✦ Ruling on Considering Death by Heart Attack as Martyrdom ✦
❖ Question:
Is a person who dies from a heart attack considered among those who pass away due to abdominal illnesses, and can such a person be called a martyr (shahīd)?
A brother argued from the verse of Sūrah al-Aḥzāb:
"مَا جَعَلَ اللَّهُ لِرَجُلٍ مِّن قَلْبَيْنِ فِي جَوْفِهِ"
He claimed that since Allah said "in his chest cavity (jauf)" and not "in his chest (ṣadr)", therefore, heart-related illnesses may fall under the category of abdominal illnesses. Please provide Islamic guidance on this.
❖ Answer by:
Fadhilat al-Shaykh Saeed Mujtaba Saeedi ḥafiẓahullāh & Fadhilat al-‘Ālim Fahd Ansari ḥafiẓahullāh
① It is not appropriate to engage in such reasoning where there is no clear and authentic Islamic evidence.
② Allah ﷻ has warned in the Qur’an:
"وَلَا تَقْفُ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ"
(Sūrah Banī Isrā’īl: 36)
"And do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge."
① In the authentic narrations of the Prophet ﷺ, the word used is "baṭn" (abdomen), not "jauf".
② Therefore, martyrdom applies to those who die from abdominal or stomach-related illnesses, as specified in the Hadith.
③ A heart attack is a separate medical condition and is not directly related to abdominal diseases.
① The term "jauf" in the Qur’an carries a broad meaning, generally referring to the body cavity, but
② It is not correct to equate it with "baṭn" (abdomen) without explicit and strong evidence.
③ Since the Hadith mentions "baṭn", it should be understood in the context of stomach or intestinal ailments, and not the heart.
✔ A person who dies from a heart attack cannot be counted among those who died from abdominal illness.
✔ Only those mentioned clearly in authentic Hadith are included among the martyrs.
✔ There is no specific Hadith declaring death by heart attack as martyrdom.
✔ Avoid drawing conclusions without sound Shar‘i evidence.
❖ Question:
Is a person who dies from a heart attack considered among those who pass away due to abdominal illnesses, and can such a person be called a martyr (shahīd)?
A brother argued from the verse of Sūrah al-Aḥzāb:
"مَا جَعَلَ اللَّهُ لِرَجُلٍ مِّن قَلْبَيْنِ فِي جَوْفِهِ"
He claimed that since Allah said "in his chest cavity (jauf)" and not "in his chest (ṣadr)", therefore, heart-related illnesses may fall under the category of abdominal illnesses. Please provide Islamic guidance on this.
❖ Answer by:
Fadhilat al-Shaykh Saeed Mujtaba Saeedi ḥafiẓahullāh & Fadhilat al-‘Ālim Fahd Ansari ḥafiẓahullāh
✦ Avoid Making Analogies Without Proper Knowledge
① It is not appropriate to engage in such reasoning where there is no clear and authentic Islamic evidence.
② Allah ﷻ has warned in the Qur’an:
"وَلَا تَقْفُ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ"
(Sūrah Banī Isrā’īl: 36)
"And do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge."
✦ Clarity from the Prophetic Hadith Regarding Martyrdom
① In the authentic narrations of the Prophet ﷺ, the word used is "baṭn" (abdomen), not "jauf".
② Therefore, martyrdom applies to those who die from abdominal or stomach-related illnesses, as specified in the Hadith.
③ A heart attack is a separate medical condition and is not directly related to abdominal diseases.
✦ Lexical Difference Between "Jauf" and "Baṭn"
① The term "jauf" in the Qur’an carries a broad meaning, generally referring to the body cavity, but
② It is not correct to equate it with "baṭn" (abdomen) without explicit and strong evidence.
③ Since the Hadith mentions "baṭn", it should be understood in the context of stomach or intestinal ailments, and not the heart.
✦ Conclusion
✔ A person who dies from a heart attack cannot be counted among those who died from abdominal illness.
✔ Only those mentioned clearly in authentic Hadith are included among the martyrs.
✔ There is no specific Hadith declaring death by heart attack as martyrdom.
✔ Avoid drawing conclusions without sound Shar‘i evidence.
