BENEFIT 516: Suicide Missions

Question: Is it allowed for someone to blow themselves up, claiming it is to be a form of jihad? They use as evidence the saying of Allāh: "Indeed, Allāh has purchased from the believers their lives and their properties in exchange for Paradise..." (9:111). They also use the story of the boy and the king and the story of a Companion of the Prophet (whom the questioner cannot recall). They also ask: Is it permissible to slaughter a person as ISIS do? Sheikh Najeeb Ash-Shar’abi ḥafidhahullāh (paraphrased): No. This is absolutely forbidden in Islam. On Suicide Bombing: · This is a major sin. It is included in the severe warning against killing oneself. · Allāh says in the Qur'ān: "And do not kill yourselves. Indeed, Allāh is to you ever Merciful." (4:29) · The Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever kills himself with something will be punished with that thing in the Fire of Hell on the Day of Resurrection." · All respected scholars of our time have declared such "suicide operations" forbidden. Refuting their Evidences: · The Āyah in Surah At-Tawbah (9:111) is about fighting in the path of Allāh and being killed by the enemy, not about killing oneself. The correct understanding is that believers fight and are killed (by others), not that they kill themselves. · The Story of the Boy and the King: In this story, the boy did not kill himself. He was killed by the tyrant king. Even if we were to argue otherwise, the story was for a great benefit (an entire nation believed in Allāh as a result), and more importantly, the legislations of previous nations is not adhered to if it contradicts our legislations. Our legislations clearly forbids suicide. · The Story of the Companion (Al-Bara' ibn Malik): He did not kill himself. He took a great risk by jumping into a fortified garden to fight the enemy and open the gate for the Muslims. Taking a risk in battle for a clear military objective is permissible and different from directly killing oneself. On Slaughtering People like ISIS does: · This is also absolutely forbidden and is an act of the violent Kharijite groups. · The Prophet ﷺ ordered us to be merciful even when slaughtering animals: "When you slaughter, slaughter well. Let one of you sharpen his blade and give relief to his animal." This shows the importance of mercy and minimising suffering. How then can slaughtering a human being in such a brutal way ever be permitted? · Allāh showed Prophet Ibrāhīm how to slaughter an animal (a ram) as a ransom for his son, teaching us that it is not proper to slaughter humans. Conclusion: Acts of suicide bombing and the brutal slaughter of captives are completely forbidden in Islam. They are grave sins. They distort the true meaning of Jihad and bring harm to the Islam and the Muslims. True victory for Islam comes through upright, truthful people who follow the correct teachings, as understood by the early pious generations of Muslims. Source: https://t.me/madrasatuna/5669