Suicide

The mysteries of man's physical death and of his return have not been divulged, and still remain unread. By the righteousness of God! Were they to be revealed . . . others would be so filled with gladness as to wish for death, and beseech, with unceasing longing, the one true God -- exalted be His glory -- to hasten their end.

Thus it is seen that some, under extreme pressure of anguish, have committed suicide. As to him rest assured; he will be immersed in the ocean of pardon and forgiveness and will become the recipient of bounty and favor.

A Bahá’í is certainly free to pray for those who have passed on regardless of the cause of their death, using the words of any of the prayers of his choice which have been revealed through the bounty of God. The manner in which the Supreme Being, in His justice as well in His mercy will deal with every individual soul is a mystery unknown to us on this earthly plane.

It is too bad that young and promising men, who if they remain living can render great services to humanity, should take away their life at a moment of despair.

The world, especially in these days, is full of woes and sufferings. We should be brave and have a stout heart. Trials and tribulations should arouse in us added vigour and greater determination and not dampen our zeal and kill our spirit.

Regarding the 'In Memoriam' section of 'Bahá’í News': although suicide is so strongly condemned in the teachings, it does not mean that a person has ceased to be a Bahá’í because he killed himself; he should, therefore, be mentioned, the same as other believers, in this section.

The Universal House Of Justice has instructed us to share with you the following excerpt from a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi by his secretary to a believer who asked about suicide. "'suicide is forbidden in the Cause. God Who is the Author of all life can alone take it away, and dispose of it the way he deems best. Whoever commits suicide endangers his soul, and will suffer spiritually as a result in the other worlds beyond.' "the House of Justice admonishes you to put all thought of suicide and death out of your mind and concentrate on prayer and effort to serve the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh.

We must not only be patient with others, infinitely patient, but also with our own poor selves, remembering that even the Prophets of God sometimes got tired and cried out in despair! . . . He urges you to persevere and add up your accomplishments, rather than to dwell on the dark side of things. Everyone's life has both a dark and a bright side. The Master said: turn your back to the darkness and your face to me.

A Local Assembly may one day be faced either with helping an individual or family try to avert a suicide or with helping family members and the community cope with one that has taken place. The role of the Local Assembly in regard to suicide is limited, because the urge to commit suicide is essentially a mental health problem involving complex processes for which Assemblies are neither mandated nor generally qualified to provide professional services.

In cases of attempted suicide, emergency medical help should be sought immediately by dialing 911 or any other local emergency number.

One day, they brought the news of the death of Siyyid Ismá'íl of Zavárih. Bahá’u’lláh said: 'No one has killed him. Behind many myriad veils of light, we showed him a glimmer of our glory; he could not endure it and so he sacrificed himself.' Some of us then went to the bank of the river and found the body of Siyyid Ismá'íl lying there. He had cut his own throat with a razor which was still held in his hand. We removed the body and buried it.

When confronted with a threat of suicide, it is essential that the Assembly not ignore or deny the possibility. If someone is suicidal:

* He or she must not be left alone

* The person should be urged to seek help immediately from his or her doctor, or the nearest hospital emergency room, or to call 911

* If the person does not wish to make a phone call, someone else can do it and offer to drive him or her to a care facility or a doctor

* Call the 24-hour, toll free, National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800) 273-TALK ((800) 273-8255), which provides connection to a trained counselor at a local suicide crisis center

When the Assembly is aware of depression and suicidal thinking in an individual, it may, as a preventive measure, have the person sign a contract with the Assembly agreeing not to commit suicide and to seek other assistance whenever suicidal thoughts occur. Commitment to the Faith and respect for the Assembly, together with the sense that it cares and is paying attention, may serve as stabilizing influences for the person.