Regarding martyrdom, is it permissible for us to say that so-and-so is a martyr specifically if he died in battle?

The questioner : Regarding the seven... is it permissible for us to apply this, or to say that so-and-so is a martyr specifically if he died in battle, as happens in this time?

The Shaykh : Yes, the truth is that people in this time have been lenient and have expanded greatly in applying the term "martyrdom," even to one who died by treachery, for example. And this was a very strange phenomenon in our Syrian lands; meaning, in a night, as they say, with no moon, a man is killed, so when they process his funeral, they say: "The martyr is the beloved of Allah, and the killer is the enemy of Allah!" They made this one who was killed a martyr, and perhaps he was one of the most sinful of open sinners. Therefore, applying the term "martyr" to a category of categories is a matter of divine prescription; meaning, we stop at what the Shari'ah has prescribed and do not add to it, as we gave an example earlier regarding one who was killed in a car accident.
As for this last question, the truth is that the ruling on the martyrdom of a person who died on the battlefield or died from one of those illnesses previously mentioned is that we hope he is a martyr, but we do not assert this with certainty regarding Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He); because martyrdom, as you all know, requires that his jihad be in the path of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He). And as came in some hadiths, but there is weakness in it because it is from the narration of Abdullah ibn Lahi'ah al-Misri, who narrated it with his chain to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): . This hadith, although it has that weakness in its chain, its meaning is correct. And it occurred in the time of the Messenger (peace be upon him) that one of the Companions was seen in some battles and expeditions fighting the polytheists with severe intensity, which the Companions of the Messenger (peace be upon him) marveled at, and they were all brave and heroes. Nevertheless, from what they saw of that man's ferocity in fighting the polytheists, they were moved to convey that ferocity to the Messenger (peace be upon him). So they said: "O Messenger of Allah, so-and-so did such and such." And his answer (peace and blessings be upon him) was very terrifying; where he said: . Then they saw him in the next battle not increasing except in fighting and ferocity, and they also mentioned it to the Messenger, so he said: . Thus three times. The narrator of this hadith is the Imam al-Bukhari in his "Sahih" from the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him). Abu Hurayrah said: When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said in the third time: , we almost doubted; we almost doubted because... of... what he takes from... this, we almost doubted because the news of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) apparently contradicts the ferocity of this Companion. But, praise be to Allah, it was not for his Companions to doubt, but he said: "We almost doubted"; meaning: we did not doubt, but because of the strength of the contradiction between the jihad of this man and the testimony of the Messenger for him in the Fire, he said: "We almost doubted." So one of the Companions said: "I will take charge of this man's affair." So whenever he charged a charge at the polytheists, the second man appeared with him to see his outcome; because he was certain of the truthfulness of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his testimony against him that he is in the Fire; because Allah (Mighty and Majestic) said regarding him (peace and blessings be upon him): . So he, as they say, followed him like his shadow, and wherever he charged... with him until he saw him and saw his outcome and end; that the wounds multiplied upon him so he did not bear them, so he put the point of his sword - meaning: the head of the sword - in his belly, and leaned on it so it came out of his back and he died. The man ran to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to tell him: "O Messenger of Allah, so-and-so, whom we told you about such and such, and you said: , did such and such; meaning: he killed himself. (Peace and blessings be upon him): . And therefore he (peace be upon him) said in some hadiths: .
This man is a good example in alerting the Muslim that it is not permissible to assert that so-and-so is a martyr with Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He); because we have the apparent, and Allah takes charge of the hidden. And we only say we hope he died a martyr; because this is the apparent. And this is exactly like his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): ... , . And when a Muslim praises his Muslim brother, he only praises him for what appears to him of his righteousness, as appears from the righteousness of that man who fights in the path of Allah. But we do not know what this person who he certifies as righteous contains? He is the one who died on the battlefield, and the intentions and hearts are in the hand of Allah; especially since it is authentic from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: . And therefore it was among his supplication (peace and blessings be upon him) that he would say: .
So we hope that so-and-so died a martyr if he died on the battlefield or died with one of the descriptions that came as evidence that he is a martyr by ruling in the Sunnah, as we mentioned earlier. As for asserting and being certain that the one who died on the battlefield is a martyr, this is not permissible; because it is the unseen, and no one knows the unseen except Allah; besides the fact that it is not permissible to apply the term "martyr" even by ruling to one for whom the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not come with the testimony of martyrdom for this man and his like.