If birth and death are controlled by GOD, then why does He punish those who commit suicide?
The sections of this article are:
1- If birth and death are controlled by GOD, then why does
He punish those
who commit suicide?
2- So why does Allah Almighty punish us for committing murders if He is the
one who determines the time of the person's death?
3- If Allah knows when a person will be born, then what about his parents? Are
they chosen for him? How does Allah Almighty make it work?
4- Conclusion.
Life and death are controlled by Allah Almighty. He determines the exact time to when we are born and when we die:
"How can ye reject the faith in God?- seeing that ye were without life, and He gave you life; then will He cause you to die, and will again bring you to life; and again to Him will ye return. (The Noble Quran, 2:28)"
"Nor can a soul die except by God's leave, the term being fixed as by writing. If any do desire a reward in this life, We shall give it to him; and if any do desire a reward in the Hereafter, We shall give it to him. And swiftly shall We reward those that (serve us with) gratitude. (The Noble Quran, 3:145)"
"And verily, it is We Who give life, and Who give death: it is We Who remain inheritors (after all else passes away). (The Noble Quran, 15:23)"
"It is He Who giveth life and who taketh it, and to Him shall ye all be brought back. (The Noble Quran, 10:56)"
He also punishes us if we commit suicide unjustly:
"O ye who believe! Eat not up your property among yourselves in vanities: But let there be amongst you Traffic and trade by mutual good-will: Nor kill (or destroy) yourselves: for verily God hath been to you Most Merciful! If any do that In rancour and injustice -- Soon shall We cast them Into the Fire: and easy It is for Allah. (The Noble Quran, 4:29-30)"
So how then can Allah Almighty punish us for committing suicide if He is the one who determines the time of our deaths?
The answer is simple. It is true that Allah Almighty had already fixed our birth and death times, but He left the causes of our deaths open and dynamic depending on how we live our lives and how much He the Almighty sees in us from good and bad:
"O ye who believe! Be not like the Unbelievers, who say of their brethren, when they are travelling through the Earth or engaged in fighting: "If they had stayed with us, they would not have died, or been slain." This that God may make it a cause of sighs and regrets in their hearts. It is God that gives Life and Death, and God sees well all that ye do. (The Noble Quran, 3:156)"
"Say: 'Nothing will happen to us except what God has decreed for us: He is our protector': and on God let the Believers put their trust. (The Noble Quran, 9:51)"
"Say: 'I have no power Over any harm or profit To myself except as Allah Willeth. To every People Is a term appointed: When their term is reached, Not an hour can they cause Delay, nor (an hour) can they Advance (it in anticipation).' (The Noble Quran, 10:49)"
"It is want of faith that makes people afraid (1) of meeting death, (2) of doing their duty when it involves danger, as in travelling in order to earn an honest living, or fighting in a sacred cause. Such fear is part of the punishment for want of faith. If you have faith, there is no fear in meeting death, for it brings you nearer to your goal, nor in meeting danger for a sufficient cause, because you know that the keys of life and death are in Allah's hands. Nothing can happen without Allah's Will. If it is Allah's Will that you should die, your staying at home will not save you. If it is His Will that you should live, the danger you incur in a just cause brings you glory. Supposing it is His Will that you should lose your life in the danger, there are three considerations that would make you eager to meet it: (1) dying in doing your duty is the best means of reaching Allah's Mercy; (2) the man of faith knows that he is not going to an unknown country of which he has no news; he is going nearer to Allah; and (3) he is being 'brought together' unto Allah: i.e., he will meet all his dear ones in faith: instead of the separation which the souls without faith fear, he looks forward to a surer reunion than is possible in this life (cf. 2:167)" [2]
So why does Allah Almighty punish us for committing murders if He is the one who determines the time of the person's death?
Please visit The Laws of Punishment for Murder in Islam to see the full details of crime punishment.
Now if Allah Almighty is the One who determines the exact time and the cause of our deaths as clearly shown above in the beginning of the article, then what is the point from punishing the Murderers if they were the "cause" for some people's deaths?
Again, the answer is simple. Yes, Allah Almighty does indeed determine the time and cause of our death. As He the Almighty said "....When their term is reached, Not an hour can they cause Delay, nor (an hour) can they Advance (it in anticipation).' (The Noble Quran, 10:49)" So in the case of the victim, Allah Almighty chose for them to die by being murdered at a certain day and a certain time. No one could do anything to stop that from happening, because Allah Almighty Willed it. The murderer however is not programmed by Allah Almighty or anyone. He chose to be a murderer and an evil person because of his weak heart for submitting himself to Satan's desires and deceptions in doing evil:
"Then shall anyone who has done an atom's weight of good, see it! And anyone who has done an atom's weight of evil, shall see it. (The Noble Quran, 99:7-8)"
"And fear the Day when ye shall be brought back to God. Then shall every soul be paid what it earned, and none shall be dealt with unjustly. (The Noble Quran, 2:281)"
"On the Day when every soul will be confronted with all the good it has done, and all the evil it has done, it will wish there were a great distance between it and its evil. But God cautions you (To remember) Himself. And God is full of kindness to those that serve Him. (The Noble Quran, 3:30)"
Please visit Did GOD create some Men and Jinns to be destined to hell?
Now one must ask: Why would Allah Almighty allow for crimes to occur, especially when they involve brutal killings of innocent victims?
My answer is that Allah Almighty sees for a variety of reasons and conditions, who only Him knows and sees, that a certain cause (murder sometimes) must occur for a person to execute his/her death. It is sometimes Allah Almighty's Will to grant the wrong doers and the criminals all of the power of this world so that they would get their full reward in this life and get their Ultimate Torture in Hell in the life after. Mass-murderers like Hitler for instance were given the power in this life to kill so many innocent people for ridiculous political and racial supremacist reasons.
It is important to know that Allah Almighty created life as a trial and test for us, and He created Wars and Crimes to be part of our lives:
"We sent aforetime Our messengers with clear signs and sent down them the Book and the Balance (of right and wrong), that men may stand forth in justice; and We sent down iron, in which is (material for) Mighty war, as well as many benefits for mankind, that Allah may test who it is that will help, unseen, Him and His messengers: For Allah is Full of strength, exalted in Might (And able to enforce His Will). (The Noble Quran, 57:25)"
Please visit Why does GOD give the arrogants and wrong-doers much power in life and takes it away from the good people?
Hell according to Islam will eventually be empty.
If Allah knows when a person will be born, then what about his parents? Are they chosen for him? How does Allah Almighty make it work?
As clearly shown in the Noble Verses above in the beginning of the article, Allah Almighty determines the time of our birth and the time of our death. Allah Almighty also made it clear that the type of execution of our death in life is determined as Allah Almighty sees us in life, i.e., as we live our lives. It is left dynamic. For instance, some of us would die painful deaths and some of us would die quick and easy deaths. Some would die from car accidents while others die from cancer, etc...
Now as to birth, Allah Almighty didn't directly claim that He fixed our parents for us before we're born. Personally I believe that we are born from our parents as follows:
1- Everyday Allah Almighty has a fixed amount of babies to be born and a fixed amount of humans to die. Allah Almighty's choice of parents to the babies is in my opinion determined on the parents' situation. If they are for instance mean, then He would probably send them a baby with a mean spirit to treat them the same way they treat people. If they are for instance a couple who had illegal sex (i.e., sex without marriage), then in return for their punishment Allah Almighty would probably cause for the female to get pregnant and to have a baby to make their life miserable, etc....
2- The race of the baby is based on what Allah Almighty sees fit with the parents. I was born from Palestinian parents. I could've been born from Chinese parents instead. Allah Almighty for some reason that only Him knows saw that I should be born from my parents. He saw that I should carry my current biological father's name and be born from my current biological mother. I didn't choose them and they didn't choose me, and I certainly don't see how I couldn't have been born from other parents and other race and religion al. together if Allah Almighty chose for it to be so.
For instance, I can see mother language being Chinese or English instead of Arabic. I can see my hair being blond instead of dark brown, and my eyes being green instead of dark brown, and my height being 6.2 feet instead of 5.10, etc....
I can see my physical life and body being different than what they are right now, while my soul would be the same.
Conclusion:
Allah Almighty controls the time and cause of every human's birth and death. He brings people to life and He takes away their lives through different causes and at fixed times for reasons only Him know. We can not delay or advance the appointed terms of our life and death. Only Allah Almighty has the full control over everything, because He is the only Creator of everything.
Also, committing suicide unjustly is prohibited in Islam. We must always give life a chance and trust Allah Almighty and His Mercy. We are not programmed. Humans have the power and control to make their own decisions in life, and every good and evil act will be recorded for and against the person for the Day of Judgement.
Bibliography:
1- The Meaning of the Holy Qur'an.
Author: Abdullah Yusuf Ali.
Published by: Amana Publications, 10710 Tucker Street, Suite B, Beltsville, Maryland
20705-2223 USA.
Telephone: (301) 595-5777.
Fax: (301) 595-5888.
ISBN: 0-91597-59-0 (HC).
2- The Meaning of the Holy Qur'an [1], foot note #469, page 168.
Allah, Islam, Quran, Muhammad questions and answers.
The Laws of Punishment for Murder in Islam.
Did GOD create some Men and Jinns to be destined to hell?
Hell according to Islam will eventually be empty.