Narrated by At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah, from Jabir ibn Abdullah, who said: “When 'Abdullah bin 'Amr bin Haram was killed on the Day of Uhud, the Messenger of Allah met me, and said: “O Jabir, shall I not tell you what Allah has said to your father?” In another narration: “And he said: 'O Jabir, why do I see you broken-hearted?' I (Jabir) said: 'O Messenger of Allah, my father has been martyred and he has left behind dependents and debts.' He said: 'Shall I not give you the glad tidings of that with which Allah met your father?' I said: 'Yes, O Messenger of Allah.' He said: 'Allah never spoke to anyone except from behind a screen, but He spoke to your father directly, and He said: “O My slave! Ask something from Me and I shall give it to you.” He said: “O Lord, bring me back to life so that I may be killed in Your cause a second time.” The Lord, Glorified is He, said: “I have already decreed that they will not return to life.” He said: “My Lord, then convey (this news) to those whom I have left behind.” Allah said: “Think not of those as dead who are killed in the way of Allah, Nay, they are alive, with their Lord, and they have provision. Rejoicing in what Allah has bestowed upon them of His bounty, and they receive good tidings about those [to be martyred] after them who have not yet joined them - that there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve. They receive good tidings of favor from Allah and bounty and [of the fact] that Allah does not allow the reward of believers to be lost.” (Aal-E-Imran: 169-171)
This situation highlights the elevated status of the martyr and instills a love for martyrdom in the cause of Allah. Islam has adopted various approaches to nurture the love of jihad and martyrdom in its followers, including the following:
- Nurturing Attachment to the Hereafter:
Islam instills in its followers a love for jihad and martyrdom by detaching them from worldly pursuits and prioritizing the Hereafter. Allah the Almighty confirms: “And the Hereafter is better for you than the first [life].” (Ad-Duhaa: 4), “But you prefer the worldly life, while the Hereafter is better and more enduring.” (Al-A’la: 16-17)
In Sahih Muslim, Anas ibn Malik narrated that when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ faced the polytheists at Badr, he (ﷺ) said, “Get up to enter Paradise which is equal in width to the heavens and the earth.” 'Umair b. al- Humam al-Ansari said: “Messenger of Allah, is Paradise equal in extent to the heavens and the earth?” He said: “Yes.” 'Umair said: “My goodness!” The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) asked him: “What prompted you to utter these words (i. e. my goodness! ')?” He said: “Messenger of Allah, nothing but the desire that I be among its residents.” He said: “Thou art (surely) among its residents.” He took out dates from his bag and began to eat them. Then he said: If I were to live until I have eaten all these dates of mine, it would be a long life. (The narrator said): He threw away all the dates he had with him. Then he fought the enemies until he was killed.
- Highlighting the Virtue of Martyrdom and the Status of the Martyr:
The awareness of the virtues of martyrdom and the exalted rank of the martyr fosters a love for jihad and martyrdom. Allah says, “And the martyrs, with their Lord. For them is their reward and their light.” (Al-Hadid: 19) And: “Indeed, Allah has purchased from the believers their lives and their properties [in exchange] for that they will have Paradise. They fight in the cause of Allah, so they kill and are killed. [It is] a true promise [binding] upon Him in the Torah and the Gospel and the Qur'an. And who is truer to his covenant than Allah? So rejoice in your transaction which you have contracted. And it is that which is the great attainment.” (At-Tawbah: 111)
Ibn Majah narrated from Miqdam bin Ma’dikarib that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “The martyr has six things (in store) with Allah: He is forgiven from the first drop of his blood that is shed; he is shown his place in Paradise; he is spared the torment of the grave; he is kept safe from the Great Fright; he is adorned with a garment of faith; he is married to (wives) from among the wide-eyed houris; and he is permitted to intercede for seventy of his relatives.”
- Emphasizing the Easing of Death’s Pain for the Martyr:
The pain of death is severe, and its throes are intense. However, Islam assures that the pain of death is alleviated for the martyr, to the extent that it feels like the sting of a pinch. At-Tirmidhi narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “The martyr does not sense the touch of death except as one of you senses the touch of a (bug) bite.”
- The Prophet’s Wish to Die as a Martyr:
Al-Bukhari and Muslim narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Prophet ﷺ said: “By Him in Whose Hands my life is! Were it not for some men amongst the believers who dislike to be left behind me and whom I cannot provide with means of conveyance, I would certainly never remain behind any Sariya' (army-unit) setting out in Allah's Cause. By Him in Whose Hands my life is! I would love to be martyred in Allah's Cause and then get resurrected and then get martyred, and then get resurrected again and then get martyred and then get resurrected again and then get martyred.”
The Prophet ﷺ also stated that the martyr wishes to return to the world to die as a martyr multiple times because of the honor they witness. At-Tirmidhi narrated from Anas ibn Malik that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“None of the people of Paradise would wish to return to the world except for the martyr who indeed would love to return to the world saying that he would love to be killed ten times in Allah's cause because of what he has seen of the honor that He has given him.”
- Sharing the Emotions of Martyrs’ Families and Consoling Them:
Islam acknowledges the pain of losing a martyr felt by their family, spouse, and children. Thus, it emphasizes that martyrdom benefits not only the martyr but also their family. The martyr intercedes for seventy members of their family. Islam provides emotional and material support to martyrs’ families. Emotionally, it assures them that the martyr enjoys unparalleled bliss, which comforts their families, as indicated in the story of Jabir ibn Abdullah and how Allah honored his father, as mentioned at the beginning of this article.
Materially, Islam urges the care of martyrs’ families. Ahmad narrated from al-Hasan ibn Sa’d that when Ja’far was martyred, the Prophet ﷺ waited three days and then went to Ja’far’s family. He said to them: “Do not weep for my brother after today.” Then he said: “Bring me my brother’s sons.” He addressed them, saying: “As for Muhammad, he resembles our uncle Abu Talib, and as for Abdullah, he resembles my form and character.” Then he supplicated: “O Allah, take care of Ja’far’s family in his absence and bless Abdullah’s business dealings.” When Ja’far’s wife mentioned the orphaning of her children, the Prophet ﷺ reassured her, saying: “Do you fear poverty for them? I am their guardian in this world and the Hereafter.”
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