Is a patient with chronic schizophrenia held accountable and liable, and how can they cope with their illness, and is it permissible for them to end their life due to the difficulty of the chronic illness?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
Accountability is contingent upon the presence of intellect. Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness that renders its sufferer akin to an insane person, and thus they are not considered accountable, based on the : "The pen has been lifted from three," and it mentioned among them, "and from the insane person until he regains his sanity." Suicide is not permissible in Islamic law, and it is not permissible to assist someone in committing suicide. However, if a person afflicted with schizophrenia commits suicide while in a state of insanity, they will not be held accountable, due to the removal of accountability from them.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/177955
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- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 177955
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy