Author: Dr. Muhammad Zia-ur-Rahman Al-Azmi رحمه الله
Whoever dies as a result of a hunger strike is considered to have committed suicide and engaged in a prohibited act. Allah ﷻ says:
﴿لَا تَقْتُلُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِكُمْ رَحِيمًا﴾
[An-Nisā’: 29]
"Do not kill yourselves; indeed, Allah is ever Merciful to you."
It is well known that a person who refrains from eating and drinking will inevitably die. On this basis, such a person is regarded as having taken their own life.
However, if:
① The hunger strike does not reach the point of death,
② It is the only possible means available to resist oppression or obtain a legitimate right,
③ The individual lives in a country or region where this method is recognized as a valid form of protest,
Then there is no harm in adopting this method for a limited duration, provided it does not cause fatal harm.
But if it extends to the point of risking death, it becomes impermissible in all cases.
[Ibn ʿUthaymīn: Nūr ʿala al-Darb: 8]
❖ Ruling on a Person Who Dies Due to Hunger Strike
Whoever dies as a result of a hunger strike is considered to have committed suicide and engaged in a prohibited act. Allah ﷻ says:
﴿لَا تَقْتُلُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِكُمْ رَحِيمًا﴾
[An-Nisā’: 29]
"Do not kill yourselves; indeed, Allah is ever Merciful to you."
It is well known that a person who refrains from eating and drinking will inevitably die. On this basis, such a person is regarded as having taken their own life.
⚠ Prohibition of Prolonged Hunger Strikes Leading to Death
- It is not permissible for any individual to engage in a hunger strike so long and severe that it results in death.
- Such an act is strictly forbidden, as it directly causes the loss of one's own life, which Islam sanctifies.
✔ Conditional Permissibility of Limited Hunger Strikes
However, if:
① The hunger strike does not reach the point of death,
② It is the only possible means available to resist oppression or obtain a legitimate right,
③ The individual lives in a country or region where this method is recognized as a valid form of protest,
Then there is no harm in adopting this method for a limited duration, provided it does not cause fatal harm.
But if it extends to the point of risking death, it becomes impermissible in all cases.
[Ibn ʿUthaymīn: Nūr ʿala al-Darb: 8]
