Is the one who dies in defensive jihad considered a martyr?

The questioner : Jihad in Islam is great, and only one with strong faith can undertake it.

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner : Islam spread through jihad. So, what is the most important thing that can be started today in the upbringing mentioned here, or is it carrying a rifle...?

The Shaykh : One cannot carry a rifle today.

The questioner : The second part of the question: Is the one who carries a rifle to defend the honor of the Muslims... today considered a martyr? Of course.

The Shaykh : I have already answered this question.

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : One of the brothers asked here, yes, I have already answered this second part of the question; I said: , so if he goes out to fight to defend a piece of land, this is not jihad in Islam.

The questioner : The disbelievers had occupied it.

The Shaykh : Rather, he defends his land on the basis that it is Muslim land, he defends his land on the basis that it is Muslim land, and he defends his land so that he can make the word of Allah supreme and make the word of those who disbelieved lowly. He does not fight for his land as "George" and "Antony" and their like do. And although love of the homeland is an instinct for all humans, you see nations destroying one another for what? For the defense of the homeland? So in this aspect, there is no difference between a Muslim and a disbeliever. Just as a person defends himself, is there a difference between a Muslim and a disbeliever? He defends his wealth, but the Muslim defends his wealth? The disbeliever does too.

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : Yes, so these are realities shared by the Muslim and the disbeliever. Therefore, it is necessary that when the Muslim fights the disbeliever to expel him from his land, he must be distinguished in his fighting of this disbeliever from the fighting of the disbeliever against the disbeliever for the sake of land. So what is the thing by which the Muslim is distinguished when he fights in defense of his land?
The answer is in a hadith in al-Bukhari, which he narrates in his Sahih from Abu Musa al-Ash'ari. He said: They said, "O Messenger of Allah, a man among us fights out of tribal pride; is he in the cause of Allah?" He said: . They said, "O Messenger of Allah, a man among us fights out of tribal loyalty and bravery—he listed many types—is he in the cause of Allah?" He said: . They said, "Then who is in the cause of Allah?" He said: .
So the fighting in which its owner is considered a martyr is this: fighting to expel the enemy from his land in the cause of Allah, not in the cause of land. There is absolutely no difference between one land and another, but there is a difference between a land in which Allah is worshipped alone, with no partner, and a land in which Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is disbelieved in, and what He has legislated for people.
Therefore, we are today in a time where, unfortunately, the term "martyr" is applied to every person killed. In our land in Sham, a person is killed while being a wicked sinner, and if there were a Shari'ah ruling, he would have been killed; so the one killed is what? A martyr. And they carry him on their shoulders and say, "La ilaha illa Allah," and what? "And the martyr is the beloved of Allah." There is no difference between a Muslim and a disbeliever, between a righteous person and a wicked one. Martyrdom in reality has what? A very broad meaning; so much so that it includes even the disbeliever, even the disbeliever. So I think you remember with me "Joul Jamil," yes, he became a martyr!! And this.

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : Yes?

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : But this is most famous among us, "Joul Jamil." Schools were opened in his name. And Allah knows best what his story was also. We know the truth of his matter—also—from the perspective of reality, but where did his martyrdom come from? It came to him as a national meaning, but martyrdom in Islam has what? A specific meaning that the Muslim himself does not attain; because the Messenger is asked in this hadith about whom? The man among us. He does not attain martyrdom even if he fights in the cause of Allah (Mighty and Majestic).
And so we also have in "Sahih al-Bukhari," which is the most authentic book after the Book of Allah, that a man fought in the Battle of Khaybar with intense fighting until the brave, heroic Companions were amazed by his fighting. The heroes were amazed by his fighting; so how was this fighter? Until some of them mentioned the bravery of this man in amazement. So it was a surprise to the Companions when the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said to them: .

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : He is called Qadman in weak narrations, but in the authentic narration he is not named.
The important thing is that he (peace and blessings be upon him) answered them that he is in the Fire. This one who fights the most intense fighting, more than the Companions, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) rules that he is in the Fire. This Companion said, meaning: He started watching him; wherever he charged, he ran after him; wherever he turned, he turned with him. They wanted to see what would happen to the man, and the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) does not speak except by revelation from the sky. They did not see him but that his fighting and bravery increased, not caring about death. They said to him, "O Messenger of Allah, so-and-so did such and such?" He said: , and thus three times. When he told them the third time: . Abu Hurayrah said: We almost doubted; they doubted the saying of the Messenger. Then soon the news came that so-and-so had many wounds; so he did not bear them, and he placed the pommel of his sword and leaned on it, and it came out of his belly. That man who was what? He was tracking and following him ran to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah, so-and-so, whom you told us about, did such and such." He said: . This is the occasion of the hadith, the famous hadith: This is its occasion. Who is the wicked man?
The one who fights in the cause of Allah outwardly, he fights in the cause of Allah, he fights the disbelievers, but inwardly what did he mean? Listen; he said: , and this is also explained by the hadith of Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) in "the two Sahihs": .
So this man who fought the most intense fighting in the Battle of Khaybar, and he did not fight except the Jews, just as we fight the Jews today, but what is his end? The Fire. Why? Because it became clear afterwards that he did not fight except out of tribal pride and bravery, he did not fight so that the word of Allah would be supreme. So this is the answer to the second part of your question.
As for the first part of the question.

The questioner : ... ؟

The Shaykh: Correct.
As for the first part of the answer to the question, it is that the jihad which is truly jihad does not happen except for one who understood the Islamic creed, and this is what we mentioned of the Islamic creed. He (Mighty and Majestic) said: , so this jihad in which the true martyr is attained, the Muslim person cannot attain it except on the basis of his understanding of his creed and his upbringing in his religion. From here comes the jihad; it does not come from enthusiasm and slogans that are not based on understanding of the Book and the Sunnah.
Islam is the one in which jihad was established, whereas other states and nations do not have jihad. Do you know this fact or not? I think you do not know it. Most people do not know this fact. All nations have fighting, but they do not have jihad in the cause of Allah. Only Islam is the one in which jihad in the cause of Allah was legislated. The others only fight and do not strive in the cause of Allah; therefore, some of them are enemies of others, whereas the Muslims are all united by jihad in the cause of Allah, a single goal with no partner in their hearts and in their belief.
So it is necessary to have "upbringing and purification." We see that this is the way. And the greatest proof is that the Muslims have been working for half a century, staying in the same place, not advancing if not retreating.
Yes.