Media Division and Psychological Counseling Unit Organize Workshop on the Phenomenon of Suicide

The Media Division, in cooperation with the Psychological Counseling and Educational Guidance Unit at the College of Islamic Sciences, University of Samarra, organized a workshop entitled “The Role of University Psychological Counseling in Raising Awareness of the Phenomenon of Suicide.”

The workshop aimed to define suicide as the deliberate act of ending one’s life by any means, and to clarify its legal ruling in Islamic jurisprudence. Muslim jurists unanimously agree that suicide is strictly prohibited and considered among the gravest major sins. The prohibition is rooted in one of the higher objectives of Islamic law—namely, the preservation of life (ḥifẓ al-nafs), which constitutes a fundamental maqṣad of Sharia.

The workshop emphasized that the objective behind prohibiting suicide is to safeguard human life, protect human dignity, prevent the spread of despair and hopelessness, and guide individuals toward patience and resilience in facing life’s trials.

The discussions concluded that protecting human life—both at the individual and societal levels—requires reinforcing the value of life, cultivating faith-based resilience, and nurturing a hopeful spirit that seeks the mercy of God.