The role of Islamic teachings in preventing suicide: a study based on e mile Durkheim’s suicide theory

Abstract

Emil Durkheim was the pioneer of sociological studies on suicide, which has been considered as a social problem since the Industrial Revolution. Islam which provides guidance to all aspects of life provides various guidelines for successful resolution of the issue. Based on the review of the literature the study aims to analyze Emil Durkheim's suicide theory with the help of basic sources of Islam and find Islamic guidelines to prevent suicide. It was observed that there is a positive correlation between the low rate of suicide among Muslims and Emil Durkheim's conclusion which indicates that the motivating factors in suicide attempts such as the religious beliefs, values, and the degree of individual freedom that religion offers may influence on the suicidal ideation of its followers. The study's major finding reveals that Islamic teachings, which insist on suicide as a major crime, provide proper guidelines to prevent all types of suicides mentioned by Emile Durkheim. This study could be referred for future studies based on prevention of suicide regarding religious beliefs