May A Funeral Prayer Be Performed For A Person Who Has Committed Suicide?
May a funeral prayer be performed for a person who has committed suicide?
Life is a trust given to the servants by Allah. It is a major sin for a person to commit suicide just like it is a sin to kill other people. On many occasions, the Prophet Muhammad (saw) informed people about suicide’s being a major sin and the punishment of those who commit suicide. He said, “Whoever purposely throws himself from a mountain and kills himself, will be in the (Hell) Fire falling down into it and abiding therein perpetually forever; and whoever drinks poison and kills himself with it, he will be carrying his poison in his hand and drinking it in the (Hell) Fire wherein he will abide eternally forever; and whoever kills himself with an iron weapon, will be carrying that weapon in his hand and stabbing his abdomen with it in the (Hell) Fire wherein he will abide eternally forever.” (Bukhari, al-Tibb, 56) It is stated in this impressive hadith that the heavy and permanent punishment that will be faced in the Hereafter by the person who commits suicide will be the consequence of his/her own deed .
Islamic scholars expressed that the record of the punishment in the hadith is valid for those who commit suicide by thinking that it is halal, and that it is a metaphoric expression used for referring to a long term punishment (Ayni, Umdah, XXI, 292).
It is clear that the act of suicide, which means ending the life entrusted by the Almighty Allah in a way that is not welcome by Him, cannot be committed by a reasonable person. However, people pray to Allah to have mercy on that person by thinking that he committed this act in a state of insanity. Because scholars state that funeral prayer of every person who recites kalimat al-shahadah shall be established with reference to the general meaning of the hadith of, “Establish prayer of every person who says ‘la ilaha illallah’.” (Tabarani, al-Mu’jam al-Kabir, XII, 447) (Ibn Qudamah, al-Mughni, III, 508; Nawawi, al-Majmu, V, 211; Ibn Rushd, Bidayah, I, 239).
Source: Presidency Of Religious Affairs The Turkey, High Board of Religious Affairs FATWA
