Dying In The Arena Of Jihad Is Better
Rajab 07, 1432 A.H, Friday, June 10, 2011
In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.
All praises be to Allah, Who has the
perfect will. He does what He wants. So whatever He wants out
of something will definitely happen. And on the other hand,
whatever He does not want to happen, is not going to happen.
The death of the Mujahideen in jihad is not free from the will
of Allah above and it is included in the generality of His
words,
“And it is not [possible] for
one to die except by permission of Allah at a decree
determined.” (QS. Ali Imran : 145). Meaning, no
one dies except by the taqdir of Allah and until the
time set by Allah for his lifespan is complete. Due to that,
Allah says, “At a decree determined.”
Sheikh Abu Bakar Jabir al-Jazairi in his tafsir,
Aisar Tafasir, also explained that
the death of a person occurs by the permission of Allah as
his/her true Creator and Possessor. That no one dies without
His knowledge. The Angel of Death also will not draw out the
soul of a person before Allah allows him to do that. Other
than that, the date of every human's death has been recorded,
and in more detailed even the day and hour are recorded, in a
special book which could not be moved forward or backward
because of a condition. All this is the truth that must be
known.
Moreover, Sheikh Abdurrahman bin Nashir al-Sa’ in his
tafsir explained, anyone who has reached the determined
decree of his death, he will definitely die even for no
apparent reason. On the other hand, anyone who wants death,
although he has done various reasons (attempts), all those
cannot put him to death before his ajal (doom)
arrives. This is because, Allah has decided, determined and
written for him to live up to a certain lifespan,
“When their time has come, then
they will not remain behind an hour, nor will they precede
[it].” (QS. Yunus :
49)
So indeed, the death of a Mujahid in the jihad arena happens
because Allah allows him to die, and he has reached the limit
of his age. It's not the greatness of the enemy that takes his
life. “The Jihad and
battlefield do not hasten death of a slave. While, running
away from jihad does not delay it.” (Quoted from
Aisar Tafasir)
Imam Ibnu Katsir rahimahullah said,
“In this verse, there is motivation and
encouragement for the timid to fight (jihad). Because
advancing in battles or running away from it do not reduce the
quota of an age, nor increase it.”
Furthermore, in the death of a Mujahid, there is
wisdom that Allah wills from that of His decision,
“So that Allah may take to
Himself from among you martyrs.” (QS. Ali Imran:
140)
How can one obtain the degree of a Shuhada’ if he
does not die and was killed in the arena of jihad? And how can
one be killed in the arena of jihad, if he avoids the land of
jihad? Whereas, dying shaheed is a great way to enter
paradise. So fitting was the question of Allah to the people
who yearn for paradise but are afraid to conduct jihad because
of the fear of death or getting killed in it, whereas paradise
is not accessible except by the people who die first.
“Or do
you think that you will enter Paradise while Allah has not yet
made evident those of you who fight in His cause and made
evident those who are steadfast?” (QS. Ali Imran:
142)
Rasulullah Sallallahu ‘Alaihi Wasallam said,
“Know that Paradise lies
under the shade of the swords.” (HR. al-Bukhari
and Muslim)
Dying In The Path Of Jihad Is Better
Indeed, death is something that is certain. All
animate things must taste it. Every thing that lives on the
earth shall die. Nobody can escape from it. Allah Ta’ala
says, “Every soul will taste
death.” (QS. Ali Imran: 185)
Whereas, death in the cause of Allah or getting killed in it
is better, if they knew and believed in it, than whatever they
are accumulating in this world, because of which they are
leaving jihad due to the fear of death and getting killed from
it.
Allah Ta’ala says,
“And if you are killed in the
cause of Allah or die - then forgiveness from Allah and mercy
are better than whatever they accumulate [in this world].”
(QS. Ali Imran: 157)
Imam Ibnu Katsir said, “This verse
of Allah implies that getting killed in Allah's cause
(jihad) and being dead (in it) is a means to get the rahmah
of Allah, His forgiveness and pleasure. And it's better than
staying in the world and accumulate all the luxuries which
are finite.”
So, as for the opinion of those munafiq
(hypocrites) who are materialistic, that falling and dying
in jihad is heinous, and because of their hatred against
Islam and its Shari'ah, they always wait for it to
befall the Mujahideen, Allah commanded His Prophet to negate
their beliefs:
“Say, "Do you await for us
except one of the two best things".” (QS. Al-Taubah:
52). Meaning one of the two goods is victory against the
enemies and gaining the dunyawi (worldly) and
ukhrawi (heavenly) rewards; or attaining shaheed
which is the highest degree and the noblest position of
Allah's creatures in His sight.
Therefore, falling in the field of jihad is not to be feared
because it is not a badness and disgraceful achievement. In
fact, it should be seized by those people who hasten towards
Allah and His paradise. Due to that, Allah purchases their
short and transitory lives which are filled with annoyances,
sufferings and pains, for an eternal life where the pleasure
is never-ending and there is no more suffering and pain.
Allah Ta’ala says,
“Indeed, Allah has
purchased from the believers their lives and their
properties [in exchange] for that they will have Paradise.
They fight in the cause of Allah , so they kill and are
killed. [It is] a true promise [binding] upon Him in the
Torah and the Gospel and the Qur'an. And who is truer to his
covenant than Allah ? So rejoice in your transaction which
you have contracted. And it is that which is the great
attainment.” (QS. Al-Taubah: 111)
Allah tells us about the conditions of the Shuhada’s,
their virtues and superiority, as well as the grace and
goodness that Allah gives to them:
“And never think of those
who have been killed in the cause of Allah as dead. Rather,
they are alive with their Lord, receiving provision.
Rejoicing in what Allah has bestowed upon them of His
bounty, and they receive good tidings about those [to be
martyred] after them who have not yet joined them - that
there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve.
They receive good tidings of favor from Allah and bounty and
[of the fact] that Allah does not allow the reward of
believers to be lost.” (QS. Ali Imran: 169-171)
The Shuhada’s are not dead and thus losing all the
rizq and enjoyments of life as they think. Whereas,
it is this which makes many people worry, the cowards are
afraid to fight and do not yearn for shaheed. But
they (the Shuhada’s) live blissfully in the
presence of Allah by obtaining various enjoyments where the
delights is not known except by those who are feeling it.
Allah perfects the gifts of blissfulness to them by
combining the bodily pleasures in the form rizq and
the pleasures of the heart and ruh (soul) in the
form of happiness for the gifts bestowed on them. Until
their pleasures and happiness are perfected.
The Aroma of the Blood of Those Who Die Shaheed
The people who die shaheed are the humans
with the highest human position. The rewards of their deeds
keep flowing until they day they are raised. The smell of
their blood is that of a musk fragrance.
The Prophet Sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam said,
“By Him in Whose Hands my soul
is! Whoever is wounded in Allah's Cause....and Allah knows
well who gets wounded in His Cause....will come on the Day
of Resurrection with his wound having the colour of blood
but the scent of musk.”
(HR. Bukhari)
Dr. Abdullah Azzam conveyed,
“Subhanallah! Indeed, we have
witnessed it on most of the people who have died shaheed.
The smell of their blood are like the aroma of musk. And
indeed, in my pocket is a piece of letter – on it are drops
of blood belongings to Abdul Wahid (Al Shaheed, insha
Allah)- it has been 2 months, but the scent is very fragrant
like that of musk.” (Special Gifts For
The Mujahids, by Sheikh Dr.
Abdullah Azzam)
Where Are The Arwah Of The Shuhada’s?
After knowing the virtues of dying shaheed
and the superiority of the Shuhada’s, that they are
essentially not dead and are not losing the pleasures of
this world. Hence, we are asking, “Where are their arwah
(spirits) actually?”
The arwah (plural of ruh – ed) of the
Shuhada’s are placed in the the highest paradise
i.e. Firdaus. This is based on the hadith of
Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam who said to
Ummu Haritsah binti Nu’man – her son got killed in the
battle of Badar – when she asked him (about the fate of her
son): “Where is he?”
The Prophet Sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam said:
"Verily, he is in the high
paradise of Firdaus."
(HR. Al Bukhari)
In the Saheeh Muslim, from Mashruq rahimahullah,
he said: "We asked Abdullah about
this verse (QS. Ali Imran: 169)"
He answered,
"It so happens that we asked (the Prophet Sallallahu ‘alaihi
wasallam) about this matter, thus he answered:
“Verily, the arwah of the Shuhada’s are in the insides of
green birds having lanterns suspended from the Throne,
roaming freely in Paradise where they please, then taking
shelter in those lanterns. So their Lord cast a glance at
them and said: ‘Do you wish for anything?’
They said: ‘What shall we wish for when we roam
freely in Paradise where we please?’ And thus did
He do to them three times. When they say that they would not
be spared from being asked [again], they said: 'O
Lord, we would like for You to put back our souls into our
bodies so that we might fight for Your sake once again.'
And when He saw that they were not in need of anything they
were let be.” (HR. Muslim)
Imam al-Darimi in his Sunan narrated from Mashruq,
he said: “We have asked Abdullah
about the arwah of the Shuhada’s. If not because of
Abdullah, no one would have told us. He (Abdullah) said:
"The arwah of the Shuhada’s are with Allah on Judgement Day
inside the belly of green birds. They have lanterns
suspended from the ‘Asrh. They fly in Paradise to where ever
they want. Then, they return to those lanterns, and their
Lord honored them by saying: 'Do you wish for
anything?' They asnwered: 'No, except for
us to be returned to the world until we are killed (die
shaheed) for the umpteenth time.'”
Imam an-Nawawi in Sharh Saheeh Muslim
wrote, “. . . when they
know that they can ask, they ask so that their souls would
be returned to their jasads, to conduct jihad again or to
provide their souls for the cause of Allah Ta’ala and enjoy
the bliss (of dying) in Allah's path.”
Walahu A’lam
The Shuhada’s ask to be returned to the world,
whereas they are already in paradise, to feel the
blissfulness of dying in Allah's cause as Shuhada’s.
Rasulullah Sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam had known
the blissfulness gained by the Shuhada’s. For that
reason, he expressed his desires to die in Allah's cause in
his hadith:
“By the One in Whose Hand is my
life, I love that I should be killed in the way of Allah;
then I should be brought back to life and be killed again in
His way.”
(HR. Al Bukhari)
Death in Allah's Cause, Not as Scary as Imagined
Indeed, death in the way of Allah is not as
frightening as people have imagined. They are a lot of
hadiths which relate that the Shuhada’s do not feel
the pain when finding martyrdom, except like that of a
pinch.
It was said by Rasulullah Sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam,
“The people who die shaheed
do not feel (the pain of) the slaying except like when one
amongst you are feeling (the pain of) a pinch.”
(HR. Ahmad, At Tirmidzi, An Nasa’i – hadith hasan)
Therefore, are we still afraid to conduct jihad fie
sabilillah and find martyrdom in the way of Allah??
Original author: Badrul Tamam
[voa-islam.com]
Submitted by a Mujahid