Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books The Right to Life in Islam The Noble and Lawful Defense Another exception in the decree prohibiting suicide (depriving self of life) identified in Islam is defending one's own life, belongings or family. There are numerous quotations from the Prophet (S) expressing the significance of defending life, property or one's family.
Hereunder we point to one of them: من قاتل دون نفسه حتى يقتل فهو شهيد ، ومن قتل دون ماله فهو شهيد ، ومن قاتل دون أهله حتى بقتل فهو شهيد ، ومن قتل في جنب الله فهو شهيد. "He, who fights to defend his own life, till he is killed, is a martyr. He, who gets killed while defending his own property, is a martyr. He, who kills to defend his family and gets killed, is a martyr.
He, who gets killed for the cause of God, is a martyr."[^1] Considering the rank of a martyr, defending the privacy of his life, property and family, is indicative of the value and significance Islam regards for countering invasion. Intrusion and oppression, regarding individual's security and man's family, in such an extent that Islam allows a man to endanger his own life to defend and save his own and his family's security, and to fight until he loses his life.
(Quran, 2:194) [^1]: Kanz al- Ummal, Vol.4, P.425. [^2]: Foroo'e Kafi, Vol. 5, P.52. Previous Next