Major Sins by Imam Shamsu ed-Deen Dhahabi

Allah Most High states, {And kill not one another. Surely, God is Compassionate to you, but whosoever does that in transgression and wrongfully, him We shall certainly roast at afire! and that for God is an easy matter.} (An-Nisa': 29-30)

In his explanation to these two verses, AI-Wahidy stated, {And kill not one another,} Muslims are prohibited to murder each other because they are adherents to one religion, Islam. Therefore they are like a single person. This is the opinion of Ibn `Abbas and the majority of scholars. However other scholars are of the opinion that the prohibition in this verse is restricted to suicide. To support their opinion, the latter group of scholars quotes the following " Abu Mansour Ibn Muhammad AI-Mmsuri narrated' Arnr Ibn AI- `Aas saying, "In the battle of Zatt Al-Salasil, I had a wet dream on a cold night. The weather was so cold that I feared becoming ill if I had had a shower. Therefore, I performed dry ablution (Tayamum) and led my companions in the Dawn Prayer. On our return to Medina, the Prophet (pbuh) said to me, 'O `Arnr! "Have you led your companions in Prayer while you were in a state of major impurity?" Then I responded, "O Messenger of Allah! I read the verse, {And kill not one another! Surely God is Compassionate to you.} i.e, he had not had a shower lest it would bring his life to an end. On hearing this, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) smiled and kept silent.”1

This incident has a clear indication that' Arnr (may Allah be pleased with him) grasped the meaning of the verse as a reference to suicide and the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) did not deny this.

{But whosoever does that, ~ refers to all prohibitions that the Surah states from its beginning according to the saying of Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both). Other scholars, however, are of the opinion that the reference here is to the consumption of another's property with no right and unlawful murder.

{In transgression and wrongfully,} means that those who commit murder or suicide and rebel against the Laws of Allah.

{Him we shall certainly roast in a Fire; and that for God is an easy matter.} Surely, Allah is the Omnipotent Who has Power to fulfill what He has promised or warned.

On the authority of Jundub Ibn 'Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, "There was amongst those before you a man who had a wound. He was depressed that he took a knife and cut his hand. The blood did not cease to flow until he died. Allah the Almighty said, 'My servant has forestalled Me, and I have forbidden paradise for him. .”2

Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (pbuh) 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 carry his poison in his hand and drink it in the Hell-fire wherein he will abide forever, and whoever kills himself with an iron weapon, he will carry that weapon in his hand and stab himself with it in the Hell-fire wherein he will abide forever.”1

Thabit Ibn Al-Dahhak (may Allah be pleased with him) reported the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) to have said, "He who killed himself with any thing in this world will be tormented with that very thing on the Day of Judgment. Both cursing the believer and charging him with disbelief is tantamount to killing him.” 2

It is also stated in the Sahih that "The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) told his Companions about a man, who was wounded during a battle with the Prophet but he was not patient and he killed himself with the tip of his sword. The Prophet (pbuh) said "that this man will to be among the people of Hell.” 3