The Virtue of Martyrdom
The arrangement of life is undoubtedly in preparation for death; there is no living being that has not tasted the flavor of death. Human beings come into this world only to eventually leave it. Some fortunate ones are such that their lives are enviable, and their deaths also become a source of admiration for humanity. Their departure fills the eyes of the world with longing; upon witnessing their death, people wish they could also have a similar death. Such a death is known as martyrdom. It is the kind of death about which the Creator of death has said:
“Do not think of those who are killed in the way of Allah as dead. Rather, they are alive, receiving sustenance from their Lord. They rejoice in what Allah has bestowed upon them of His bounty and are happy for those who have not yet joined them but are left behind, that they will have no fear, nor will they grieve. They are joyful for the grace and bounty from Allah, and because Allah does not let the reward of the believers be lost.” (These matters are discussed in Surah Aal-e-Imran, Ayahs 169 to 171.)
In these contexts, two Hadiths of the Prophet (ﷺ) are mentioned, which describe the status of those fortunate people who achieve the rank of martyrdom.
Hazrat Muhammad bin Qais (رضي الله عنه) states that one of the Ansar of Medina, who used to guard the Prophet (ﷺ), was told on the day of Uhud that the Prophet (ﷺ) had been martyred. He said, “I bear witness that you (ﷺ) have delivered the message, so now all of you Muslims must fight for his religion.” After saying this, that companion of the Prophet (ﷺ) attacked the enemy thrice, and each time he emerged alive from the jaws of death. When the third attempt came, he achieved martyrdom at the hands of the infidels. When he met his Lord and found his remaining companions there, they were all very pleased to see the blessings of that place. They said, “O our Lord, is there no messenger who can convey our condition to the Prophet (ﷺ)?” Allah (SWT) replied, “I am your messenger,” and then commanded Jibreel (عليه السلام) to go and recite the Ayahs of Surah Aal-e-Imran to My beloved (ﷺ).
The famous companion of the Prophet (ﷺ), Hazrat Jabir bin Abdullah (رضي الله عنه) narrates that one day the Prophet (ﷺ) saw him and found him to be worried. The Prophet (ﷺ) asked, “O Jabir, what is the reason for your concern? You are always thoughtful. What troubles and worries are gripping you?” Hazrat Jabir (رضي الله عنه) replied, “O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), my father has been martyred. He left behind debts and a family.” The Prophet (ﷺ) then said, “Shall I not tell you that whenever Allah (SWT) spoke to someone, it was from behind a veil, but He spoke to your father directly and said, ‘Ask of Me, and I will grant you.’ Your father replied, ‘Send me back to the world so that I may be martyred again.’ Allah (SWT) responded, ‘It has already been decreed that no one shall return.’ Your father then said, ‘O my Lord, inform those behind me of our condition.’ Upon this, Allah (SWT) revealed the following Ayahs of Surah Aal-e-Imran.”
In Tirmidhi Shareef, the Prophet (ﷺ) mentioned six virtues of those who attain the status of martyrdom:
1. With the first drop of blood, they are forgiven, and upon the departure of the soul, they are shown their place in Paradise.
2. The martyr is always protected from the torment of the grave.
3. The martyr has no fear of the torment of Hellfire.
4. On the Day of Judgment, a crown of honor and dignity will be placed on the martyr’s head, which will be better than the rubies and other worldly treasures.
5. In Paradise, 72 large-eyed houris will be given to the martyr as spouses.
Respected reader! The history of Islam is radiant with the blood of martyrs. The blood of the martyr is the adornment of the nation’s face, and the martyr’s death is the life of the nation. The 1st of Muharram reminds us of the martyrdom of the second caliph, Hazrat Umar Farooq (رضي الله عنه), and the 10th of Muharram recalls the martyrdom of the leader of the youths of Paradise, Hazrat Sayyiduna Husayn (رضي الله عنه) and his loyal companions, who, by drinking the cup of martyrdom for the sake of elevating the faith, became immortal. We love Hazrat Farooq (رضي الله عنه) and Imam Ali Maqam Husayn ibn Ali (رضي الله عنهما), who sacrificed their lives along with 72 loyal companions in the plains of Karbala.
https://pk.islamteaching.com/%d8%b4%db%81%d8%a7%d8%af%d8%aa-%da%a9%db%8c-%d9%81%d8%b6%db%8c%d9%84%d8%aa/
