The Ruling on Suicide Operations Against the Jews
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O Shaykh, some of the suicide operations in Palestine are organized by the Hamas movement. Some scholars have issued a ruling that they are permissible. What is your opinion?
We see that suicide operations in which a person is certain that he will die are forbidden, and indeed they are among the major sins. This is because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed us that whoever kills himself with something will be punished with it in the Fire of Hell, and he did not make any exception; rather, it is a general statement. Also, jihad in the path of Allah is intended to protect Islam and Muslims, whereas this suicide bomber destroys himself and, by his suicide, deprives the Muslims of one of their members. Furthermore, it causes harm to others, because the enemy will not limit itself to killing one person; rather, it will kill nations with it if it can. Also, the restriction imposed on Muslims due to this partial suicide, which may kill ten, twenty, or thirty people, results in great harm, as is the current reality for the Palestinians with the Jews.
And the statement of those who say: This is permissible, but it is not based on a principle; rather, it is based on a defective opinion in reality, because the bad outcome is many times worse than what is achieved by this. They have no proof in the story of al-Bara' ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) in the Battle of Yamamah, where he ordered his companions to throw him from behind the wall so that he could open the door for them. The story of al-Bara' does not involve (100%) death, and therefore he was saved, opened the door, and the people entered. So there is no proof in it.
It remains to be said: What do we say about these specific individuals who resorted to this act?We say: These are people who interpret the matter, or those who follow those who issued them a ruling without knowledge, and the punishment we mentioned does not befall them;Because, as I told you: They are people who interpret the matter or follow this fatwa, and the sin of a fatwa that contradicts the Shari'ah lies with the one who issued it.
We see that suicide operations in which a person is certain that he will die are forbidden, and indeed they are among the major sins. This is because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed us that whoever kills himself with something will be punished with it in the Fire of Hell, and he did not make any exception; rather, it is a general statement. Also, jihad in the path of Allah is intended to protect Islam and Muslims, whereas this suicide bomber destroys himself and, by his suicide, deprives the Muslims of one of their members. Furthermore, it causes harm to others, because the enemy will not limit itself to killing one person; rather, it will kill nations with it if it can. Also, the restriction imposed on Muslims due to this partial suicide, which may kill ten, twenty, or thirty people, results in great harm, as is the current reality for the Palestinians with the Jews.
And the statement of those who say: This is permissible, but it is not based on a principle; rather, it is based on a defective opinion in reality, because the bad outcome is many times worse than what is achieved by this. They have no proof in the story of al-Bara' ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) in the Battle of Yamamah, where he ordered his companions to throw him from behind the wall so that he could open the door for them. The story of al-Bara' does not involve (100%) death, and therefore he was saved, opened the door, and the people entered. So there is no proof in it.
It remains to be said: What do we say about these specific individuals who resorted to this act?We say: These are people who interpret the matter, or those who follow those who issued them a ruling without knowledge, and the punishment we mentioned does not befall them;Because, as I told you: They are people who interpret the matter or follow this fatwa, and the sin of a fatwa that contradicts the Shari'ah lies with the one who issued it.