What is the ruling on our saying to a person, "So-and-so is a martyr," when he has no proof of martyrdom for Paradise?
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The questioner : May Allah bless you. If our saying is about a person.
The Shaykh : If it is?
The questioner : If our saying is about so-and-so who was killed in battle, for example, saying "so-and-so is a martyr," on the understanding that this has become a title and description for this man, and not a testimony from us that he is in Paradise, because this is common.
The Shaykh : Please, may Allah bless you. It is necessary that your testimony, or what it entails, that he is a martyr, be that he is from the people of Paradise.[Al-Hadid 57:19] [Ali 'Imran 3:169] Is it possible to say "so-and-so is a martyr" and, when asked if he is from the people of Paradise, to say "no"? If you say "no," you have contradicted yourself, and if you say "yes," you have testified that he is in Paradise.
The questioner : That is, our saying that he is a martyr necessitates
The Shaykh : that he is in Paradise, without doubt, if you testify to it specifically. And as I told you: this is not a reality. Testimony in such matters, if he is deserving of it, he is its people whether you say it or not, and if he is not deserving of it, let your conscience be free from it. Yes.
The Shaykh : If it is?
The questioner : If our saying is about so-and-so who was killed in battle, for example, saying "so-and-so is a martyr," on the understanding that this has become a title and description for this man, and not a testimony from us that he is in Paradise, because this is common.
The Shaykh : Please, may Allah bless you. It is necessary that your testimony, or what it entails, that he is a martyr, be that he is from the people of Paradise.
the martyrs, with their Lord. For them is their reward and their light.
الشهداء عند ربهم لهم أجرهم ونورهمAnd never think of those who have been killed in the cause of Allah as dead. Rather, they are alive with their Lord, receiving provision,
ولا تحسبن الذين قتلوا في سبيل الله أمواتا بل أحياء عند ربهم يرزقونThe questioner : That is, our saying that he is a martyr necessitates
The Shaykh : that he is in Paradise, without doubt, if you testify to it specifically. And as I told you: this is not a reality. Testimony in such matters, if he is deserving of it, he is its people whether you say it or not, and if he is not deserving of it, let your conscience be free from it. Yes.