The Ruling Regarding Suicide Bombings | Shaykh Muḥammad Ibn Ṣāliḥ Al ʿUthaymīn
The Ruling Regarding Suicide Bombings | Shaykh Muḥammad Ibn Ṣāliḥ Al-ʿUthaymīn
The Questioner: O Shaykh, some of the suicide operations which occur in Palestine that have been carried out by Ḥamās; there are some scholars who have issued verdicts permitting them. What is your opinion of this?
Shaykh Muḥammad ibn Ṣāliḥ al-ʿUthaymīn: “I hold that suicide operations in which an individual is certain to die while carrying them out is impermissible. In fact, it is from the major sins because the Prophet () has informed that whoever kills himself with something then he will be punished with it in the Hellfire.
And the Prophet () did not make any exceptions to this. Rather, it is general. And since Jihād for the sake of Allāh; the intent behind it is to protect Islām and the Muslims. This individual who kills himself destroys himself and by way of his suicide eliminates a member of the Muslims. Then after that it brings harm to others since the enemy will not restrict himself to the killing of just one individual. Rather, he will kill communities if he is able.
And due to what it produces in the way of pressure upon the Muslims due to this partial suicide which results in the killing of ten, twenty or thirty [people]. Great harm occurs due to it as is the case now in our time as it relates to the Palestinians and the Jews.
And the statement of the one who says that this is permissible; this is not based upon on any foundation [from the religion]. Rather, instead it is in reality based upon a corrupt opinion. This is because the result is an evil far greater than what occurs as a result of this. And they have no argument in the story of al-Barāʾ ibn Mālik –may Allāh be pleased with him- during the military campaign of al-Yamāmah when he commanded his companions to throw him over the wall in order for him to open the gate for them. Certainly, the story of al-Barāʾ does not contain any evidence of a one hundred percent chance of death.
And for this reason he lived and succeeded and opened the gate and the advancing army entered so there is no evidence in this. So it only remains to be said what do we say to these specific individuals who engage in this act? We say these people are misinterpreting [the issue] or following those who have issued verdicts without knowledge.
They should not receive the punishment that we referred to previously because they are as I have said to you misinterpreting [this issue] or following these [erroneous] verdicts. And the sinfulness is tied to the verdict which opposes the legislation [of Islām] and the one who offered it.”
Translated By: Abul-Layth Qāsim Mutiva