Errors in the Writings of Bilal Philips: The One Who Commits Suicide
Shaykh Mūsá Richardson
Al-Qaadhee ‘Iyadh (d.544) said in Ikmaal al-Mu’lim (1/403):
In this ḥadīth is proof for Ahl al-Sunnah for what they say, that Allāh may forgive the sins of whomever He wants, and it explains the ḥadīths before it that might seem to give the false impression that someone who commits suicide faces the eternal threat of remaining (in the Fire) forever. It is also a refutation of the Khawārij and Muʿtazilah.
After repeated requests for me to clarify the errors in the writings of Dr. Abū Amīnah Bilāl Philips, and the gravity of some of the mistakes that I have come across, I will begin clarifying some of the more dangerous of his mistakes in a series of articles, this being the first.1 I hope that the author will take note of them, accept them as humble advice and correct his mistakes. I also hope that those who have his books will amend their copies, so that his mistakes are not followed. I ask Allāh to make the truth clear to all who read this, and to make it done sincerely for His Sake alone.
Dr. Bilāl Philips on Suicide
Stated Dr. Bilāl Philips in his book, “Islamic Studies Book 3” (2nd edition, 2005, IIPH, Riyadh, p.85):
“…Suicide has been classified as haram (forbidden) in Islām. In fact, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) himself informed us that one who kills himself will find himself in the Hell-fire forever, killing himself over and over again in the same way that he did in this life.2 The one who commits suicide implies by his act that Allāh has unjustly burdened him beyond his God-given abilities, and such a concept is, in reality, equivalent to kufr (disbelief)…”
In this passage, Dr. Philips contradicts the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah and supports the belief of the Khawārij and the Muʿtazilah: that the one who commits suicide is a kāfir who will remain in the Hellfire forever. They are harsh and go overboard (ghuluww) with regards to the texts warning of punishment. Ahl al-Sunnah are balanced and take positions based on all texts combined.
Consider another ḥadīth on the topic, one found in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (113):
When the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) made ḥijrah to Madīnah, Tufayl ibn ‘Amr came as well, along with a man from his tribe. This man became ill when he first reached Madīnah and his illness became so severe that he took a knife and slit his wrist (over the top, or possibly near the knuckles), and the blood spilled out until he died. Tufayl then saw him in a dream, in a good vision, except that his hands were wrapped up.
So he asked him, ‘What has your Lord done with you?’
He replied, ‘He has forgiven me because of my ḥijrah to His Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم).’
The he asked, ‘Why are your hands wrapped up?’.
He said, ‘It was said to me: We shall not fix something you have corrupted yourself!’
So Tufayl relayed this to the Messenger of Allāh (صلى الله عليه وسلم), so he said:
‘O Allāh! And forgive his hands (too)!’
The ḥadīth clearly shows that suicide does not expel a person from Islām, but rather it is a major sin that can lead to punishment in the Hereafter.
Al-Qaadhee ‘Iyadh (d.544) said in Ikmaal al-Mu’lim (1/403):
“In this ḥadīth is proof for Ahl al-Sunnah for what they say, that Allāh may forgive the sins of whomever He wants, and it explains the ḥadīths before it that might seem to give the false impression that someone who commits suicide faces the eternal threat of remaining (in the Fire) forever.3 It is also a refutation of the Khawārij and Muʿtazilah.”
Abū al-ʿAbbās al-Qurṭabī (d.656) said in al-Mufhim (1/324):
“This ḥadīth means that that someone who commits suicide is not a kāfir, and that he will not be made to stay forever in the Fire, as is found in the statement of Allāh (that means), ‘Verily Allāh does not forgive that partners be set up for him, but He forgives things less than that for whomever He wants.’ [4:48]”
Al-Hāfiẓ al-Nawawī (d.676) said in al-Minḥāj (2/131), after entitling the chapter: “Proof that Someone who Commits Suicide is not a Kāfir”:
“In the ḥadīth is proof for the great principle of Ahl al-Sunnah that whoever kills himself or commits sins and then dies without repenting is not a kāfir, and he is not to be decisively declared to be in the Fire. Instead, he is subject to the Will of Allāh… And this ḥadīth explains the other ḥadīths before it that might indicate from their wordings at first glance that someone who commits suicide and other major sinners are to remain forever in the Fire.3“
And we read this ḥadīth to our Shaykh Rabīʿ ibn Hādī al-Madkhalī in his house in the Summer of 1424, and he confirmed for us what the scholars say, that:
“The ḥadīth proves that a major sin does not expel someone from Islām.”
As for the rationalization offered by Dr. Philips, that “The one who commits suicide implies by his act that Allāh has unjustly burdened him beyond his God-given abilities, and such a concept is, in reality, equivalent to kufr (disbelief)…”
This is a blanket ruling on all people who commit suicide. It is factually untrue, as people commit suicide for different reasons. What Dr. Philips has mentioned is, in fact, one case of a person who commits suicide. However, not everyone who commits suicide has believed that Allāh has unjustly burdened him beyond his abilities. Rather, it is likely that only a small minority of people who kill themselves actually believe this, and Allāh knows best. Actually, the one who believes such a thing has disbelieved before he even committed suicide, so he would be a disbeliever whether he committed suicide or not, because of his belief.
To say that the very act of suicide itself implies this belief is totally unfounded and a contraḍīction to the ḥadīth mentioned and the beliefs of Ahl al-Sunnah built upon it. Furthermore, it resembles the rationalization of the Khawārij in this very issue and other issues similar to it.
I ask Allāh that He allows the author and those who have followed him through his book to recognize this dangerous error, shun the ghuluww (extremism) of the Khawārij in all of its forms, and embrace the moderate approach to Islām that Ahl al-Sunnah are known for. Allāh is the All-Hearing, the One who responds.
And Allāh knows best. May Allāh raise the rank of His final Messenger and grant him peace.
Endnotes:
[1] I taught from Dr. Philips’ “ISLAMIC STUDIES – Book 3” two years ago in an international school in Jeddah. The book was already in place and I did not choose it. I noted many mistakes in my copy as I went through it, and I will begin this series of clarifications with those mistakes. Please note that anyone who might claim that I am hunting for mistakes or “out to get” Dr. Philips should simply fear Allāh and realize that I have nowhere near the time, resources, nor motive to hunt for his mistakes. Although, after going through just one of his books, I was convinced that there is actually a need for a student of knowledge to go through all of them and correct the mistakes in them.
[2] This misunderstanding is based on a false interpretation of a ḥadīth in al-Bukhārī (5778) and Muslim (109), that the one who kills himself either by stabibng himself, poisoning himself, or throwing himself from a mountain, will be made to repeat that action in the Hellfire repeatedly, “khālidan mukhalladan fīhaa abadan”, meaning: for an extremely long period of time, but not forever, as understood by the scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah, as will be explained further in this article.
[3] Like the one misunderstood by Dr. Philips, mentioned in footnote #2.
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