Martyr - The Concept of Martyrdom in Islam

Martyrs According to Qur'an and Hadith:

Allah Almighty Said in Holy Qur'an:

"Think not of those who are slain in Allah's way as dead.   Nay, they live, finding their sustenance in the presence of their Lord.  They rejoice in the Bounty provided by Allah:  And with regard to those left behind, who have not yet joined them (in their bliss), the (Martyrs) glory in the fact that on them is no fear, nor have they (cause to) grieve.  They glory in the Grace and Bounty from Allah, and in the fact that Allah suffereth not the reward of the faithful to be lost (in the least).  (The Noble Quran, 3:169-171)" 

"Those who immigrate for the sake of God, then get killed, or die, God will surely shower them with good provisions" 22:58

"And say not of those who are slain in the way of Allah: 'They are dead.'  Nay, they are living, though ye perceive (it) not.  (The Noble Quran, 2:154)"


Allah Almighty Said: "O ye who believe! Fear Allah as He should be Feared, and die not except in a state of Islam.  (The Noble Quran, 3:102)"

"Say: 'O my Servants who Have transgressed against their souls!  Despair not of the Mercy of Allah:  for Allah forgives all sins for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.  (The Noble Quran, 39:53)"

�then they will be in the company of those on whom Allaah has bestowed His Grace, of the Prophets, the Siddeeqoon (those followers of the Prophets who were first and foremost to believe in them, like Abu Bakr As?Siddeeq ��� ���� ��� ), the martyrs, and the righteous� [al-Nisa� 4:69]

Hadith Regarding Martyrs:

 Many types of death have been described as martyrdom (shahada) by the Prophet (upon him blessings and peace).

 

Abu Hurairah reported that Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, asked: "Who do you consider to be a martyr?" They said: "O Allah's Prophet, he who is killed fighting for the cause of Allah." The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "(If this is so) then very few in my community will be martyrs! " They asked: "Who else are they, O Allah's Messenger?" He said: "He who is killed fighting for Allah's cause is a martyr, he who dies in the cause of Allah is a martyr, he who dies in an epidemic is a martyr, he who dies from a stomach disease is a martyr, and the one who dies of drowning is (also) a martyr." [Muslim.] 

 Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, �I was shown three people who will be among the first to enter Paradise: a martyr, one who refrains from begging, and a servant who worships Allah in the best manner and is sincere to his master.� Sunan At-Tirmidhi 1642

Raashid ibn Hubaysh narrated that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) entered upon �Ubaadah ibn al-Saamit when he was sick and said, �Do you know who is a shaheed (martyr) in my ummah?�  The people remained silent, then �Ubaadah said, �Help me to sit up.� They helped him to sit up, then he said, �O Messenger of Allaah, (is it) the patient one who seeks reward from Allaah for his patience?� The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, �Then the martyrs among my ummah would be very few. Being killed for the sake of Allaah is martyrdom, the plague (transmission disease not conform) is martyrdom, drowning is martyrdom, stomach disease is martyrdom, and if a woman dies during the post-partum period, her child will drag her to Paradise by his umbilical cord.� The umbilical cord is that which is cut by the midwife when the child is born. The hadeeth was narrated by Imaam Ahmad in his Musnad with a saheeh isnaad. (al-Musnad, 3/489). There is a corroborating report narrated by Maalik (1/233) and Abu Dawood, 3/482).

�There are five kinds of martyrs: One who dies of plague; one who dies of a disease of the stomach or intestines; one who drowns; one who is crushed in a collapsing building; and one who is martyred in the way of Allah.� [al-Bukhari, Muslim, Malik]

�Whoever dies as a stranger or in a strange land dies a shaheed.� Narrated by Ibn Majah

�Dying in fire is a martyrdom.� Al-Tabarani and Ibn Hibban.

�Whoever recites the Divine Names in the last three verses of Surat al-Hashr after the dawn or after Maghrib then dies that day or that night, dies a shaheed.� Al-Tirmidhi

From Anas: the Messenger of Allah (upon him blessings and peace) told me: �My son, if you are able to always be on wudu� then do so, for the angel of death when he seizes the servant�s soul while the latter is in wudu�, he records martyrdom for him.� Al-Bayhaqi in Shu`ab al-Iman and al-Hakeem al-Tirmidhi in Nawadir al-Usul.