STATUS OF A MARTYR AND THE "SPIRITUAL FELLOWSHIP"

Sura an-Nisaa 4: Verse 69

Those who submit to Allah and His Beloved Prophet (establishing harmony with them) are blessed with the companionship (spiritual fellowship) of the Prophets, the Intensely Truthful and Sincere (Servants of Allah), The Martyrs (who are Witnesses to Allah), and the possessors of sound Godliness in general. Ah! What a beautiful companionship! This is a bounty from Allah, and He suffices as Knower. (And because Allah affirms it, don’t question it.)

 BEAUTIFUL COMPANIONSHIP

Islam did not come to have followers who are Muslim only in name, or ritualistically, or from the point of view of certain Aqaid (principles of belief) which they may hold but don’t practice. Islam came to transform human beings in order that they may become worthy of companionship of any of these four categories. I have to emphasize here that faith in God and the Messenger of God is to be lived and not merely held. This Iman (faith) should be a living, dynamic and consequential faith. The Holy Prophet has been appointed by Allah as the Divine Instrument of purification of the personality (tazkiyah) for all times.

Sura al-Jumu`ah 62: Verses2-4

It is He Who has sent amongst the Unlettered a messenger from among themselves, to rehearse to them His Signs, to sanctify them, and to instruct them in Scripture and Wisdom, although they had been, before, in manifest error; - As well as (to confer all these benefits upon) others of them, who have not already joined them: and He is Exalted in Might, Wise. Such is the Bounty of Allah, which He bestows on whom He will: and Allah is the Lord of the highest bounty.

Those that have been blessed, to be in this Blessed Fellowship, among them the central luminary being Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), the most excellent, Beloved of God, (in whom God’s Choicest blessings abide in abounding measure), they also become God’s Beloved, and acquire new properties (qualities). Their attitude in the transcendental realm of existence is one of compassion, sympathy and kindness towards those that remember them. To receive them however, it is necessary to rise up to the spiritual level, where contact becomes possible. Associations with spiritualised personalities who are physically present in this world, and with those on the transcendental dimension assist man in attaining heights of spirituality.

This companionship means, e.g. if a piece of iron stays in the company of a magnet, it becomes magnetized. It acquires new properties (qualities). Similarly if a gardener stays in the company of fragrant flowers, he himself attains fragrance by being in touch with the flowers. We pray to Allah daily for this spiritual companionship in Sura Fatiha.

ESTABLISHING SPIRITUAL CONTACT

Keeping this perspective in mind the question often emerges: God is Ever- Living, Eternal and Omnipresent; hence communion with Him is possible. But the Messenger of God and those categories mentioned were human beings who died a long time ago. How can communication and establishment of intimate spiritual relation with them be possible?

The Holy Qur’aan answers this misgiving very clearly:

Firstly, the human personality is not annihilated at death; it is transferred from one level of existence to another with its Identity intact, -the life after death being a new life.

Secondly, the levels of existence after death are of a different quality, in the case of each category of human beings, including Muslims. Thus about the martyrs it has been said: Sura al-Baqara 2 Verse 154

And call not those who have been slain in the way of Allah dead. They are alive only you cannot perceive them.

Sura al-i- Imraan 3: Verse 169 again speaks of the Martyrs:

Think not of those who are slain in the way of Allah, as dead. They are living. Allah provides for them. They are jubilant because of what Allah has given them of His bounty, rejoicing for the sake of those who have not joined them but are left behind: no fear have they neither do they grieve. They rejoice because of favour from Allah and kindness, and that Allah does not waste the wages of the Believers.

Hence the difference in quality of the life of the ordinary Muslim and the life of the Martyr, after death is very clear. The Martyrs life after death is full of enjoyment and activity and of attachment to those Muslims whom are left behind in their earthly existence.

The word for martyr in Arabic is Shaheed, which is from the root sh-h-d. Many shades of meaning can be inferred from this root: Mushahada: which means to witness or to receive something. The martyr, according to traditional report (Hadith), at the time of martyrdom, before the blood can drop on the ground, receives many bounties from Allah:

      1.         His sins are forgiven.

 

2.                  Allah is pleased with him and gives him the blessings of the hereafter.

3.                  He witnesses the beauty of Allah unveiled.

 

4.                  His Ruh (essential being) is taken to the presence of Allah. 

5.                  Angels witness his martyrdom (mashud bil malaik.). It is recorded in the authentic books of Hadith that, Hazrath Abdullah ibn Abbas had seen the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) in a dream during the period when Imam Hussain (Radiallahu anhu) was martyred. Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) told him that he had witnessed the Shahaadat of Imam Hussain (Radiallahu anhu) and his followers. Thus the Martyrdom of Imam Hussain is above all martyrdom since our Beloved Rasul (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) has witnessed it. (Mashud bir Rasul).