Suicide is unquestionably one of the gravest sins in Islam. Allah says: “And do not kill yourselves. Indeed, Allah is ever Merciful to you.” (Al-Nisāʾ 4:29). The Prophet ﷺ also warned severely against taking one’s own life and mentioned the serious punishment associated with it in authentic narrations.

However, despite the enormity of the sin, the overwhelming majority of Ahl al-Sunnah hold that a Muslim who commits suicide does not leave Islam merely by committing that act, so long as he did not believe it to be lawful. Rather, he remains a Muslim who committed a major sin and whose affair is left to Allah’s judgment and mercy.

For this reason, the rulings of Muslim funeral rites still apply to him. He should be:

• washed,
• shrouded,
• prayed over,
• and buried in the Muslim cemetery.

The Prophet ﷺ himself refrained from leading the funeral prayer of a man who had killed himself, but he did not forbid the Companions from praying over him. The scholars explain that this was done as a deterrent and a lesson regarding the seriousness of the sin, not because the deceased had left Islam.

Therefore, it is permissible and recommended for Muslims to make duʿā’ for such a person, asking Allah to forgive him, have mercy upon him, and pardon him.

Likewise, it is permissible—and indeed encouraged—to offer condolences and comfort to the family. The family should not be shunned, blamed, or punished for what occurred. Rather, they are often suffering immense grief and deserve compassion, support, and sincere prayers.

It is also important to remember that in many cases, factors such as severe depression, mental illness, impaired judgment, or overwhelming emotional distress may have played a role. While such factors do not make suicide permissible, they may affect a person’s level of accountability before Allah. Ultimately, only Allah knows the true condition of His servants and the burdens they carried.

Therefore, the balanced Sunni position is:

Suicide is a major sin and one of the gravest prohibitions.
The person does not become a disbeliever merely by committing suicide.
He remains entitled to Muslim funeral rites.
Muslims may and should pray for Allah’s mercy and forgiveness upon him.
His family should be offered condolences, support, and kindness.