Majma al-Zawaid — Hadith 9426

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Atik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Whoever leaves his house to take part in jihad in the way of Allah" - then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gestured with three of his fingers, the middle finger, the index finger and the thumb, brought them together, and said: "And where are those who strive?" (Then he said:) "If he falls from his mount and dies, his reward becomes due upon Allah Almighty; if an animal stings him and he dies, his reward becomes due upon Allah; if he dies a natural death, his reward becomes due upon Allah." The narrator says: By Allah, I had never heard this expression from any of the Arabs before the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). (The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:) "If he dies, his reward becomes due upon Allah; and whoever is slain as a martyr and fulfils what was due upon him has secured for himself the (best) final return."
Ahmad and al-Tabarani recorded it. Its chain contains a narrator, Muhammad bin Ishaq, who is a mudallis (one who conceals defects in the chain). The rest of Ahmad's narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).