Question:
Is it permissible for us to pray on a deceased who died because he committed suicide? For there is a hadith that clearly states that a person who commits suicide will enter hell.
Answer:
Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the many countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his wives, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.
Committing suicide is one of a major sin and the Prophet PBUH explained that a person who commits suicide will be punished in the hereafter with the same way he committed suicide when he was alive. Narrated by Abu Hurairah RA, the Prophet PBUH said:
مَنْ تَرَدَّى مِنْ جَبَلٍ فَقَتَلَ نَفْسَهُ، فَهْوَ فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ، يَتَرَدَّى فِيهِ خَالِدًا مُخَلَّدًا فِيهَا أَبَدًا، وَمَنْ تَحَسَّى سَمًّا فَقَتَلَ نَفْسَهُ، فَسَمُّهُ فِي يَدِهِ، يَتَحَسَّاهُ فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدًا مُخَلَّدًا فِيهَا أَبَدًا، وَمَنْ قَتَلَ نَفْسَهُ بِحَدِيدَةٍ، فَحَدِيدَتُهُ فِي يَدِهِ، يَجَأُ بِهَا فِي بَطْنِهِ فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدًا مُخَلَّدًا فِيهَا أَبَدًا
"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."
Sahih al-Bukhari (5778) and Sahih Muslim (109) with different wording.
The Prophet PBUH further said:
مَنْ قَتَلَ نَفْسَهُ بِشَىْءٍ عُذِّبَ بِهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ
“And he who slaughtered himself with a thing would be slaughtered with that on the Day of Resurrection.”
Sahih al-Bukhari (6047) and Sahih Muslim (110)
We have also discussed on the issue of the suicide phenomenon due to the pressures of life in the article titled Bayan Linnas Series 74: The Pressures of Life Which Leads to Suicide: Its Ruling and Solution [i]
The Ruling of Jenazah Prayer (Prayer for a Deceased) for Suicide Cases
Regarding the ruling of jenazah prayer for those who committed suicide, in a hadith narrated by Jabir ibn Samurah RA:
أُتِيَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِرَجُلٍ قَتَلَ نَفْسَهُ بِمَشَاقِصَ فَلَمْ يُصَلِّ عَلَيْهِ
‘A man who killed himself with a broad-headed arrow, was brought to the Prophet (ﷺ) but he did not offer the funeral prayer for him.’
Sahih Muslim (978) and Sunan al-Nasa’ie (1963)
According to Imam al-Nawawi, the above hadith is an evidence that for a person who committed suicide, no jenazah prayer is offered for the deceased and this is the opinion of Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz and al-Auza’ie.
According to al-Hasan al-Basri, al-Nakha’ie, Qatadah, Imam Malik, Imam Abu Hanifah, Imam al-Syafi’e and majority of scholars: For a person who committed suicide, jenazah prayer is offered for him and they understood that the Prophet PBUH refused to offer prayer for the deceased as a lesson for others to not commit suicide, while other companions offer prayer for him. (Refer Syarh al-Nawawi ‘ala Muslim 7/47)
Regardless for the hadiths that explained the grave and great sin and punishment for those who commit suicide, we are not prohibited from supplicating and asking blessings and forgiveness for them. Committing suicide is not a form of disbelief that its doer is considered as someone who has denounced Islam and Allah SWT reserves the right to forgive whoever He wishes.
We would like to emphasize that however difficult life is, never consider suicide but believe in Allah and depend on Him by remembering Him, supplicating and working hard. Even if he feels as though death is a necessity, then supplicate as the Prophet PBUH has taught us:
أَلاَ لاَ يَتَمَنَّى أَحَدُكُمُ الْمَوْتَ لِضُرٍّ نَزَلَ بِهِ فَإِنْ كَانَ لاَ بُدَّ مُتَمَنِّيًا الْمَوْتَ فَلْيَقُلِ اللَّهُمَّ أَحْيِنِي مَا كَانَتِ الْحَيَاةُ خَيْرًا لِي وَتَوَفَّنِي إِذَا كَانَتِ الْوَفَاةُ خَيْرًا لِي
'None of you should wish for death because of some harm that befalls him. If he must wish for death, let him say:
اللَّهُمَّ أَحْيِنِي مَا كَانَتِ الْحَيَاةُ خَيْرًا لِي وَتَوَفَّنِي إِذَا كَانَتِ الْوَفَاةُ خَيْرًا لِي
Allahumma ahini ma kanatil-hayatu khairantli wa tawaffani idha kanatil-wafatu khairanli (O Allah, keep me alive so long as life is good for me, and cause me to die when death is good for me)"
Sahih al-Bukhari (1/107-108) and Sahih Muslim (2680)
Wallahua’lam.
Endnote:
[i] http://muftiwp.gov.my/en/artikel/bayan-linnas/1124-bayan-linnas-siri-74-tekanan-hidup-yang-membawa-bunuh-diri-hukum-dan-penyelesaiannya