Abid Bashir
Srinagar, Jul 5: Stating that committing suicides is haram (prohibited) in Islam, Kashmiri Ulema Monday urged youth of the region to follow basic tenets of Islam to beat the stress so that growing trend of suicides declines rapidly in the Valley once known as peer-e-veer (valley of sufi saints.”
The Ulema also made a fervent appeal to parents to keep a close watch on their wards and not to allow them to use mobile phones 24x 7. Tehreek-e-Soutul Awliya chief patron Moulana Abdur Rashid Dawoodi said there are many reasons that are responsible for rising incidents of suicides. “One of the primary reasons is unabated use of the internet among youth and ignorance of parents about their children’s activities,” he said.
Moulana Dawoodi said that committing suicide by jumping into rivers or by cutting throat or veins with sharp edged weapons is strongly prohibited in Islam. “It is not just haram (prohibited) but among gunah-e-kabira (highest form of sins). Committing this act will invite Allah’s wrath hereafter,” Daawoodi said.
He urged youth including girls to follow tenets of Islam to beat stress, anxiety and other issues that lead to committing suicides. “Offering prayers five times a day is the best stress buster. Reading the Quran is also one of the best remedies to beat anxiety and depression. Islam is a complete way of life,” Dawoodi said.
Kashmir’s Grand Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam said that suicides are not new in Kashmir but rise in the incidents is something to worry about. “Parents need to play a role before the situation takes ugly turn. Parents need to counsel their children and must watch their activities,” he said. “Youth including girls having signs of depression should not be kept alone at homes and instead taken to psychiatrists and counsellors. Reciting the Quran is a best way to treat diseases including depression and stress. I urge Valley youth to not to against Islam by taking extreme steps.”
Vice-president Jamiat-e-Ahlihadith (JeH) Moulana Abdur Lateef Al-Qandi said that committing suicide is ‘Qatl-e-Nafs’. “It is killing own self. There is a quranic verse that states that whosoever commits suicide in whatever way, he or she would meet the same fate on the day of judgement. If someone ends life by consuming poison, the person would get punished in the same way on the day of judgement,” he said. Moulana Al-Qandi said that primary responsibility lies on the parents and then the civil society and Ulema too. “We need to pinpoint the causes that are pushing our youth towards this extreme and un-islamic step and then plan a way out how we can prevent the youth from going towards suicides,” he said.
Interestingly, Kashmir reported 500 cases of suicides at SMHS hospital alone in the past one year.
