Amal Al-Sibai
Saudi Gazette
To die for the cause of Allah, to be granted the elite title of martyr, ‘shaheed’, in Islam is a noble and highly sought after status. Ample rewards are given to the martyr in Islam, be it man or woman. The body and blood of the martyr will smell like musk until the end of time, the martyr’s sins will be forgiven, and the martyr will be spared from the torment of the grave. The martyr will wear a jewel-studded crown of honor on the Day of Judgment and will be awarded the highest level in Paradise.
What many of us do not know is that there are more than one way to die a martyr. Contrary to what the media in the West propagates and contrary to what misguided militant groups claim, lifting a weapon and slaying an innocent, unarmed civilian who is a non-believer does not award the Muslim with the title of martyr; it makes you a murderer.
Due to all the hype on Islamophobia, many of us Muslims are afraid to even bring up the subject of martyrdom. I believe that the desire to be a martyr should not be misunderstood and marred as terrorism because there is a huge difference between the two. To truly be a martyr in Islam has its own set of conditions and requirements.
Fighting in the cause of Allah; this means that if you were being persecuted or tortured just for being Muslim, you can defend yourself. And if you die in that struggle, you die a martyr.
Defending oneself and one’s family is considered honorable. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Whoever is killed defending himself is a shaheed (martyr), whoever is killed defending his family is a shaheed, whoever is killed defending his property is a shaheed and whoever is killed defending his religion is a shaheed.” [Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi]
To die a martyr does not necessarily involve fighting and battle. Consider the following saying of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “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.” [Reported in Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
A person inflicted with disease often endures a great deal of suffering and pain; the person may suffer for months or years, until they die. The one who patiently bears the pain and agony of disease, and then dies from the disease, is deserving of the title of a martyr.
Some scholars inferred from the above Hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him) that the Muslim who dies from cancer is considered a martyr.
Imagine the fear, panic, and pain of being trapped under the rubble of a collapsed building; imagine how much it would hurt if your bones were crushed under a fallen wall. Different scenarios include an earthquake, tornado, bombing, or airstrikes. If death came to Muslims under a pile of concrete before the rescue team made it to save them, they are considered martyrs in Islam.
Drowning also causes excruciating pain as one suffocates and chokes for oxygen. It is by the mercy and grace of Allah that a Muslim who dies from drowning is also labeled as a martyr.
The strength and courage of a woman should never be underestimated because she endures the relentless and indescribable pain of childbirth. She is no less courageous and heroic than a Muslim man fighting to defend his family. Allah has elevated the status of women; a woman who dies during childbirth dies a martyr.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “He who is killed in the way of Allah is a martyr; he who dies of plague is a martyr; a woman who dies due to pregnancy and a woman who dies during delivery, her baby will drag her into Paradise with the umbilical cord.” [Musnad Ahmad]
The one who dies as the victim of a fire also dies a martyr.
A mother who died while giving birth to her baby, a father who died fighting an armed burglar who attacked his family’s home at night, a firefighter who died while putting out a raging fire; they are martyrs.
More important than how we will die, is how we live our lives. As Muslims, if we perform certain rituals on a regular basis and with sincerity in our hearts, we can earn the splendid status of a martyr.
By consistently reading the last three verses of Surat Al-Hashr every morning and every evening, you are like a martyr.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “Whoever recites the Divine Names in the last three verses of Surat al-Hashr after the dawn or after Maghreb then dies that day or that night, dies a shaheed.” [At-Tirmidhi]
Make it a habit to always be in a state of cleanliness by making wudu (ablution) regularly throughout your day. Before leaving the house, make sure you have performed ablution.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said to his companion, Anas, “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.” [At-Tirmidhi]
Three more habits you can add to your routine in your struggle to be a better Muslim and to be a martyr: praying duha prayer, fasting three days every month, and praying the witr prayer at night after Ishaa prayer.
Duha prayer is a voluntary prayer to be done before noon (dhuhr), and it can be two or four or six rakaat or more. The three days of every month to fast are the three days in the middle of the lunar month. Witr prayer is another voluntary prayer, it should be performed after Ishaa prayer and it consists of two rakaat, followed by just one.
Look at this amazing Hadith:
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “Whoever prays duha; fasts three days of the month; and never omits witr, shall receive the reward of a martyr.” [At-Tabarani]
Some scholars have added that the student seeking to gain knowledge about Islam, if he/she dies during the pursuit of knowledge, he/she dies a martyr. Others have said that the muadhin, the one who calls for prayer, has been likened to a martyr.
The goal is to focus on how we live; to live the life of a true Muslim.
