Martyrdom in Islam

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See also: Christian martyrs

Shaheed (Arabic: شَهيد šahīd, plural: شُهَداء šuhadā) is a religious term in Islam, that literally means "witness". It is a title that is given to a Muslim after his death, if he died during the fulfillment of a religious commandment, or during a war for the religion. In addition to its religious connotation, the term is also commonly used in the Indian subcontinent by Hindus and Sikhs as the equivalent of martyr. Arab Christians use the term to describe persons killed on duty or during wars. In this case, the term equals the term martyr.

The shaheed is considered as one whose place in Paradise is promised, according to the verse in the Qur'an.

“	Think not of those who are slain in Allah's way as dead. Nay, they live, finding their sustenance in the presence of their Lord;	„
—Qur'an, 2:214

A martyrdom operation is a military or an offensive attack in which the attacker is expected to die; most often a suicide bombing. The term is used by armed Muslim militants, or other similar or related groups. Islamist militants use this term as they do not see their attacks as an act of suicide, which is prohibited by Islam. While most combat involves a chance of death, a "martyrdom operation" implies a deliberate act of self-sacrificial suicide. The term is a neologism.

1 History
- 1.1 Modern Era
- 1.2 Terminology
2 Viewpoints
3 Woman
4 See also
5 References & notes
6 External links

[edit] History

It is possible that the term is translation of the Greek word "martyr", which also literally means "witness", and "martyr" is used as parallel term in Christianity to the religious meaning of "shahid". Muslim interpretations to the term opine that the "shahid" testify in his death on his faith, or that the "shahid" die during saying the shahadah (الشهادة - the principle of Islam).

The first Martyr in Islam was actually a woman. Ibn Hijr says in his book Al-Isaabah fi Tamyeez al-Sahaabah, where he gives a biography of Sumayyah bint Khayyat:

“The daughter of Khabbaat and the mother of ‘Ammaar ibn Yaasir, she was the seventh person to enter Islam. She was tortured by Abu Jahl who stabbed her in her private parts, and she died. She was the first shaheedah (martyr) in Islaam… Al-Mujaahid said: The first seven to publicly declare their Islam in Makkah were: the Messenger of Allaah , Abu Bakr, Bilaal, Khabbaab, Suhayb, ‘Ammaar and Sumaya.(Note:The first three muslims were Muhammed(S.A.), Khadija and Imam Ali(A.S.) The Messenger of Allaah and Abu Bakr were protected by their own people, but the others were forced to wear iron shields then were exposed to the burning sun. Abu Jahl came to Sumaya and stabbed her in her private parts, killing her. This was reported by Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah from Mujaahid; it is mursal and its isnaad is saheeh. Ibn Sa’d reported with a saheeh isnaad from Mujaahid: The first martyr in Islam was Sumayah, the mother of ‘Ammaar ibn Yaasir. She was an old, weak woman (according to a report narrated by al-Bayhaqi: Abu Jahl stabbed her in her private parts. Al-Dalaa’il, 2/282). When Abu Jahl was killed on the day of Badr, the Prophet said (to ‘Ammaar): ‘Allaah has killed the one who killed your mother.’” (al-Isaabah, 4/327; al-Bidaayah wa’l-Nihaayah by Ibn Katheer, 3/59).

[edit] Modern Era

In 20th century the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini of Iran emphasised the importance of martyrdom among Muslims, in the Iranian Revolution he led and later in the Iran-Iraq War Khomeini's Islamic republic fought against its Arab nationalist neighbor Iraq. While the sacrifice of lives by large numbers of Iranian youth did not bring victory to Iran, suicide martyrs were much more successful in Lebanon. In October 1983 a suicide truck bomb blew up the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, killing 241 Americans. The bombing was an unqualified success with American president Ronald Reagan responding by withdrawing all U.S. troops from Lebanon. Thus the killing is said to have "changed the face of terror" ^[1] creating a new type of shaheed in Islam where "the Mujahid's death is a necessary and essential part of his act, not just an incidental cost." Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), al-Qaeda are among some of the jihadist groups that have engaged in "martyrdom operations" since. It is believed that once in the after life, the martyr receives one thousand virgins of his liking.

[edit] Terminology

The word "shahid" nowadays is associated to non-Muslims with attacks performed by Muslim militias and Muslim paramilitary organizations, because people of these organizations use this title after the death of a suicide bomber.^{[citation needed]} With that, in the Muslim culture the term can have a meaning unrelated to war - so for instance, King Abdullah I of Jordan is called shahid, since he was murdered by an assassin while praying in the al-Aqsa mosque. Also pilgrims to Makkah who were killed by an accident in the way get after their death the title "shahid". In the Arab culture the term is used in the meaning of "war slain".

[edit] Viewpoints

Those who carry out martyrdom operations and their supporters call it jihad and believe it is a necessity. According to Ayatollah Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi,

“	when protecting Islam and the Muslim community depends on martyrdom operations, it not only is allowed, but even is an obligation as many of the Shi'ah great scholars and Maraje', including Ayatullah Safi Golpayegani and Ayatullah Fazel Lankarani, have clearly announced in their fatwas.^[2]	„

Islamic clergy especially in Iran consider martyrdom operations in Palestinian terrotories and other occupied countries an act of resistance and heroic. This is shared across the various Islamic sects. Thus, Yusuf al-Qaradawi agrees with Iranian mullahs.

Ruhollah Khomeini showered martyrdom operations during the Iran-Iraq War and those against Israel with accolade.

Osama bin Laden called the attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon a "martyrdom operation." Palestinians primarily speak of a ‘martyrdom operation’ as opposed to ‘suicide bombing.’ The Iraqi administration referred to suicide attacks on invading troops during the 2003 Iraq war in these terms also, and, in particular, their promise to retake the Baghdad airport.

In January of 2006, one of Shia Islam's highest ranking marja clerics, Ayatollah al-Udhma Yousof al-Sanei also decreed a fatwa against suicide bombing however, declaring it as a "terrorist act":

"Even those who kill people with suicide bombing, these shall meet the flames of hell."^[3]

[edit] Woman

A woman is considered "shaheeda" (شهيدة) if she died during fulfillment of a religious commandment, but there is an argument among the Muslim sages as to whether a woman can participate in a war for religion. Most of them claim that it is not allowed for a woman to participate in war, including war for the religion. During the Intifada, women participated in suicide attacks, but most of them were secular^{[citation needed]}. The leader of Hamas, Ahmed Yasin, who related to the issue, said that a woman is allowed to perform a suicide attack (in his words: action in which she become "shaheeda") only if she did a deadly sin, like defilement of her family's honour. In these circumstances, according to his claim, the act is penance of the sin and gives her the title "shaheeda".

It should also be mentioned that there are many different means by which a Muslim can obtain martyrdom and there are grades of greatness in them. Some pertain specifically to women while others pertain to both men and women.

A woman can obtain martyrdom by the following means: Dying while giving birth, from post natal bleeding, and while the child is still in her womb.

Both men and women can obtain martyrdom by the following means: While guarding the territory of Islam or the territory of Muslims, by falling from his mount while riding to battle or by falling from his mount, on her death bed while striving in the path of Allah, due to the collapse of a building on him while he is still trapped inside, dies by being attacked by a beast, dies while being a stranger in a new land or place, from a stomach ailment.

It is mentioned in a hadith narrated by Abu Hurayrah according to which Muhammad said: “The shuhadaa’ are five: the one who dies of plague, the one who dies of a stomach disease, the one who drowns, the one who is crushed by a falling wall, and the one who is killed for the sake of Allah.” This was narrated by Maalik in al-Muwatta’, and by al-Bukhaari.

Raashid ibn Hubaysh narrated that Muhammad entered upon ‘Ubaadah ibn al-Saamit when he was sick and said, “Do you know who is a shaheed (martyr) in my ummah?” The people remained silent, then ‘Ubaadah said, “Help me to sit up.” They helped him to sit up, then he said, “O Messenger of Allah, (is it) the patient one who seeks reward from Allah for his patience?” Muhammad said, “Then the martyrs among my ummah would be very few. Being killed for the sake of Allah is martyrdom, the plague is martyrdom, drowning is martyrdom, stomach disease is martyrdom, and if a woman dies during the post-partum period, her child will drag her to Paradise by his umbilical cord.” The umbilical cord is that which is cut by the midwife when the child is born. The hadeeth was narrated by Imaam Ahmad in his Musnad with a saheeh isnaad. (Al-Musnad, 3/489). There is a corroborating report narrated by Maalik (1/233) and Abu Dawood, 3/482).

‘Ubaadah ibn al-Saamit also narrated that Muhammad said, “Who is counted as a shaheed among you?” They said, “The one who fights and is killed for the sake of Allah.” Muhammad said: “Then the shaheeds among my ummah would be few. The one who is killed for the sake of Allah is a shaheed; the one who dies of plague is a shaheed; the one who dies of a stomach disease is a shaheed; the woman who dies with a child in her womb is a shaheed.” This was narrated by Imaam Ahmad, 5/315, and by Ibn Maajah, and by Ibn Hibbaan in his Saheeh, who said its isnaad is saheeh. A report with a similar meaning was narrated by Muslim, as referred to above.