Is Suicide Permissible to Prevent Exposure of Sensitive Information during War?

Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Question: I know terrorism is impermissible (haram), but following events in Madrid, is it permissible for a Muslim soldier to commit suicide when captured to stop the release of information to the enemy?

Answer: In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful

Walaikum assalam wa rahmatullah,

Those people are not “Muslim soldiers,” but renegades acting on anger and frustration rather than acting on the basis of law, restraint, and dignity. The latter is the way of believers; the former, the way of those whom Allah has left in the lurch.

In normal war situation, where one fears general harm, one could not kill oneself in such a situation; rather, let them kill one.

Wassalam,
Faraz Rabbani