A soul that is in doubt of the truth cannot be happy because of the constant agitation. -NSTP file pic
A soul that is in doubt of the truth cannot be happy because of the constant agitation. -NSTP file pic

In Islam, suicide is classified as a great sin, and yet, despite the clear prohibition, a great number of suicide cases are now involving the Malays, who are generally Muslims.

Why? Are they no longer afraid of sin and the wrath of God to do such a terrible deed? Nobody would ever think of ending one's life unless one thinks death is better than life, and there is no good reason to continue living.

In other words, the person is not happy with life, and thinks that this life is no longer meaningful and worth living. But, death can only be considered a solution if it were really the end.

According to Islam, death is only the beginning of an eternal life. The fate of a person in the eternal life is determined by his life in this world.

Suicide, therefore, would not be a choice unless the person does not really believe in God's promise, or has doubts about it. So, the real issue that needs to be addressed is lack of faith.

A soul that is in doubt of the truth cannot be happy because of the constant agitation. The soul wants to be assured of the truth regarding itself and be certain of who he is, of his ultimate destiny, and of the true meaning and purpose of this worldly life.

But, how is it to be obtained? Only with "true knowledge", knowledge that leads to "real happiness". And by real, what is meant is what is experienced by the "true self", i.e. the spiritual self whose ultimate destiny we are talking about.

It is this spiritual self, unfortunately, that has been forgotten by most human beings, whereas that is our true self, our essence, which will continue to subsist even after the death of the body.

What makes it forgotten is the deception brought about by the pleasure of this worldly life. But, this world has no value in itself, because its real purpose is only as a means to achieve the highest and ultimate aim which is eternal life.

And as far as Islam is concerned, this world is not the place to get rewards and enjoyments, but the place to work and toil, the result of which is only to be seen in the hereafter.

Hence, no true Muslim would be disappointed with this life because as long as there is life, there will always be hope. Disappointment with life is then a reflection of lack of faith, the real cause of all miseries that befall human beings.

No external peace is possible without the inner peace that we call faith. A person can only "pretend" to be happy with the pleasures of worldly life that he is enjoying because deep in his heart, he cannot deny a certain fact of life, namely death.

The joy and pleasure only make him forget for a moment about the question of his final fate. Such is the case with most people — they seem to be "sleeping soundly" with wonderful dreams.

Hence, this life can be compared to a beautiful dream, and death is what shocks a person from that dream. What distinguishes the believer from the unbeliever then is that the former is always "conscious" while the latter is "asleep".

Being conscious the believer would be busy "working" for the sake of his final destiny, while those who are asleep would not be aware of the misfortune that might befall them as soon as they wake up from sleep.

Hence, they need to be awakened immediately. Unfortunately, many refuse to open their eyes because they are lulled by the beautiful dreams.

Such is the depth of the world's deception to man that many are deceived and because of it many have perished.

Today, mankind in general has been dominated by a reckless love of this worldly life, and we move into an age of spiritual exhaustion and despondency.

It seems impossible now to believe in permanent greatness of man or to give life a meaning that cannot be annulled by death.

But, religion refuses to root human happiness in the earth, instead it bases man's hope where science could never reach them — beyond the grave.


The writer is a fellow at the Islamic Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia (IKIM)

The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times

Those feeling distressed or suicidal, the Befrienders KL offers emotional support. Its 24-hour helpline can be reached at 03-7627 2929.