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Fatwa CenterBeing compelled to abandoning prayer or to commit disbelief or suicide
Question
My question involves doing a sin under pressure. Suppose a muslim is pressured or bulliied by kafir criminals to do shirk or commit suicide. Is he forgiven, if he does shirk under duress? Suppose a muslim is pressured or bulliied by kafir criminals to not pray for more than 3 days or commit suicide. Is he forgiven, if he does not pray for more than 3 days under duress? Suppose a muslim is pressured or bulliied by kafir criminals to commit suicide. Is he forgiven, if he commits suicide under duress?Also kafirs force a muslim to change religion or commit suicide by bullying. Should he change religion or commit suicide? Please asnwer these question involving sinning under pressure by bullying involvong these 4 sins ASAP. Thank you.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.
Compulsion or pressure alleviates liability to carry out Islamic obligations. But this is the case only in situations of extreme compulsion. We have explained that in the two Fataawa 196781 and 721.
If a Muslim individual is compelled to renounce Islam and utters the words of disbelief while his heart is sure in faith, he will not be judged a disbeliever. Allaah, The Almighty, says (what means): {Whoever disbelieves in Allaah after his belief except for one who is forced [to renounce his religion] while his heart is secure in faith. But those who [willingly] open their breasts to disbelief, upon them is wrath from Allaah, and for them is a great punishment.} [Quran 16:106]
Thus, your question about being compelled to disbelief or apostasy is answered.
As for compulsion to renounce prayer, this can occur only in two cases as stated by jurists:
Firstly, being prevented from gesturing it.
Secondly, being forced to do what makes it invalid. An-Nawawi 
said in Al-Majmoo’: “(His statement: or if one delays it [the prayer] under duress) means being compelled to renounce it, prevented from gesturing it, or forced to do what makes it invalid. As for the one who is not forced to do so and is able to gesture with his head, eyes or the like, it is incumbent upon him to perform prayers at their prescribed times as the time of prayer is inviolable.”
This is the compulsion which gives an excuse for delaying prayer and by which one is exempt from sin, and which the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, meant when he said: “Allaah has pardoned my nation for mistakes, for what they forget and for what they are forced to do.” [Ibn Maajah]
If we supposed that such compulsion is done, it is obligatory after that compulsion no longer exists to make up for the prayers missed. In any other case, one is not compelled because he can gesture with his head or eyes as previously stated in the words of An-Nawawi . It is well established that whoever does not offer a prayer without a sound excuse, he commits a major sin.
As for committing suicide, it is not permissible for a Muslim individual under any circumstances, and whoever does that commits a major sin. Abu Hurayrah 
narrated that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Whoever purposely throws himself from a mountain and kills himself, will be in the (Hell) Fire falling down into it and abiding therein perpetually forever; and whoever drinks poison and kills himself with it, he will be carrying his poison in his hand and drinking it in the (Hell) Fire wherein he will abide eternally forever; and whoever kills himself with a piece of iron, will be carrying that piece of iron in his hand and stabbing his abdomen with it in the (Hell) Fire wherein he will abide eternally forever.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Whoever is afflicted by compulsion, he has to be patient and it is not permissible for him to avoid the pain of compulsion by committing suicide. Then, if Allaah, The Almighty, makes a way out for him, he will be rewarded for his patience and faith in Allaah. If he is killed, then he was wronged and will a martyr, Allaah Willing.
Allaah Knows best.
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