Jamiatul Ulama KZN Council of Muslim Theologians
Q. Assalaa mu alaikum Mufti
I need to know if a person commit suicide, what happens to the soul.Is there any hadith on this.Is there any quraan verses that you may enlighten me on please. Just to clear the air it is not me. I need to know the punishment for this kind of act Please assist as soon as possible please!
Jazzakallah
(There may be grammatical and spelling errors in the above question. Questions are published as received)
A. It is narrated on the authority of Abu Hurairah (Radiallahu Anhu) that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said, whosoever commits suicide by killing himself with a sharp object, he will continue stabbing himself in his belly in the fire of hell forever and ever. And whosoever commits suicide by consuming poison will continue poisoning himself in the fire of hell forever and ever. And whosoever commits suicide by jumping off a cliff, will continue jumping off a cliff in the fire of hell forever and ever”. (Sahih Muslim, Hadith #: 313)
a) The words “sharp object” are used in the Hadith. This may refer to a person committing suicide by stabbing himself or shooting himself or killing himself in any other way with some sharp object.
b) The words “consuming poison” mentioned in the Hadith also refers to a person who commits suicide by taking an overdose of medication intentionally.
c) Jumping off a cliff also refers to a person jumping from a high place with the intention of suicide.
In short, in whichever way a person commits suicide, he/she will suffer the consequences of it in Jahannam by killing himself/herself over and over again in the same manner they had committed suicide.
Suicide is a major sin in Islam and ends the person up into more difficulty and torment than he can ever bear in this world.
And Allah Knows Best
Fatwa Department
Jamiatul Ulama (KZN)
Council of Muslim Theologians
