The Ruling on Saying "So-and-So Was a Martyr" or "Martyr"

The questioner:
May Allah reward you, Honorable Shaykh. This questioner says: Is there a difference between saying "So-and-So is a martyr" and "So-and-So was martyred"?

The Shaykh:
There is no difference, there is no difference between "was martyred" and "martyr." That is, if you say "was martyred," you are ruling that he is a martyr. We do not say "was martyred" when we do not know, yes. But we say, "We hope for him, we hope that he was killed as a martyr, we hope for him martyrdom," yes.

The presenter:
May Allah reward you, Honorable Shaykh.

The Shaykh:
As for the late one, you do not say "the late one"; you say "may Allah have mercy on him" as a form of supplication, like "may Allah forgive him." You do not say "the one who was forgiven" or "the late one," because that is a definitive statement. You say, "May Allah have mercy on him, may Allah forgive him." Yes.