Suicide Bombing in Islam

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This article discusses suicide bombing (martyrdom operations) in Islam, and why it is permissible under Islamic law.

Introduction

There are many hadith narrations and Qur'anic verses forbidding suicide, however, there are also some hadith (and one Qur'anic verse related to one of them) which indicate that killing oneself is allowed under certain circumstances. Just like Muslims are forbidden from eating pork, though they are allowed to eat it in “certain circumstances”.

Main Evidence

The lady who killed herself and went to heaven

Ibn `Abbas said that the Messenger of Allah said, "On the night in which I was taken by night, a pleasant fragrance came my way, and so I said, "O Gabriel! What is this pleasant fragrance?" He said, "This is the fragrance of the hairdresser of Pharaoh's daughter, and [of the hairdresser]'s children." I said, "What is her situation?" He said, "While she was combing Pharaoh's daughter's hair one day, the comb fell from her hand, so she said, "In the name of Allah." Pharaoh's daughter asked, "[You mean] my father?" She said, "No, rather my Lord, and the Lord of your father, is Allah." She said, "Can I tell him that?" She said, "Yes.""….

{The hadith goes on to describe that a huge brass pot was heated, and it was ordered for her and her children to be cast therein.}

She requested from Pharaoh - and he acceded to her request - that her bones and her children's bones be gathered in a single cloth and buried. Her children were then thrown into the cauldron one by one before her eyes, until they got to a suckling infant, and it seemed she wavered on account of him, but he said, "O mother! Jump in, for the torture of this world is lighter than the punishment of the Hereafter." So she jumped in.

Imam Ahmad has narrated in his Musnad (1/310) [and a similar narration is in Ibn Majah (4030)

The narrators of the chain [of Imam Ahmad's version] are reliable, apart from Abu `Umar al-Dareer, whom al-Dhahabi and Abu Hatim al-Razi considered truthful, and Ibn Hibban considered reliable. A similar hadith is mentioned on IslamQA, fatwa no. 39678 (where its graded as authentic)

According to Ibn Kathir (and other Mufassirun/Qur'an commentators), as well as Yusuf al-Uyayri, who published a fatwa which used this hadith to justify suicide bombing, Quran 85:11 below is about the incident:

Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds will have gardens beneath which rivers flow. That is the great attainment.

Qur'an 85:11

It states that the lady went to gardens beneath which rivers flow (i.e heaven).

Ibn Kathir said about it:

Then the king said, "Whoever abandons his religion, let him go, and whoever does not, throw him into the fire. They were struggling and scuffling in the fire, until a woman and her baby whom she was breast feeding came and it was as if she was being somewhat hesitant of falling into the fire, so her baby said to her, "Be patient mother! For verily, you are following the truth!) Muslim also recorded this Hadith at the end of the Sahih.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir, The Story of the Sorcerer, the Monk, the Boy and Those Who were forced to enter the Ditch

Analysis

This hadith indicates that killing yourself is allowed in Islam in certain circumstances. The lady killed herself, which benefited Islam, because many people converted to Islam after being amazed by her actions. Hence we see that killing yourself is ok when it is going to “benefit” Islam, like in this incident.

"The lady was going to be killed anyway"

This is false, the Pharaoh did not pass any definite death sentences, in fact its possible to say the Pharaoh did not want to kill the lady. Ibn Kathir mentions a hadith in his tafsir that the king/pharaoh said about the lady and her people:

Then the king said, "Whoever abandons his religion, let him go, and whoever does not, throw him into the fire.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir, The Story of the Sorcerer, the Monk, the Boy and Those Who were forced to enter the Ditch

So the lady could have saved the life by “pretending” to renounce Islam, which is encouraged in Islam in situations like these (see Qur'an 16:106).

IslamQA also mentions:

"O So and so, do you have a Lord other than me?’ She said: ‘Yes, my Lord and your Lord is Allaah."

Tafsir Ibn Kathir, IslamQA, Fatwa no. 39678, The story of the hairdresser of Pharaoh’s daughter

At that point the lady could have also saved her life by lying and denying she is Muslim (Qur'an 16:106). But she chose to die instead.

"Hadith is referring to the pre-Islamic era"

This argument states that the hadith is pre Islamic and that Islam abrogated all pre Islamic religions. So the hadith can not be used to make rulings.

Firstly, many verses in the Quran relate to the pre Islamic era, a famous one for example is “On that account: We ordained for the Children of Israel that if anyone killed a person - unless it for murder or for spreading mischief in the land - it would be as if he slew all mankind “ [Qur'an 5:32]. Which some Muslims conveniently forget to mention that “mischief” is disbelief, according to Muhammad, his companions and the famous Muffasirun (like Ibn Kathir and al-Suyuti). This verse is related to the time of Adam and Eve, when Cain killed his brother Abel, so Allah sent down this verse. Its hypocrisy for apologists to accept pre-Islam era related verses like 5:32 but reject 85:11.

For further information of above verse, see: If Anyone Slew a Person

Not only this, Muhammad praised the lady that killed herself in the incident by calling it a “beautiful/pleasant fragrance”

"The lady could not renounce Islam, it wasn’t allowed then"

Some apologists say that if the lady renounced her faith, she would go to hell. Because pretending to renounce your faith was not allowed then, and they mention the hadith below:

“A man from those before you would be taken and have a trench dug in the earth for him. Then he would be brought and put into that trench and a saw would be brought and put over his head. He would be cut into two halves and that would not stray him from his religion. Or he would be combed with a comb of iron between his meat and his bones and that would not sway him from his religion. By Allah, Allah will complete this matter [make this religion dominant]until a rider would ride from Sana to Hadhramaut and only have to fear Allah and the wolf for his sheep. But you people are being hasty.”

Ahmad and al-Bukhari, hadith mentioned by: “The Hijacked Caravan: Refuting Suicide Bombings as Martyrdom Operations in Contemporary Jihad Strategy”, by Ihsanic Intelligence

The person who quoted the above hadith was not entirely truthful. The full hadith is:

We complained to Allah's Apostle (of the persecution inflicted on us by the infidels) while he was sitting in the shade of the Ka'ba, leaning over his Burd (i.e. covering sheet). We said to him, "Would you seek help for us? Would you pray to Allah for us?" He said, "Among the nations before you a (believing) man would be put in a ditch that was dug for him, and a saw would be put over his head and he would be cut into two pieces; yet that (torture) would not make him give up his religion. His body would be combed with iron combs that would remove his flesh from the bones and nerves, yet that would not make him abandon his religion. By Allah, this religion (i.e. Islam) will prevail till a traveller from Sana (in Yemen) to Hadrarmaut will fear none but Allah, or a wolf as regards his sheep, but you (people) are hasty.

Sahih Bukhari, book 56, no. 809

This hadith is indicating how firm the people of the past were in their belief if Allah. It doesn’t mention that the people of the ditch were disallowed to renounce Islam at all.

Even if it was the case that the people of the past were disallowed to renounce Islam, they could still renounce it and save their life, then convert again later.

Rewards based on intentions, and the boy who contributed to his own killing

The Prophet said, 'O people! The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions, and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended .

Sahih Bukhari 96:86:85

The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said: Leave them, when the divine decree is made, no woman should weep. They (the people) asked: What is necessary happening, Apostle of Allah? He replied: Death. His daughter said: I hope you will be a martyr, for you have completed your preparations for jihad. The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said: Allah Most High gave him a reward according to his intentions. What do you consider martyrdom? They said: Being killed in the cause of Allah.

Abu Dawud 59:809

The Prophet said, 'O people! The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions, and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended. And he 'said to them: Take him to such and such mountain; make him climb up that mountain and when you reach its top (ask him to renounce his faith) but if he refuses to do so, then throw him (down the mountain). So they took him and made him climb up the mountain and he said: O Allah, save me from them (in any way) Thou likest and the mountain began to quake and they all fell down and that person came walking to the king. The king said to him: What has happened to your companions? He said: Allah has saved me from them. He again handed him to some of his courtiers and said: Take him and carry him in a small boat and when you reach the middle of the ocean (ask him to renounce) his religion, but if he does not renounce his religion throw him (into the water). So they took him and he said: O Allah, save me from them and what they want to do. It was quite soon that the boat turned over and they were drowned and he came walking to the king, and the king said to him: What has happened to your companions? He said: Allah has saved me from them, and he said to the king: You cannot kill me until you do what I ask you to do. And he said: What is that? He said: You should gather people in a plain and hang me by the trunk (of a tree). Then take hold of an arrow from the quiver and say: In the name of Allah, the Lord of the worlds; then shoot an arrow and if you do that then you would be able to kill me. So he (the king) called the people in an open plain and tied him (the boy) to the trunk of a tree, then he took hold of an arrow from his quiver and then placed the arrow in the bow and then said: In the name of Allah, the Lord of the young boy; he then shot an arrow and it bit his temple. He (the boy) placed his hands upon the temple where the arrow had bit him and he died and the people said: We affirm our faith in the Lord of this young man

Sahih Muslim 42:7148

Analysis

The first hadith indicates that Muslims will be rewarded based on their intentions, including the intentions of an act they carry out. Not the act itself. Hence a suicide bomber who blows himself up because of what is Islamicly considered a good reason i.e to kill enemies of Islam, then according to Islam, he will be rewarded for that as that was his intention first and foremost.

In the third hadith, we see that Allah was miraculously protecting the boy from being killed, hence it was impossible to kill him. But the boy told the King 1 special way that he would be killed, a way in which Allah would not protect him. Hence he contributed to his own killing. This is considered suicide in the context, because the boy killed himself by telling the king how to kill him, otherwise it was impossible for the King to kill him as Allah was protecting the boy. We see that the intention of the boy was to get himself killed for the benefit of Islam, as after he died the people supposedly converted to Islam.

Ibn Taymiyyah said about the incident:

"Muslim has narrated in his Sahih the story of the people of the trenches, in which the boy ordered his own killing for the benefit of the religion, and hence the four imams have allowed a Muslim to immerse himself in the enemy ranks, even if he is reasonably certain that they will kill him, provided there is benefit in that for the Muslims.

Majmu` al-Fatawa (28/540), Fatwa justifying suicide bombing pg 11

"The boy didn't kill himself"

Some apologists claim that the boy didn’t kill himself, which is physically true. But let us apply this to a suicide bombing context. A suicide bomber presses the button, and he blows up killing himself. Did the suicide bomber kill himself or did the shrapnel kill the bomber? The apologist must believe the shrapnel killed the bomber if they don’t think the boy killed himself.

In this context, the boy gave the king information about the only possible way to kill him (all other ways the king tried would not work as Allah would protect the boy). The information he gave is equivalent to that if a suicide bomber presses the button to blow himself up. For when the boy told the king how to kill him, he was guaranteed to die, the boy even said “You cannot kill me until you do what I ask you to do”. So he very well knew that the information he gave was guaranteed to get him killed. Just like if bomber presses the button its guaranteed to kill him.

Both have caused their own death.

Muslims will not be punished for mistakes

The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) is reported to have said, “Allah has overlooked my community’s mistakes, forgetfulness, and that which they were forced into.” [Ibn Maja]

Sunni Path, Question ID:2547, about eating/doing haram unintentionally

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “Allah has relieved my community of unintended errors, forgetfulness and transgressions committed under compulsion.”

Ibn Majah – Taken from the book ‘Treatise for the Seekers of Guidance’

Analysis

If indeed killing oneself is forbidden in Islam (even if its done for the benefit of Islam), the suicide bombers who carry out the act clearly don’t believe or think that. Hence if suicide bombing was actually forbidden, by this hadith the Muslim who carried out the act would not be punished because he made a mistake/judgemental error, and Allah will “overlook” this mistake.

Further Evidence

• There is a hadith about the Quran verse “make not your own hands contribute to your destruction“ Qur'an 2:195, about a man who rushed into the enemy by himself and got killed. People said he caused his own destruction, but hadith says that what the verse means by destruction is “abandoning Jihad”, and that he didn’t cause his own destruction.

• Sahih Bukhari 9:87:111 says Muhammad intended to kill himself by jumping off a mountain

• According to Sahih Muslim 20:4631 Muhammad said “I love that I should be killed in the way of Allah; then I should be brought back to life and be killed again in His way”...."

• A man asks Muhammad "which of men is the best?" Muhammad replies that it is the man who is always ready for battle and flies into it "seeking death at places where it can be expected." Sahih Muslim 20:4655

• Muhammad said: “Surely, the gates of Paradise are under the shadows of the swords." After hearing that martyrdom leads to paradise, a young man pulls his sword and breaks the sheath (indicating that he has no intention of returning) then flings himself into battle until he is killed. Sahih Muslim 20:4681

• Qur'an 9:111 says they “kill and are killed”, sounds like suicide bombers?
  Allah hath purchased of the believers their persons and their goods; for theirs (in return) is the garden (of Paradise): they fight in His cause, and kill and are killed
  

  Qur'an 9:111

• Khalid ibn Walid (a companion of Muhammad) said:
  Submit to Islam and be safe. Or agree to the payment of the Jizya, and you and your people will be under our protection, else you will have only yourself to blame for the consequences, for I bring the men who desire death as ardently as you desire life.
  

  Tabari and History of the World, Volume IV Book XII, p.463

• Abu Bakr as Siddiqi (a companion of Muhammad) said:
  You [Khosru and his people] should convert to Islam, and then you will be safe, for if you don't, you should know that I have come to you with an army of men that love death, as you love life.
  

  Tabari

Fatwa’s on suicide bombing

While some are against it, many scholars such as Yusuf al-Qaradawi and Zakir Naik claim suicide bombing is permitted in Islam.

Below is a fatwa issued by Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, discussing the reasons why it is permissible for women to participate in "Martyr Operations" (e.g. suicide bombings).

Women’s participation in the martyr operations carried out in Palestine – given the status of the land as an occupied territory, in addition to a lot of sacrilegious acts perpetrated by the Jews against the sanctuaries – is one of the most praised acts of worship. Also, the act is a form of martyrdom in the Cause of Allah, and it entitles them, Insha’ Allah, to the same reward earned by their male counterparts who also die in the Cause of Allah.
. . .

The martyr operations is the greatest of all sorts of Jihad in the Cause of Allah. A martyr operation is carried out by a person who sacrifices himself, deeming his life less value than striving in the Cause of Allah, in the cause of restoring the land and preserving the dignity. To such a valorous attitude applies the following Qur’anic verse: “And of mankind is he who would sell himself, seeking the pleasure of Allah; and Allah hath compassion on (His) bondmen.” (Al-Baqarah: 207)

But a clear distinction has to be made here between martyrdom and suicide. Suicide is an act or instance of killing oneself intentionally out of despair, and finding no outlet except putting an end to one’s life. On the other hand, martyrdom is a heroic act of choosing to suffer death in the Cause of Allah, and that’s why it’s considered by most Muslim scholars as one of the greatest forms of Jihad.
. . .

In the same vein, the public welfare should be given priority to the personal one, in the sense that if there is a contradiction between the private right and the public one, the latter must be given first priority for it concerns the interest of the whole Ummah. Given all this, I believe a woman can participate in this form of Jihad according to her own means and condition. Also, the organizers of these martyr operations can benefit from some believing women as they may do, in some cases, what is impossible for men to do.

Palestinian Women Carrying Out Martyr Operations
Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, IslamOnline, November 6, 2006

Here is another excerpt taken from a longer fatwa (15 pages in length) by Muslim scholar Sheikh al-Uyayri, explaining in depth why suicide bombings and killing of civilians (including Muslims) via the use of them as "human shields" is permissible in Islam.

We have arrived at the conclusion that martyrdom operations are permissible, and in fact the Mujahid who is killed in them is better than one who is killed fighting in the ranks, for there are gradations even among martyrs, corresponding to their role, action effort and risk undertaken. Then, we explained how martyrdom operations are the least costly to the Mujahideen and most detrimental to the enemy. We have heard, as you must have, that most scholars today permit such operations; at least 30 Fatawa have been issued to this effect. We explained how this issue is derived from the issue of plunging single-handedly into the enemy ranks; something which is praiseworthy by the agreement of jurists. We then further stated that we preferred the view that such an action is permissible even if martyrdom is the only goal, although it is certainly not the optimal practice. Martyrdom operations should not be carried out unless certain conditions are met:

1. One's intention is sincere and pure - to raise the Word of Allah.
2. One is reasonably sure that the desired effect cannot be achieved by any other means which would guarantee preservation of his life.
3. One is reasonably sure that loss will be inflicted on the enemy, or they will be frightened, or the Muslims will be emboldened.
4. One should consult with war strategy experts, and especially with the amber of war, for otherwise he may upset plan and alert the enemy to their presence.

If the first condition is absent, the deed is worthless, but if it is satisfied while some others are lacking, then it is not the best thing, but this does not necessarily mean the Mujahid is not shaheed.

We also explained how causing a death carries the same verdict as actual killing. Hence one who plunges without armour into the enemy ranks, being certain of death, just like one who engages in a martyrdom operation, is effectively causing his own death, but they are praiseworthy because of the circumstances and intention, and hence are not considered to have committed suicide. We also clarified that [according to the majority] the identity of the killer does not have an effect on whether the Mujahid will be considered shaheed. This dispels the wavering arising from the fact that the Mujahid is taking his own life. Thus, such operations could take on any of the five Shar`i verdicts depending on intention and circumstances. Finally, we clarified that taking one's own life is not always blameworthy; rather it is contingent on the motives behind it. So, we conclude that one who kills himself because of his strong faith and out of love for Allah and the Prophet, and in the interests of the religion, is praiseworthy.

The Islamic Ruling on the Permissibility of Martyrdom Operations
Sheikh al-Uyayri

Shaykh Gibril Haddad of SunniPath.com and LivingIslam.com said about the hadith of the man who rushed into the enemy by himself seeking death (an act that was praised), regarding “Suicide Warfare”

In light of the above paradigms, if, by immersing himself into enemy ranks, a fighter brings about his own death, such self-immersion is legally the same as bringing about his own death by his own hand. In this respect there is no legal difference between the direct hand of the self-detonating suicide fighter and the proxy hand of the outnumbered fighter entering the fray [battle, fight] alone.

Inghimas In ' Suicide ' Warfare - Gibril Haddad, LivingIslam.com

Conclusion

This article has shown us at least 3 things:

1. That killing oneself is allowed in Islam under certain circumstances (like in the hadith of the lady who jumped into the boiling pot, and of the boy who told the king/pharaoh how to kill him)
2. That killing oneself is permissible if it will benefit Islam (like in above mentioned hadiths)
3. That Islam promotes martyrdom (like in hadith which says the best man is the one “seeking death at places where it can be expected”)

See Also

• Suicide - A hub page that leads to other articles related to Suicide