In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Mercy-Giving

 

All praise is due to Allah. Peace and blessings be upon His Messenger Muhammad.

 

That is indeed profoundly saddening news. I pray that the person did not resort to it while in full control of his senses and mind; and forgive him for the grave offense he has committed.

 

No conscientious Muslim would ever contemplate such an action: it is a double offense: committing suicide; on top of that, doing it in the sacred precincts of the Haram or holy sanctuary.

 

That is why I am more inclined to think that the person was going through uncontrollable depression which had not been treated.

 

As an Imam who has been serving for over four decades, I have come across so many people suffering from depression, and yet most of them never go for treatment; often deluding themselves that it would go away through Ruqyah or exorcism, etc.

 

Such indeed is a distortion of Islamic teachings which stress treatment and medication; The Prophet (peace be upon him) reiterated: “Seek treatments for Allah has appointed cure for every kind of affliction or disease except old age.” (Ibn Hibban)

 

We also learn from his beloved wife Aishah that he used to consult physicians who often visited from various parts of the Arabian Peninsula and that she would retain those prescriptions they shared with the Prophet (peace be upon him).

 

One should ask: If there was no need for medications, why did the Prophet consult physicians and their prescriptions?

 

So, depression can be a severe condition which ought to be treated by those who are professionals. There are ample cases of people suffering from depression taking their lives.

 

So, it behoves the Muslim community to address this issue seriously as many people refuse to get the necessary treatment. If we don’t pay urgent attention to such cases, I am afraid we may lose many to such acts of suicide.

 

As for suicide itself, it is indeed one of the most heinous offenses in Islam.  Life is a gift from Allah; it is bestowed on us for our salvation. As long as we are living, we have the chance to gain salvation no matter how enormous our past sins are. Once life is snuffed out, we lose the opportunity to redeem ourselves. There is nothing worse.

 

That is why the Prophet (peace be upon him) refused to pray the funeral prayer of those who committed suicide. He did so in as a lesson for others (i.e., as a deterrent). While doing so, he asked his companions: Pray for your brother.

 

So while refusing to pray, he still did not consider the person as a disbeliever. So, we should have no reason to put out such people from the fold of Islam. They are to be judged by Allah.

 

Almighty Allah knows best.