Fatwa ID: 08886
Answered by: Maulana Sakib Shadman
Question:
I am seeking your esteemed guidance on a complex and distressing scenario involving a Muslim man who, over a period of time, became involved in several emotionally complex relationships post his third divorce as he was engaged in immorally impermissible relationships. These interactions, combined with external trauma and a breakdown of trust, isolation within his family and social circle, contributed to a series of devastating outcomes. Four women closely connected to him died by suicide, and the man was later subjected to an orchestrated psychological operation (PSYOP) that included severe abuse, manipulation, and public humiliation.
Chronological Overview of Events:
- First Tragic Loss – Former Spouse:
The man had a troubled relationship with his ex-wife, who was in recovery from a diagnosed personality disorder. They regularly exchanged hurtful and emotionally charged messages. In one of their final interactions, the man responded harshly to an email from her. Already mentally and emotionally vulnerable, she later took her own life. This marked the first tragic loss connected to him. As he was exposed previously by verbal and physical abuse and shaming via his ex-wife, this began to lead the man into the path of alcohol and drugs and leaving his religious obligation whilst changing his name.
His ex-wife had a history of self harm and a history of alcohol and drug abuse in the past and suffered as a child from sexual abuse and even during her college days . Her self harming was not disclosed to him until she self harmed herself when the man ignored her phone calls as he found theme excessive whilst he was at work. Also prior marriage her brother asked for a specific amount of the mahar as the man felt to save and she encouraged the man to send the money and she will send it back which he did although he did feel guilty deceiving her brother and the fact that his second marriage was unstable based which he didn’t disclose as her brother was adamant for his sister to marry a man who had a stable marriage .
- Second Tragic Loss – Non-Muslim Spanish Woman:
He then entered into an unlawful and intimate relationship with a non-Muslim Spanish woman, which resulted in her becoming pregnant. When he ended the relationship and withdrew from responsibility, the woman was left isolated and emotionally distressed. She eventually died by suicide.
- Onset of PSYOP Campaign:
After the Spanish woman’s death, the man became the target of a coordinated psychological campaign, which deeply destabilized his emotional and mental state. He reports experiencing:
Drugging and recording of being raped and sexually abused, including explicit exploitation.
Hacking of his emails, societal isolation as he moved from London to Sheffield to be in contact with his maternal relatives, isolation and exposure of private communications, pictures, videos, and intimate material from his past haram relationships and CCTV surveillance at his apartment pertaining to his haram activities and daily activities.
Social isolation, and spiralling into alcohol, drugs, and further moral decline.
Episodes of mental confusion and emotional breakdown, ultimately leading him to self-admit to a hospital for treatment.
- Third Tragic Loss – Muslim Woman:
After relocating and during a period of emotional instability, the man entered into a developing relationship with a practicing Muslim woman with the intention of pursuing marriage. The relationship lasted approximately six months, during which they formed a strong emotional bond, though it remained outside the bounds of a formal nikah.
A disagreement occurred between them, leading to estrangement. Some time later, the woman’s brother contacted the man directly to inquire about what had happened. The man explained his perspective openly and honestly under the assumption of confidentiality, particularly because the brother reassured him that their discussion would remain between them. However, this confidentiality was later breached.
The brother disclosed what the man had shared, leading to the public embarrassment and social dishonour of his sister. This caused her deep emotional distress and shame within her immediate community and family. The weight of this dishonour, coupled with the emotional turmoil from the failed relationship, reportedly drove the woman into a state of despair, and she ended her own life.
The man was deeply affected upon hearing of her passing after some time as all the suicides were hidden from him intentionally and began to feel the cumulative weight of the emotional harm that had resulted from his past interactions—both intentional and unintentional.
- Fourth Tragic Loss – His Sister:
As the psychological manipulation and distress continued pertaining to the suicide of the Spanish female, the man voluntarily admitted himself to a hospital for psychiatric and emotional evaluation. During this time, he attempted to reach out to his sister to seek support in reconnecting with his children, with whom he had lost contact due to prior legal disputes and allegations.
His sister replied in a cold and dismissive manner, refusing to assist him, he urged his sister to seek mental health support. This suggestion was received poorly. He then attempted to contact his nephew as she was in contact with his children , In response, she filed a police report against him sent a voice note communicating that his children do not love him, he should kill himself as nobody loves him and insulted their mother stating to have him suckle on his mother’s breast.
Feeling betrayed and increasingly isolated, he retaliated by disclosing private and sensitive information, some of which may have been exaggerated via secular court and opened a case against her in order to see his children , he responded to her false allegations to the police by doing the same and having he arrested by the police and mentioned her previous sexual abuse via court documents.
The psychological strain became unbearable for her, and she tragically took her own life. This was the fourth devastating loss, and it compounded the man’s emotional and psychological burden. The loss of his sister seemed to signal the peak of his psychological and emotional distress, following a long period of manipulation and destabilization.
Psychological Operation (PSYOP) and Global Exposure:
At this point, the man’s life became a globalised public shaming event after his sister’s death ongoing battle with what he perceived as a global coordinated psychological operation (PSYOP). The campaign against him escalated, and he began to experience constant surveillance, manipulation, public shaming , isolation from friends , family and relatives and the Muslim community as a whole not being able to enter any mosque or partake in Friday prayer due to the continuous harm as this was all orchestrated to destroy him. The exposure after the death of the Spanish female and during and post the deaths of the other females led to , private document exposure, images of sins committed in terms of drinking , zina and other haram activities which were private and exposed to the public and manipulation of social media platforms that further contributed to his emotional and mental deterioration.
The effects of this were compounded by his belief that this was part of a larger scheme to destabilize him and eventually push him toward self-destruction base don the suicides , mirroring the tragic outcomes of the four women who had died.
Islamic Legal and Ethical Evaluation:
- Moral Accountability:
The man acknowledges his past actions, which included involvement in forbidden relationships (zina), emotional retaliation against vulnerable individuals, and contributing to the emotional harm of others, including his ex-spouses, his family, and the women who tragically took their own lives.
He understands the gravity of his actions in light of Islamic ethics and law. He is seeking guidance on the Islamic ruling regarding his role in these tragic events and how to seek repentance and accountability.
- Legal Responsibility for the Suicides:
The man seeks guidance on whether he bears any legal responsibility under Islamic law for the suicides of the individuals connected to him. Specifically, he is uncertain whether his actions may be classified under one of the following categories:
القتل العمد (Intentional Killing): Whether his actions could be viewed as contributing to the intentional harm of these individuals.
القتل الخطأ (Unintentional Killing): Whether his emotional actions or the manipulation that occurred could be considered as unintentional harm that led to the suicides.
القتل شبه العمد (Semi-intentional Killing): If his actions fall under this category, considering that the emotional distress he caused may have led to these tragic outcomes, even if unintentionally.
- Public Humiliation and Psychological Distress:
The man also wishes to understand the Islamic ruling regarding the public exposure of his sins. While he acknowledges his mistakes and seeks repentance pertaining to last private photos and videos which have been circulated and exposed , his sexually abuse whisky being intentionally drugged and being under the influence, he is unsure whether the public shaming, surveillance, and humiliation he has endured serve as a form of divine punishment or if these actions fall under the category of ta’zir (punishment for discretionary crimes) in Islamic law. He seeks clarification on how to approach this situation from an Islamic perspective, especially regarding the psychological torment he has experienced.
- Repentance and Seeking Forgiveness:
The man is seeking guidance on how to fully repent for his actions and whether his repentance is accepted in the eyes of Allah, given the severity of his past mistakes and the emotional harm he has caused to others. He is aware that repentance involves sincere remorse, seeking forgiveness from those he has wronged (if possible), and making a firm commitment to never repeat these actions.
Conclusion:
Given the complexity and emotional depth of this case, I humbly seek your advice, Shaykh, on how he should approach this situation from an Islamic perspective. What steps should he take in order to seek Allah’s forgiveness and to understand the consequences of his actions, both in this life and in the Hereafter?
I hope that you can provide clarity on the following points:
- The classification of his actions in relation to the suicides and the legal responsibility I might bear.
- The extent to which public , digital and global humiliation and psychological distress can be considered as a form of punishment under Islamic law (Ta’zir)
- The necessary steps for him to fully repent and seek Allah’s forgiveness for my transgressions.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
It is sad to hear that this brother experienced such a tragic life. But at least he is willing to repent to Allah Ta’ala and start a new chapter in his life inshaAllah.
- Firstly, this man lives in the UK which is a non-Muslim country with a secular legal system. Thus if he commits a crime, he will not receive any Hadd punishment, which is the punishment imposed by Islamic law. So he does not need to worry which category of قتل / murder these suicides fall under. He simply needs to focus on his culpability under British law. If he does have some criminal liability due to those suicides under British law, he needs to tackle that issue. However under Islamic law, those suicides do not fall under any of the categories you mentioned in your question.
- In Islamic law, Ta’zir does not involve humiliation and public exposure of sins. It is Haram for any Muslim to expose another Muslim’s sins, and there is no Islamic benefit in doing such a thing. And Islamic courts do not psychologically torture people either. Again, you do not have to worry about any Islamic punishments because the brother lives in the UK. So there is no Ta’zir involved in this scenario. Perhaps the UK legal system is inadvertently utilizing such methods as a form of punishment. It is hard to judge what intentions the UK legal system has behind humiliating this brother.
- Anas bin Malik narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Allah, Blessed is He and Most High, said: ‘O son of Adam! Verily as long as you called upon Me and hoped in Me, I forgave you, despite whatever may have occurred from you, and I did not mind. O son of Adam! Were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky, then you sought forgiveness from Me, I would forgive you, and I would not mind. So son of Adam! If you came to me with sins nearly as great as the earth, and then you met Me not associating anything with Me, I would come to you with forgiveness nearly as great as it.
The above Hadith teaches us that no matter how great our sins are, all we need to do is raise our hands and make Dua to Allah Ta’ala, seek his forgiveness, and sincerely repent to Allah Ta’ala for our past sins. It is recommended to pray two Rak’ats Salatul Tawbah (Prayer of Repentance) before making Dua. It is a simple two Rak’ats Nafl (optional) prayer. The brother must be sincere in his Dua and repentance. He should make firm intention to never return to his past life ever again. He must also make firm intention not to involve himself in Haram relationships ever again.
In addition to repentance, the brother may wish to donate some money to Sadaqat (charity) according to his financial ability with the Niyyah of repenting and turning his life around. He may also perform and Umrah and Hajj if he has the ability. Furthermore, the brother needs to continuously seek psychological help from a pious Muslim psychologist in order to deal with his severe trauma.
The brother should make firm intention to follow all the commandments of Islam such as praying 5 times a day in congregation. He should try to seek stable Halal employment in order to get his life back on track. Finally, he should avoid psychologically or emotionally abusing anyone in the future. If he gets his life back on track and avoids abusing anyone in the future, inshaAllah he will be able to reclaim custody of his children, and inshaAllah when he is mentally well, Allah Ta’ala will grant him a pious spouse who he can live amicably with.
References:
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ الْجَوْهَرِيُّ الْبَصْرِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَاصِمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا كَثِيرُ بْنُ فَائِدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ بَكْرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْمُزَنِيَّ، يَقُولُ حَدَّثَنَا أَنَسُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ “ قَالَ اللَّهُ يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ إِنَّكَ مَا دَعَوْتَنِي وَرَجَوْتَنِي غَفَرْتُ لَكَ عَلَى مَا كَانَ فِيكَ وَلاَ أُبَالِي يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ لَوْ بَلَغَتْ ذُنُوبُكَ عَنَانَ السَّمَاءِ ثُمَّ اسْتَغْفَرْتَنِي غَفَرْتُ لَكَ وَلاَ أُبَالِي يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ إِنَّكَ لَوْ أَتَيْتَنِي بِقُرَابِ الأَرْضِ خَطَايَا ثُمَّ لَقِيتَنِي لاَ تُشْرِكُ بِي شَيْئًا لأَتَيْتُكَ بِقُرَابِهَا مَغْفِرَةً ” . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ غَرِيبٌ لاَ نَعْرِفُهُ إِلاَّ مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ .
Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3540
Chapter 98: Hadith Qudsi: “O Son of Adam, As Long As You Call Me…”, Book 48: Chapters on Supplication
(وَأَمَّا) الْقَتْلُ الَّذِي هُوَ فِي مَعْنَى الْقَتْلِ الْخَطَأِ فَنَوْعَانِ: نَوْعٌ فِي مَعْنَاهُ مِنْ كُلِّ وَجْهٍ، وَهُوَ أَنْ يَكُونَ عَلَى طَرِيقِ الْمُبَاشَرَةِ، وَنَوْعٌ هُوَ فِي مَعْنَاهُ مِنْ وَجْهٍ، وَهُوَ أَنْ يَكُونَ مِنْ طَرِيقِ التَّسْبِيبِ، أَمَّا الْأَوَّلُ: فَنَحْوُ النَّائِمِ يَنْقَلِبُ عَلَى إنْسَانٍ فَيَقْتُلَهُ فَهَذَا الْقَتْلُ فِي مَعْنَى الْقَتْلِ الْخَطَأِ مِنْ كُلِّ وَجْهٍ لِوُجُودِهِ لَا عَنْ قَصْدٍ؛ لِأَنَّهُ مَاتَ بِثِقَلِهِ فَتَرَتَّبَ عَلَيْهِ أَحْكَامُهُ مِنْ وُجُوبِ الْكَفَّارَةِ وَالدِّيَةِ وَحِرْمَانِ الْمِيرَاثِ وَالْوَصِيَّةِ؛ لِأَنَّهُ إذَا كَانَ فِي مَعْنَاهُ مِنْ كُلِّ وَجْهٍ كَانَ وُرُودُ الشَّرْعِ بِهَذِهِ الْأَحْكَامِ هُنَاكَ وُرُودًا هَهُنَا دَلَالَةً.
ص271 – كتاب بدائع الصنائع في ترتيب الشرائع – القتل الذي هو في معنى القتل الخطأ نوعان – المكتبة الشاملة
قَالَ – رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ – (مُوجِبُ الْقَتْلِ عَمْدًا وَهُوَ مَا تَعَمَّدَ ضَرْبَهُ بِسِلَاحٍ وَنَحْوِهِ فِي تَفْرِيقِ الْأَجْزَاءِ كَالْمُحَدَّدِ مِنْ الْحَجَرِ وَالْخَشَبِ وَالنَّارِ الْإِثْمُ وَالْقَوَدُ عَيْنًا) أَيْ الْقَتْلُ الْمَوْصُوفُ بِهَذِهِ الصِّفَةِ يُوجِبُ الْإِثْمَ وَالْقِصَاصُ مُتَعَيِّنٌ، قَالَ السِّغْنَاقِيُّ الْقَتْلُ فِعْلٌ يُضَافُ إلَى الْعِبَادِ تَزُولُ بِهِ الْحَيَاةُ.
ص328 – كتاب البحر الرائق شرح كنز الدقائق ومنحة الخالق وتكملة الطوري – كتاب الجنايات – المكتبة الشاملة
(وَعُزِّرَ كُلُّ مُرْتَكِبِ مُنْكَرٍ أَوْ مُؤْذِي مُسْلِمٍ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ بِقَوْلٍ أَوْ فِعْلٍ)
ص66 – كتاب حاشية ابن عابدين رد المحتار ط الحلبي – فرع من عليه التعزير لو قال لرجل أقم علي التعزير ففعله ثم رفع للحاكم – المكتبة الشاملة
مِنْ الْمَنْدُوبَاتِ صَلَاةُ التَّوْبَةِ وَصَلَاةُ الْوَالِدَيْنِ وَصَلَاةُ رَكْعَتَيْنِ عِنْدَ نُزُولِ الْغَيْثِ وَرَكْعَتَيْنِ فِي السِّرِّ لِدَفْعِ النِّفَاقِ وَالصَّلَاةُ حِينَ يَدْخُلُ بَيْتَهُ وَيَخْرُجُ تَوَقِّيًا عَنْ فِتْنَةِ الْمَدْخَلِ وَالْمَخْرَجِ، وَاَللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ.
ص28 – كتاب حاشية ابن عابدين رد المحتار ط الحلبي – باب الوتر والنوافل – المكتبة الشاملة
حَدَّثَنَا جَعْفَرُ بْنُ مُسَافِرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرٌ، عَنِ الْعَلاَءِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم “ إِنَّ مِنْ أَكْبَرِ الْكَبَائِرِ اسْتِطَالَةَ الْمَرْءِ فِي عِرْضِ رَجُلٍ مُسْلِمٍ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ وَمِنَ الْكَبَائِرِ السَّبَّتَانِ بِالسَّبَّةِ ” .
Narrated AbuHurayrah:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The gravest sin is going to lengths in talking unjustly against a Muslim’s honour, and it is a major sin to abuse twice for abusing once.
Sunan Abi Dawud 4877
Chapter 40: Regarding backbiting (al-ghibah), Book 43: General Behavior (Kitab Al-Adab)
Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.
Written by Maulana Sakib Shadman
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham