They were referring to a recent spate of suicide cases involving people trying to make political statements in Arab countries.
They were unanimous that people who kill themselves are religiously weak and do not adhere to sacred teachings.
“Killing oneself is not a courageous act as some people mistakenly believe. On the contrary, it is downright cowardliness,” sociologist Ibrahim Yousuf told Arab News.
He said most young men who commit suicide do so under immense psychological pressure. “They are either depressed or obsessed,” he added.
A number of Muslim scholars who spoke to Arab News were in total agreement that suicide in any form was haram (forbidden) under Islamic teachings. Those who burn themselves to death will be tortured this very way in the life after, they said.
Three young men in Tunisia, Egypt and Mauritania set fire to themselves in front of parliaments or other government buildings to protest the way they had been treated in their respective countries.
The recent unrest in Tunisia, which toppled its government, was triggered by an unemployed young man who burned himself to death after his job application was turned down.
The scholars also said bombers and those who blow themselves up for whatever reason are also committing suicide and are criminals.
Inflicting harm on oneself is also forbidden in Islam.
Drug users who die from an overdose are considered among those who commit suicide, as they know very well that abusing drugs will lead to death, they added.
