Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah

Hazrat Masruq (may Allah have mercy on him) says that I asked Hazrat Abdullah bin Masood (may Allah be pleased with him) about this verse of the Holy Qur'an: { وَلاَ تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِینَ قُتِلُوا فِی سَبِیلِ اللہِ أَمْوَاتًا بَلْ أَحْیَائٌ عِنْدَ رَبِّہِمْ یُرْزَقُونَ } He replied that we asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) about this, and he said that the souls of the martyrs are in the form of green birds and roam freely in Paradise wherever they wish. Then they sit on lanterns hanging from the Throne. Allah Almighty addresses them and says, "Ask for whatever you wish." They say, "O our Lord! What more can we ask from You? We are roaming in Paradise; what else could we desire?" Allah Almighty will say, "Ask Me for whatever you wish." They will say, "O our Lord! What should we ask from You? We are enjoying ourselves in Paradise; what else could we wish for?" Allah Almighty will again turn to them and say, "Ask Me for whatever you wish." They will say, "O our Lord! What should we ask from You? We are roaming wherever we wish in Paradise; what more could we want?" Then, when they see that Allah Almighty definitely wants to give them something, they will say, "O our Lord! We ask You to return our souls to our bodies so that we may go and fight in Your path again." When Allah Almighty sees that they are not asking for anything from Paradise, He will leave them in their present state.