Quran Garden

Did you know that Allah's command "Do not kill yourselves" holds two key meanings?  It is a clear warning against suicide, but also advises Muslims against other actions that may lead to harm.  We invite you to spend the next few minutes learning about the beautiful mercy behind this Aya.  Let's begin. 

Session 581

Chapter 4

Verse 29

a continuation

You who believe, do not wrongfully consume your wealth, but only by means of mutually agreed trade.  Do not kill yourselves, for God is merciful to you.  (Chapter 4: Verse 29)

We start with the phrase, "Do not kill yourselves," which holds one of two meanings.  The first is that one should not end one's life unnecessarily via suicide.  Self-destruction occurs when someone feels utterly trapped with no hope or way out using the available means.  Yet, as a believer, you must consider beyond the material the means and personal ability.  You do have an Almighty Creator!  The believer instinctively turns to the Lord when personal means fail, curbing despair before it leads to suicide.

Faith assures that when harsh circumstances engulf you, Allah opens unforeseen paths.  Consider the example of a man who has only one dollar in his pocket.  If he loses that dollar, he would despair, and rightfully so.  He has no money for food.  On the other hand, for a man with twenty dollars in his pocket, losing a dollar is painful, but it is not a cause for despair.  The same can be said about an atheist who suffers worldly loss.  It leads to despair because all available material means have been exhausted.  The believer experiences losses differently because even if his or her material capabilities fall short, they can lean upon God.  

Did you give life to yourself?  No, and thus you cannot take it away; Only the Life-Giver withdraws it.  A person who ends his or her life by suicide doesn't enter Paradise because they disregarded divine existence.  God says in a sacred narration –hadeeth Qudsi-: "My servant has hastened to take his life, so I have forbidden him admission to My Paradise."

Regardless of the circumstances, odds, and loss, you must never despair of God's mercy.  I would like to remind you of the story of our beloved Moses when he and his people were fleeing Pharaoh.  They ran out of the city with Pharaoh's army chasing behind until they reached the shores of the sea.  Encircled by water on one side and the approaching army on the other, the Israelites despaired:

And as soon as the two sides came within sight of one another, Moses' followers said, "We shall definitely be caught." (26:61)

Their panic was logical and reflected reliance on human constraints, yet Moses loudly replied,

Certainly not!

His statement seems wildly illogical.  Either he is out of touch, or he has a solid foundation beyond human capabilities.  Moses continued,

Indeed, my Lord is with me.  He will guide me.  (26:62)

His faith in God led him to assert that, although all earthly means had clearly been exhausted, there was a Creator above them.  This is the proper faith that brings forth God's help.  He says,  

So We revealed to Moses, "Strike the sea with your staff." And it split in two, each part like a towering cliff.  And We brought the others to that place: We rescued Musa and all those who were with him; Then We drowned the rest.  There truly is a sign in this, though most of them do not believe (26:63-67)

This brings us back to the verse: "Do not kill yourselves," emphasizing the importance of not ending one's life due to feelings of desperation or defeat by circumstances.  Such feelings of hopelessness mean that you forget about Allah, who guides the believers out of trouble.  Remember Moses' words: "Indeed, with me is my Lord; He will guide me." 

Here is another golden rule to keep in mind.  God says,

God does not burden anyone with more than they can bear (from 2:286)

The second meaning of the phrase, "Do not kill yourselves," is: do not engage in acts that lead to death.  How?  We answer that Allah's teachings deter you from unjustly killing another person because justice will lead to your death.  He says,

You who believe, fair retribution is prescribed against you in cases of murder: the free man for the free man, the slave for the slave, the female for the female.  But if the perpetrator is pardoned by his aggrieved brother, this shall be adhered to fairly, and the perpetrator shall pay what is due in good will.  This is easing from your Lord and an act of mercy.  If anyone then exceeds these limits, grievous suffering awaits him.  And there is life for you in Fair retribution, people of understanding, so that you may guard yourselves against what is wrong.  (2:178, 179)

The command "Do not kill yourselves" addresses all the believers as a unit.  We find similar examples in the Quran.  God says in the 61^st verse of chapter 24,

So, if you enter homes, greet yourselves with a greeting from God, blessed and pure.

When you visit family and friends and enter their home, do you greet yourself?  Or do you say Salam to the occupants of the home?  "Greet yourselves" means to greet the residents of the home, signifying unity in faith, and encourages believers to be a cohesive unit.  When you say, "Peace be upon you," it means safety for them, and they respond, "And upon you be peace," as if you have declared peace upon yourself.  The believers are a single unit; whatever happens to one happens to all.

Thus, "Do not kill yourselves " can mean: do not commit suicide.  It also means: do not throw yourself into ruin, or kill another, as you would face retribution.

The verse ends with "for God is merciful to you."  Is it not the ultimate mercy from Allah towards His creation when He forbids us from self-harm or harming others?  Surely, it is the height of compassion.

Join us in the next Tafsir as we review all we learned from Surah An-Nisaa to this point.  If you enjoy content that enriches your understanding of the Quran, hit the like and subscribe buttons.