Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Dear Brother,

Sahih Al-Bukhari

Volume 2, Book 23, Number 446:

Narrated Abu Huraira-:

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."

My question is: If suicide is forbidden in Islam, then are these suicide bombers-who have no weapons to fight with- who are fighting in the cause of Allah considered martyrs? Or do they serve the fate described in the above Hadith?

Jazak Allah Khair

Your Brother,

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Suicide Bombers in Islam

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and who-ever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Suicide is indeed strictly forbidden in Islam, and Allah and His Messenger (saws) have promised the committers of this heinous sin the everlasting Fire of Hell.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verses 29-30: 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 yourselves: for verily Allah hath been to you Most Merciful. If any do that in rancor and injustice soon shall We cast them into the fire: and easy it is for Allah.

But one must understand the difference between the one who is despaired from life and thus ends his own life, and the one who submits his own life for the Cause and Pleasure of Allah.

Suicide taken in normal terms, would mean that the person is so despaired with his own life and its trials, that he ends his life himself, because he neither has the courage nor the patience to face these trials, and thus commits this cowardly act of killing himself intentionally to run away from his trials.

But when a sole person goes into the thick of the enemy, with bombs or explosives strapped to himself, he knows only too well that he will lose his life in this incident. And for lack of a better term, they are called suicide-bombers! But the intention of this person is not to kill himself because he has been despaired of his life and its trial, but rather to strike a blow and demoralize the enemy; and that too only because he wants to raise the banner and word of Allah High and Supreme. This person sacrifices his life for the Cause of Allah, and his sole intention is the Pleasure of Allah Subhanah.

We recently heard a report that a woman named Mariam strapped herself with explosives and went into the thick of the Russain army and killed almost 37 Russian soldiers along with herself. But before she went, she wrote a small note, which was very moving: “Paradise undoubtedly has a price! And I hope this is my price for Paradise.”

May Allah reward her and the brothers and sisters who have sacrificed their worldly lives, so that the word of Allah may reign Supreme in the world.

And when we read about these acts of ‘suicide-bombings’ in the media, we are never told the full story. No one ever relates what drove these martyrs to do what they did! When the enemies of Islam combine and commit atrocities on the muslims, and take away their right to defend themselves… one brave believer sacrifices his own life with all its pleasures, and walks straight towards the enemies and strikes a blow deep into their hearts, he is called a suicide-bomber! His intention was not to kill himself in his humiliation and helplessness, but his intention was to hurt and defeat the enemies of Allah and their evil hopes against the believers. He willingly sacrificed his life for the Pleasure of Allah Subhanah, and realized all too well what honor and rewards await him in the Court of Allah Subhanah. This act is perfectly legal in Islam, and Allah will reward each according to his intentions.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisa verses 74-76: Those alone, who barter away this worldly life for that of the Hereafter, should fight in the way of Allah. Then We will bestow a great reward upon him who fights in the way of Allah, whether he be slain or be victorious. Why should you, then, not fight in the way of Allah for the sake of those helpless men, women and children who, being weak, have been oppressed, and are crying out, “Our Lord, deliver us from this habitation whose inhabitants are unjust oppressors, and raise a protector for us by Your Grace, and a helper from Yourself.” Those, who follow the way of Faith, fight in the way of Allah; and those who follow the way of disbelief, fight in the way of ‘taghut’ (Shaitaan). So fight against the helpers of Shaitaan with this conviction that Shaitaan’s crafty schemes are in fact very weak.

These martyrs have bartered the world with all its allures, for the life of the Hereafter. And Allah is a witness to their intentions and their sacrifice.

May Allah accept their martyrdom and grant them the highest reward and honor in Paradise. May Allah increase our imaan, and give us the courage and the faith to fight against those who are enemies to Allah and Islam. May Allah make us amongst those who sacrifices our wealth and our lives for His Cause.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 9 Surah Taubah verse 111: Indeed, Allah has bought from the believers their lives and their possessions in return for the Gardens. They fight in the Way of Allah, kill; and are killed! This promise of the Gardens is a true pledge of Allah; as made in the Torah, the Gospel, and the Quran. And Who is more true in fulfilling his promise than Allah? So rejoice in the bargain you have made with Him. This is indeed the greatest success.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

 Burhan