Allah the Almighty has greatly elevated the status of martyrdom for His cause, granting martyrs immense rewards and blessings. He says, “And the martyrs, with their Lord. For them is their reward and their light.” (Al-Hadid: 19) They are alive with their Lord, being provided for, and the martyr wishes to return to the world to be killed again in the path of Allah because of the honor they see. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Nobody who dies and finds good from Allah (in the Hereafter) would wish to come back to this world even if he were given the whole world and whatever is in it, except the martyr who, on seeing the superiority of martyrdom, would like to come back to the world and get killed again (in Allah's Cause).” (narrated by At-Tirmidhi). Even our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), who holds the highest rank, wished to be a martyr and to be killed in the path of Allah multiple times. He said, “By Him in Whose Hand my life is, I would love to fight in Allah's Cause and then get martyred and then resurrected (come to life) and then get martyred and then resurrected (come to life).” (agreed upon)
Martyrs are not subjected to trials in their graves. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked, “O Messenger of Allah, why will the believers be tested in their graves except the martyr?” He replied, “The flashing of the swords above his head is trial enough.” (Sahih Al-Targhib wat-Tarhib). There are numerous ayahs and hadiths in this regard.
Due to the high rank of martyrs with Allah, we find that the Mujahideen, both leaders and individuals, race to achieve it. The best among people are those whom Allah chooses to serve His religion and keeps alive for a time to fulfill this purpose, ending their journey with martyrdom in His cause. Allah says, “If a wound should touch you - there has already touched the [opposing] people a wound similar to it. And these days [of varying conditions] We alternate among the people so that Allah may make evident those who believe and [may] take to Himself from among you martyrs - and Allah does not like the wrongdoers.” (Al-Imran: 140) Whenever a martyr ascends, the living envy them for this honor: “Among the believers are men true to what they promised Allah. Among them is he who has fulfilled his vow [to the death], and among them is he who awaits [his chance]. And they did not alter [the terms of their commitment] by any alteration.” (Al-Ahzab: 23)
The martyrdom of Muslim leaders throughout history has never been a cause for retreat or withdrawal. Rather, it has been a motivator to follow their path and die for the same cause they died for. An excellent example of this is Anas ibn Al-Nadr (may Allah be pleased with him), who set a brilliant precedent in this regard. Ibn Ishaq narrates in his book, “Al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah”: Anas ibn Al-Nadr, the uncle of Anas ibn Malik, reached Umar ibn Al-Khattab and Talha ibn Ubayd Allah along with a group of the Muhajirun and Ansar, and they had thrown down their weapons. He asked them, “What are you doing sitting like this?” They replied, “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) has been killed.” He said, “What will you do with life after him? Get up and die upon what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) died upon.” He then went forth to fight until he was killed.
Ibn Ishaq also narrates from Anas ibn Malik that his uncle missed the Battle of Badr and said, “I missed the first battle in which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) fought. If Allah allows me to witness another battle with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), He will see what I will do.” He then participated in the Battle of Uhud, and when the Muslims were defeated, he said, “O Allah, I apologize to You for what these people (the Muslims) have done, and I disavow what the polytheists have brought.” He then advanced with his sword and met Sa’d ibn Mu’adh, saying, “O Sa’d, where are you going?” He said, “I can smell the fragrance of Jannah from beyond Uhud.” He continued until he was killed. He was not recognized until his sister identified him by a mark, as he had suffered over eighty wounds from swords, spears, and arrows.
At the Battle of Mu'tah, that terrifying and bloody battle where three thousand Muslims faced two hundred thousand Roman soldiers and Arab Christians, the commanders of the Muslim army whom the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had appointed—Zayd ibn Harithah, Ja'far ibn Abi Talib, and Abdullah ibn Rawahah—were martyred in succession. This created a legendary and epic scene. The Muslims then agreed on the leadership of Khalid ibn Al-Walid, who took up the banner, fought valiantly, and saved the army from this great danger. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) called them “fearless fighters” and gave Khalid the title “The Sword of Allah.”
While the martyrdom of resistance leaders saddens the believers, it also ignites passion within them and renews their faith and certainty. The call of Allah is not tied to specific individuals whose deaths would end the cause; rather, Allah appoints new leaders who carry the banner and continue the journey. The caravan of martyrs continues, and so does the sacrifice.
The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) provides a living example that confirms this divine tradition. Many leaders, including the founding leader Yassin and his deputy Al-Rantisi, and numerous senior commanders from both the West Bank and Gaza, as well as outside Palestine, have been martyred. But new leaders always emerge by Allah's decree, advancing the tactics of jihad, mobilizing soldiers, and preparing for future battles of dignity and liberation against the hated Zionist occupation, backed by the West and some Arab nations.
The martyrdom of leaders fulfills the noble goal they lived and sacrificed for over many years. Blessed are they for the honor of being chosen for this purpose.
The martyrdom of leaders is a special honor for the martyr and a general one for resistance and jihad movements. Every movement takes pride in its martyrs in general and its martyred leaders in particular, affirming its credibility and legitimacy.
The martyrdom of leaders is a motivator for renewing commitment and allegiance to Allah and raises the level of work, sacrifice, and jihad among the mujahideen and workers.
The martyrdom of leaders is a direct cause for awakening the Ummah from its slumber and mobilizing its financial and human resources to join the battle to liberate our sacred places and lands.
The martyrdom of leaders inspires the free people of the world, including non-Muslims, to support our cause and exposes the crimes of our enemy, gradually severing the ties between the people and their support for our enemy.
The martyrdom of leaders is a renewal of leadership, encouraging building upon the work of previous leaders, learning from past mistakes, and innovating new methods to achieve the desired goals.
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