THE SUICIDAL SAHABI When Al-Tufayl bin Amr Al-Dawsi migrated to the newly established state in Madinah from his hometown of Daws, another unnamed man from his tribe also migrated with him. The migration was a hard step for both of them, especially for Al-Tufayls companion: the climate in Madinah was new and not agreeable to them; they were homesick and depressed. Al-Tufayls friend caught a bug and fell ill. Unable to bear the mental and physical stress, the man cut off the fingers of both his hands and bled to death. After his friends death, Al-Tufayl dreamt of him; he looked well, except that he kept his hands covered and well out of sight. What did your Lord do with you? he asked in his dream. He forgave me my sins because of my Hijrah to His Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him), his friend replied. Why are you covering your hands, Al-Tufayl asked. I was told, We will not repair for you what you have destroyed., he replied. Later, when Al-Tufayl met the Prophet (PBUH), he told him about his dream, and the Prophet prayed, O Allah, as You have forgiven him for taking his own life, forgive him, too, for what he did to his hands. This story is narrated by Muslim. May Allah be pleased with Al-Tufayl and his friend. This suicidal man, Al-Tufayls friend, was a companion of the Prophet (PBUH); he was from the best generation of Muslims. His story is proof that the mental and spiritual strength of the people even of that generation varied from one individual to the other. His story is also proof that even those who commit suicide - who have this grave weakness - stand a chance of redemption, and that Allah may - in His mercy and justice - forgive them because of their past good deeds. Our societies today are rife with mental and psychological conditions such as depression and anxiety, that may lead to suicide. When someone among us falls into depression and starts showing signs of suicidal ideations, it is extremely important to recognise the signs and give the person the psychological and social support needed to overcome their condition. It is also important to remind them that our Nafs - our lives, our bodies and our spirit - are a trust placed with us by Allah, and it is a great sin to break that trust and cause ourselves harm. At the same time, it is important that suicidal people know that if they fall victim to their ideations and do in fact take that awful leap, Allah (All High and Exalted) is all-forgiving, and those who die on the testimony of the oneness of Allah are not to despair from his forgiveness. Also, if they act on their suicidal thoughts, it is important not to trivialise their suffering. No one is truly able to step into anothers shoes;no one should judge another. Lets take example from the Prophet (PBUH). The Sahabi who committed suicide was from Al-Tufayls tribe; he was likely a friend. As a survivor of his friends suicide, he was likely going through the same emotions that any normal person is expected to have: Could I have done more? What could I have done differently? If only... When Al-Tufayl mentioned dreaming about him, the Prophet (PBUH) did not rebuke his absent friend in his presence. Instead he prayed to Allah to grant him full forgiveness. Just tonight, a young Maldivian man took his life. At this stage, no one knows why. But the self-righteous, almost zealous judgements and condemnations that are being directed at the young man even now, even before his burial are shocking. He has moved on from this world; he will meet his Lord with his deeds and He alone will judge him justly and mercifully. He has left behind family and loved ones, and at this point, I have yet to see any internet comment that contains a kind word for them. May Allah have mercy on Hussain Shahid and forgive him his weakness. May He grant his family perseverance in this extremely difficult time. #MentalHealth #Depression #Suicide
Posted on: Sun, 09 Nov 2014 20:50:33 +0000
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