Suicide in Islamic and Psychiatric Perspective

Brief Description
Suicide is neither a diagnosis, nor a disease. It is a verdict or a category of death
which is broadly defined by
 The death was unnatural
 It was the result of victims’ own action
 The victim wanted/intended to kill himself or herself (1)
Any investigator, whether a medical doctor, forensic officer, a mental health
professional, or a coroner/police officer etc has to find out the above three
criteria to label committed or attempted suicide.
Suicide completions and suicide attempts can be seen in mentally normal (rational
suicide) and abnormal state of mind/mental illnesses.
There are various factors/causes which can lead an individual to attempt or
commit suicide. Social, psychological and medical causes have been noted by
various investigators across the world. (2)
There is no national register to record attempted or committed suicide and
deliberate self harm(DSH).
In Pakistan, incidents of suicide are reported in the press and newspapers and
recorded at hospitals across the country. Due to social stigma and legal issues
suicide is under reported in Pakistan. Over a period of two years, more than 300
suicidal deaths are noted from 35 different cities. (3) Hanging, consumption of
pesticide and firearm are most common methods for attempting or committing
suicide in Pakistan. (4)
Social factors/causes:- Those persons who attempt or completely commit suicide
might be due to life circumstance changes such as loss of job, trouble in
relationship, loss of loved one, financial difficulties, poverty, homelessness and
discrimination. Some individuals may take their own live to avoid issues of debt,
bullying, stalking, prejudice, or to protest for political or social gain etc. (5) The act
of taking one’s own life for the benefits of other is known as altruistic suicide. (4)
An example of this is a soldier in the foxhole who throws himself/herself on a
grenade to save his comrades. A suicide attacker carries out violence against
others for religious or political gain or to obtain (shahdat) martyrdom. Sati in
Hinduism where wives used to kill themselves on their husbands funeral fire,
willingly or under pressure from the family. Seppuku a form of suicide in Japan
was respected as a means of making up for failure or a form of protest. (6)
Psychological/ Psychiatric perspective of Suicide
Psychological/Abnormal state of mind factors/causes:- Persons with various
mental illnesses attempt or commit suicide with estimate from 27 % to more than
90 %. (7)
Sever clinical Depression as a mental illness:- Figure in the range of 60 to
70 percent are often cited as percentage of suicide victims who were
experience a significant depression at the time of their death (8)
Schizophrenia (a severe mental illness):- Schizophrenia is a major mental
illness in Psychiatry. It is an handicapping and disabling illness where a
person lacks awareness and his/her normal state of mind. 10 percent of
patient with schizophrenia ultimately attempt or commit suicide in their
lifetime. (9)
Hearing Alien Voices to commit suicide:- it is an abnormal state of mind
where one hears voices telling one to kill oneself. This abnormal condition
is termed command hallucinations. This condition can occurs in psychotic
depression and in Schizophrenia. (10)
Other mental illnesses:- Other psychological/abnormalmental conditions
implicated in attempting or committing suicide are
 Borderline personality disorder (11)
 Bipolar disorder (12)
 Obsessive compulsive disorder (13)
 Post-traumatic stress disorder (14)
 Eating Disorder
 Illicit drug addictions including Alcohol etc
 Deliberate self Harm (inflicting injury or destroy own body parts)

Deliberate self-harm refers to an intentional act of causing physical injury to

oneself without wanting to die. This condition like suicide can occur in normal and
abnormal state of mind. Physically and mentally healthy individual from certain
group have been reported to harm themselves. Separation from or rejection by
sexual partner, illness of a family member, appearance in court, joining duty after
leave and poor socioeconomic status etc have been implicated. Patients with
mental illnesses such as depression, Borderline personality disorder, anxiety in
women and alcohol and drug misuse have been reported to harm themselves
deliberately. (15)
Islamic Perspective of Suicide and Deliberate self harm (DSH)
Sources of Islamic Jurisprudence have been derived from;
1. The Holy Quran
2. The Hadith
3. Ijmah
4. Qiyas
The Holy Quran about Suicide and DSH
The holy Quran makes it clear that human life is sacred. Life can not be taken
without Justification. The Holy Quran ordains about suicide;
“ And do not kill yourselves [or one another]. Indeed, Allah is to you ever
Merciful. And whoever does that in aggression and in injustice- then we will drive
him into a Fire”.
(Surah Nisa, 29, 30)
The Holy Quran clearly ordains about deliberate self harm;
“And spend in the way of Allah and do not throw or destroy yourselves with your
own hands. And do good: indeed Allah loves the doer of good”.
(Surah Baqra 195)
 Hadiths about Suicide
Prophet of Islam peace be upon him, said;
1. And whoever commits suicide with piece of iron will be punished with the
same piece of iron in the Hell Fire." Narrated Jundab the Prophet said, "A
man was inflicted with wounds and he committed suicide, and so Allah said:
My slave has caused death on himself hurriedly, so I forbid Paradise for
him."
( Bukhari Shareef, Volume 2, Book 23, Hadith Number 445 : Narrated by Thabit
bin Ad-Dahhak)
2. The Prophet said, "He who commits suicide by throttling shall keep on
throttling himself in the Hell Fire (forever) and he who commits suicide by
stabbing himself shall keep on stabbing himself in the Hell-Fire."
( Bhukhari shareef, Volume 2, Book 23, Number 446 : Narrated by Abu Huraira)

Hadith about Mental Illnesses and Not guilty to plead

If a person with mental illness commits an offence/crime where he/she loses
mental capacity and balance, he/she may not be plead guilty according to this
authentic hadith. This hadith has been quoted in four books among six
authenticated books of Hadith (Sehah-E-Sitta).
Prophet of Islam was reported to say;
“The pen has been lifted ( not accountable) from three;
1. From the sleeper until he awakens,
2. From the child until he reaches puberty
3. From the insane person until he comes to his senses,
(Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1424, Book 17, Hadith 2, Arabic reference, Narrated by Aishah
 Vol. 3, Book 15, Hadith 1424, English reference

(Sunan An- Nasai, 432 Book 27 Hadith 44 Arabic reference, Narrated by Aishah
Vol. 4, Book 27, Hadith 3462 English reference)
( Sunan Ibn Majah, Book 10, Hadith 2119 Arabic reference, Narrated by Aishah
Vol. 3, Book 10, Hadith 2041 English reference,)

In another Hadith narrated by Ali ibn Abu Talib, reported;

The Prophet peace be upon said: There are three (persons) whose actions are not
recorded: a sleeper till he awakes, a boy till he reaches puberty, and a lunatic till he
comes to reason.

Abu Dawud said: Ibn Juraij has transmitted it from Al-Qasim b. Yazid on the
authority of 'Ali from the Prophet. This version adds: "and an old man who is
feeble-minded."

(Sunan Abi Dawud 4403 Book 40, Hadith 53, Arabic reference, Narrated by Ali
ibn Abu Talib

Book 39, Hadith 4389 English reference)

Suicide in healthy mental state and abnormal mental state

Any person who attempts and commits suicide shall be examined by a Psychiatrist
as per Mental health Ordinance 2001 section 49 and Mental health Acts of the
provinces.
The citation in Balochistan Mental Act 2017 (so far a draft Bill under process),
section 49 reads as;
“ A person who attempts suicide shall be assessed by an approved psychiatrist
and if found to be suffering from a mental disorder shall be treated appropriately
under the provision of this act.”