Shahid (martyr)

The shahid in Sunni tradition is one killed defending religion, life or property; Bukhari reports: "whoever is killed defending his property is a martyr" ¹.

Bukhari reports that the martyrs are five: the plague-stricken, the one who dies of abdominal disease, the drowned, the one killed under a collapsed building, and the martyr in God's path ¹; and that "the one who dies of abdominal disease and the stabbed are martyrs" ¹ — the jurists extended the rank to those who die by epidemic, drowning or falling buildings ².

The Sheikh says that the killer is only a means, and that the martyr is forgiven what lies behind him at the first drop of blood; on the Day of Resurrection he comes with his wound flowing, its colour the colour of blood and its scent the scent of musk, and he intercedes for seventy of his family (needs_source) ³.

He tells of a grieving mother who asked him whether her son, who died of an overdose of drugs after going astray and being left by his father, counts as a martyr, and he says he felt awkward at her question ⁴.

The Sheikh holds that telling her the plain truth would not ease her sorrow at all, and that true martyrdom belongs to one who defended his land, homeland and holy places and was killed by the enemy; he adds that part of the truth does not satisfy the asker ⁵.

The Sheikh relates a hadith that God has forbidden the earth to consume the bodies of the prophets and the martyrs, so that whoever of them is buried in it keeps his body intact, indeed the earth itself preserves it ⁶.

He says that if a martyr is buried beside an ordinary person on the same day after, say, an accident, worms creep after some days onto one of the two bodies and do not approach the other beside it; he asks who taught the worm this (needs_source) ⁷.

He says that God promised the martyrs that they are alive with their Lord and provided for, and explains that the word provision here is a lesson in creed, because provision is not only in dirhams and dinars ⁸.