: His recompense is the fire of hell!

✅The general narrations about killing a soul also include those who commit suicide.

5 الشَّيْخُ أَبُو عَلِيٍّ الطَّبْرِسِيُّ فِي كِتَابِ إِعْلَامِ الْوَرَى، نَقْلًا عَنْ كِتَابِ أَبَانِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ الْأَحْمَرِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو بَصِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ قَالَ ذُكِرَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ يُقَالُ لَهُ قُزْمَانُ بِحُسْنِ مَعُونَتِهِ لِإِخْوَانِهِ وَ ذَكَرَهُ [ذُکُوِّه] فَقَالَ إِنَّهُ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ فَأُتِيَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ وَ قِيلَ إِنَّ قُزْمَانَ اسْتُشْهِدَ فَقَالَ يَفْعَلُ اللَّهُ ما يَشاءُ ثُمَّ أُتِيَ فَقِيلَ إِنَّهُ قَتَلَ نَفْسَهُ فَقَالَ أَشْهَدُ أَنِّي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ الْخَبَرَ

📚I'lam al-Wara, p. 94

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) said: A man named Quzman was mentioned to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) for his excellent help to his brothers and his cleverness and shrewdness! So the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: Indeed, he is one of the people of the fire!

Then (after a while) someone came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) and it was said that Quzman had been martyred! The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: Allah does what He wills!

After that, they came again and it was said that Quzman had committed suicide! So the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: I bear witness that I am the Messenger of Allah!

✅According to the above narrations, it is clear that suicide is one of the major sins, the punishment for which is eternal damnation in hell, and it indicates the lack of faith of the one who commits it.

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ

وَ عَجِّلْ لِوَلِیِّکَ الْفَرَجَ وَ الْعَافِیَةَ وَ النَّصْرَ