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The question

What is the ruling on taking one's own life if a disbelieving enemy invades the country, before being subjected to imprisonment or rape?

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Source: FtawySummarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 20261 min readAlso available in العربية
The answer

Preserving one's life and preserving one's honor are both obligatory, but life takes precedence over honor. Therefore, it is not permissible to destroy one's life to preserve one's honor. Thus, one who is forced into adultery bears no sin. A Muslim should protect themselves from aggression by consistently reciting the prescribed adhkar (remembrances) and seeking refuge in Allah through du'a (supplication), for He answers the distressed and removes evil. Among the greatest answered supplications is the du'a of Yunus (peace be upon him) in the belly of the whale: "There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers." (Quran 21:87). There are also other traditional du'as that relieve distress and remove worry and sorrow, such as saying: "Allah is sufficient for me, and [He is] the best Disposer of affairs." (Quran 3:173). The Ummah must strive to preserve the safety of their lives and honor by all available means.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

Read the full answer on Ftawy