Suicide is forbidden. 

Allah (swt) says in the Quran:

 " if anyone saves a life, it shall be as though he had saved the lives of all mankind." (5:32)

 "O ye who believe!... [do not] kill yourselves, for truly Allah has been to you Most Merciful.  If any do that in rancour and injustice, soon shall We cast him into the Fire..." (Qur'an 4:29-30).

"O ye who believe!  Remain steadfast for Allah, bearing witness to justice.  Do not allow your hatred for others make you swerve to wrongdoing and turn you away from justice.  Be just; that is closer to true piety."- Qur'an, Surah al-Maidah (5:8)

"And fight in the way of Allah those who fight you.  But do not transgress limits.  Truly Allah loves not the transgressors."- Qur'an, Surah Al-Baqarah (2:190)

In Islam, several things are clear:

·                     Suicide is forbidden.  "O ye who believe!... [do not] kill yourselves, for truly Allah has been to you Most Merciful.  If any do that in rancour and injustice, soon shall We cast him into the Fire..." (Qur'an 4:29-30).

·                     The taking of life is allowed only by way of justice (i.e. the death penalty for murder), but even then, forgiveness is better.  "Nor take life - which Allah has made sacred - except for just cause..." (17:33).

·                     In pre-Islamic Arabia, retaliation and mass murder was commonplace.  If someone was killed, the victim's tribe would retaliate against the murderer's entire tribe.  This practice was directly forbidden in the Qur'an (2:178-179).  Following this statement of law, the Qur'an says, "After this, whoever exceeds the limits shall be in grave chastisement" (2:178).  No matter what wrong we perceive as being done against us, we may not lash out against an entire population of people.

·                     The Qur'an admonishes those who oppress others and transgress beyond the bounds of what is right and just.  "The blame is only against those who oppress men with wrongdoing and insolently transgress beyond bounds through the land, defying right and justice.  For such there will be a chastisement grievous (in the Hereafter)" (42:42).

·                     Harming innocent bystanders, even in times of war, was forbidden by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).  This includes women, children, noncombatant bystanders, and even trees and crops.  Nothing is to be harmed unless the person or thing is actively engaged in an assault against Muslims.

The predominant theme in the Qur'an is forgiveness and peace.  Allah (God) is Merciful and Forgiving, and seeks that in His followers.  Indeed, most people who spend time on a personal level with ordinary Muslims have found them to be peaceful, honest, hard-working, civic-minded people.

In the fight against terrorism of all forms, it is important to understand who or what is our enemy.  We can only fight against this horror if we understand its causes and motivations.  What motivates a person to lash out in this violent, inhumane way?  As the points out, researchers conclude that religion neither causes nor explains suicide terrorism. The true motivation of such attacks is something that all of us -- mental health professionals, politicians, and common people -- need to understand, so that we can address the issues more honestly, prevent more violence, and find ways to work towards lasting peace.

The Signs of the Age of Fitnah (Trials)

http://www.as-sidq.org/fitnah.html

All praise is for Allah. We praise Him and seek His help and seek His forgiveness and believe in Him and rely on Him. We seek refuge with Him from the evils of our souls and from the vices of our deeds. There is none to misguide him whom He guides and there is none to guide him whom He lets go astray. We bear witness that there is no god but Allah the One Who has no partner. We also bear witness that our sire, and ours authority and our Prophet and our Master, Muhammad (saw)   is His servant and His Messenger. May Almighty Allah have mercy on him, his household and bless and salute them all in great abundance.

The Holy Prophet  was commissioned as a Prophet for all peoples of the world  the Day of Judgment
To day I want to say something briefly about such a theme of the teachings of the Holy Prophet as is very necessary today but is generally overlooked.  Almighty Allah sent the Holy Prophet  to this world as the last of the Prophets , thus finalizing with him   the chain of Prophet hood. Another distinction which Allah bestowed upon him  over other Prophets, is that the latter Prophets were sent to some particular people residing in a particular land in a particular age. Their teachings and preaching were-confined to territory. For example, Sayyidn'a Moosa (Moses)  sent to the Children of Israel, living in Egypt, his  prophet hood was limited only to this community  and this  territory  As against this, the Holy Prophet was sent to the entire world and entire humanity  and for  all times till the Day of Judgment. The Holy  Qu’ran bears witness to this fact:

 And We have not sent you (O Muhammad) but as  a bringer of good tidings and as a Warner to all mankind..(34:28 )

 The words of  all mankind' imply all human wherever and in  whatever age they are living. This clearly  that his prophet hood was not confined only to Arabian Peninsulas nor to any particular age. His prophethood  encompassed all periods and ages till  Day of Judgment.

His teachings and injunctions shall  remain valid, effective and in force till Judgment. As already pointed out his teaching are not  confined to any particular age and  apply to every walk  of life.  These teachings consist of two aspects  (1) prescribes the rules of the Shari 'ah concerning lawful, unlawful, desirable, permissible, and  other  aspect (2) predicts the events which will confront the Ummah in the times to come, and how the Ummah should tackle these events.

Prediction about future events
 This second aspect is also a very important part of  the teachings of the Holy Prophet in which, peeping into the future through the light of his Prophethood, he  has informed his Ummah (all human being including his followers) of many future events and the ways how the members of his Ummah should tackle these events, so as to remain on the right path of Deen.  Today I want to say something on this second aspect of the Prophet's teachings.

Anxiety for the salvation of the Ummah    
The Holy Prophet  always remained concerned about the good of his Ummah. It occurs in a narrative:

 The Holy Prophet  always remained drowned deep in some worry, grief.

What was the cause of this anxiety and grief?  it was indeed not about collecting worldly resources, nor about improving his own honor and status among his community.  The grief under which he was pining was about how to save from Hell-Fire the people to whom he had been sent; how to divert them from the path of error and to guide them to the straight path of right guidance.   Finding His Prophet drowned in such grief Allah has frequently revealed verses to advise the Prophet  to give up such pining and fretting. Thus, Allah has said:

 It may be that you will torment your soul that they do not become believers. (18:6)

 This verse indicates how concerned the Holy Prophet  was about the right guidance of his Ummah on to the path of Eeman (Faith). He  is reported to have said in a Hadith  (his saying or action) :

My example is like that man who kindles fires and seeing the fire, the moths begin to fall on the flames. The man tries to keep the moths away from the flames to save them from being burnt in the flames.   In the same way I am  trying to save you from Hell-Fire by holding you back by your waists, but you are rushing into the Fire.

 So concerned did the Holy Prophet  feel about the right guidance of his Ummah, including also those who were yet to come to the world !

What Trials and Tribulations are expected to break out in the future?   
 The Holy Prophet  has, therefore, informed the future generations of the events that shall occur in their times.  Accordingly all books of Ahadith contain permanent chapters on Trials.  In the Chapters all such Ahadith have been collated in which the Holy Prophet  has informed of, and warned the people against, the tribulations expected to occur in the future. The Holy Prophet  has said in a Hadith:

 In the future trials will fall down into your houses like the falling down of the drops of rain water.

These trials have been compared to the drops of rain water because the trials will fall down on your houses in an unbroken succession one after another.

 The Holy Prophet  has said in another Hadith:

 Very soon trials and tribulations will appear which will be like dark nights.

 In other words, just as a man is not able to find his way in dark nights in the same way during these blinding trials people will not know what to do and where to go Those trials will encompass the entire society, leaving no place of shelter for the people. The Holy Prophet also taught the people a supplication to find refuge with Allah from these trials:

 O Allah, we seek refuge with You from these apparent or hidden trials. This supplication was included in the Prophet's  daily routine.

What is a Trial?   
We should now try to understand the meaning of  (Trial). we should also try to find out the teachings of the Holy Prophet  for all of us to obey in order to remain safe from the harms of these trials.  We are not aware of the real implications of this term, although we use it from morning till evening.  This word has also been used in the Holy Qur'an many times. It has been mentioned in the Holy Qur'an at one place meaning that:

 "... The creation of a trial is more grievous  sin than murder...."

The meaning of Trial   
The word  (fitna or fitnah ) is an Arabic word the dictionary meaning of which is to find out the purity or impurity of precious metals like gold or silver by melting it on fire. Melting the metal on fire discloses the reality.  For the same reason, it is also used to mean testing and examining something. Thus, a second meaning of this word is "trial". When hardships and misfortunes descend on a man his real worth and character are tested by his conduct and behavior under these trying situations. It is observed whether he bears these trying hours, days with patience makes a fuss and raises hues and cries. this testing is also called  (Trial).

The word (Trial) as used in the Ahadith   
The word d (Trial) has been used in the Ahadith to express a situation at any time. When the truth is obscure and it becomes very difficult to distinguish between good and bad, right and wrong and truth and falsehood.  When such a situation arises, it is said that it is a time of trial.  It is also a time of trial when sins, crimes and disobedience become rampant.  In the same way to regard falsehood as truth and truth as falsehood and to put forward something as a proof which is not proof; these are forms of  (Trial).  For example, if you tell a person that such an act is unlawful and strictly prohibited, the person shall reply that the entire society, the whole world including Saudi Arabia is doing this act.  In our times it has become a common practice that when an objection is raised to any act, the doer at once replies that he has seen the same act being done in the Saudi Arabia.  This is also a  (trial) to put forward some act or practice as a proof which is not at all a proof.   In the same way we find that many groups and parties have sprung up in the city, each with its slogan and tenet and it is difficult to decide which is on the right path and which is on the wrong path.   Truth and falsehood have thus become mixed up.  All these fall within the definition of  (Trial).  

A quarrel between two parties is a  (Trial)   
It is also a case of trial when two Muslims or two Muslim groups fall out with each other so violently that they are ready to shed blood and commit murder and it is not known which of the two is right and which is wrong.

 The Holy Prophet   is reported to have said in a Hadith

 When two Muslims begin to fight With each other with their swords, the murderer as well as the murdered will both enter Hell-Fire.

 One of the Companions said to the Holy Prophet O Messenger of Allah  It is understandable that the murderer shall go to Hell for murdering a Muslim, but why shall the murdered shall enter Hell?  The Holy Prophet  replied, saying: The murdered will enter Hell because he too had come out to fight with the intention of murdering his opponent but he did not succeed in his intention but his opponent succeeded in his intention.   None of the two was fighting in the cause of Allah, but worldly benefit in the form of money or some political benefit. Both will, therefore, enter Hell.

Killing and robbing are Trial    
The Holy Prophet  said in another Hadith:

 A time will come upon the people when there will be a great deal of a  (confusion/disturbance). on being asked about he  answered:  It is killing and robbing, i.e., in those days these crimes will increase by leaps and bounds and human life will become meaner than that of mosquitoes and flies.

 The Holy Prophet  has said in another Hadith:

A time will come upon the people in which the killer will not know why he killed the victim nor will the victim killed know why he was killed.

 Look at the conditions obtaining today in the society which fully confirms the truth of the Holy Prophet's  prediction. This is as if the Holy Prophet  was seeing these conditions with his own eyes.

In the olden days it was not known who was the killer, but it could be known why the victim was killed, i.e., he was killed by robbers for robbing the victim of his money? or by enemies.  Anyway, the cause of the murder became known. What is happening now-a-days?  A man is sitting or standing in front of his door, he has no enemies, he is not involved in politics  yet some hooligan shoots at him and kills him without any apparent cause. The Holy Prophet  has predicted all these events in clear words:

A Hadith about the Holy City of Makkah   
It is narrated by Sayyidn'a Abdullah bin Umar   that the Holy Propeht said: 

Until recently the people were not able to understand the real meaning of this Hadith, but now the meaning has become quite clear to them. The hadith may be translated as under:

When the belly of Makkah will be cleft open and through it will be dug out river-like passage (i.e. tunnels) and the buildings of the Holy City of Makkah will rise higher than its mountains when you observe these signs, then understand that the time of ? (Trial) is near at hand.

The cleaving asunder of the belly of the Holy City of Makkah   
This Hadith has continued on records of the last fourteen centuries. The commentators of the Hadith felt baffled, while explaining this Hadith as they could not understand how belly of' the Holy City of Makkah could be cleft asunder nor could they understand the meaning of digging out river like passages.  It was really very difficult to imagine the sense of all these predictions.  But by seeing today's Makkah one feels that the Holy Prophet made these predictions, as if he e was actually seeing with his own eyes today's Makkahtul-Mukarramah.  Previously the commentators (Muhaddithin)  interpreted this Hadith by saying that in their times Makkah was a dry and mountainous city, but in some future age Allah may cause rivers and canals to flow in that city.  However today one feels by seeing these (underground) tunnels how the belly of Makkah has been cleft asunder:

Rising of building higher than mountains   
The other sentence which the Holy Prophet spoke out in this Hadith is that the buildings of the Holy City of Makkah will rise higher than its mountains. A few years ago none could imagine that buildings would be built in Makkah which would rise higher than its mountains, as the city was surrounded by mountains on all sides. But go to Makkah and see for yourself how (high-rise) buildings higher than mountains have been built there.

 It appears from this Hadith, as if fourteen centuries ago the Holy Prophet

 

 

The present era in the light of the Ahadith   
Every Muslim should keep in view those Ahadith in which the Holy Prophet a has predicted the future events.  Maulana Muhammad Yusuf Ludhyanawi Sahib(Rh)has compiled a book titled "The Present Era in the Light of the Ahadith"  He has tried to gather together in this book all the ahadith about the Trials.  He has included in this book a Hadith in which the Holy Prophet  has mentioned seventy-two events which will occur during the Era of the Trials. I advise you to read them one by one and see how these events exactly agree to those taking place in our times and in our environments.

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