Types of Martyrdom in Islam and the Meaning of the Most Virtuous Martyrdom
Source: Aḥkām wa Masāʾil, Issues of Jihād & Leadership, Vol. 1, Page 453
❖ Question
What is the definition of martyrdom (shahādah)? Who does Islām regard as martyrs? How many types of martyrdom are there, and which type is the most virtuous?
❖ Answer
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, Ammā Baʿd!
◈ Definition of Shahādah
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
«مَنْ قَاتَلَ لِتَکُوْنَ كَلِمَةُ اﷲِ هِیَ الْعُلْيَا فَهُوَ فِیْ سَبِيْلِ اﷲِ»
(Whoever fights so that the word of Allah is supreme, he is in the path of Allah. – Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Jihād wa al-Siyar)
This ḥadīth makes it clear that the one who strives in jihād with the intention of elevating Allah’s word and sacrifices his life is counted among the true martyrs in the path of Allah.
◈ Other Categories of Martyrs
Martyrdom is not limited to those who die in battle. Certain other deaths have also been described in the ḥadīth as martyrdom. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
«الشُّهَدَاءَ خَمْسَةٌ: الْمَطْعُوْنُ، وَالْمَبْطُوْنُ، وَالْغَرِقُ، وَصَاحِبُ الْهَدْمِ، وَالشَّهِيْدُ فِیْ سَبِيْلِ اﷲِ»
(The martyrs are five: the one who dies of plague, the one who dies of a stomach disease, the one who drowns, the one who dies under a collapsed structure, and the one who is martyred in the path of Allah. – Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Jihād wa al-Siyar)
◈ Types of Shahādah
From these narrations, two main types of martyrdom become clear:
➊ True Martyrdom (Shahādah Ḥaqīqiyyah)
This refers to martyrdom attained in jihād fī sabīlillāh, by fighting to establish the supremacy of Allah’s word and sacrificing one’s life.
➋ Judged Martyrdom (Shahādah Ḥukmiyyah)
This applies to individuals who die by natural or accidental causes, yet Islām has granted their death the status of martyrdom, such as:
- One who dies of plague,
- One who dies of stomach illness,
- One who drowns,
- One who dies due to a collapsed building.
◈ The Most Virtuous Martyrdom
Among all the types of martyrdom, the highest and most virtuous is the one attained in the path of Allah during battle, as is explicitly stated in the ḥadīth:
«مَنْ قَاتَلَ لِتَکُوْنَ كَلِمَةُ اﷲِ هِیَ الْعُلْيَا فَهُوَ فِیْ سَبِيْلِ اﷲِ»
ھذا ما عندي، والله أعلم بالصواب
