Soldiers and Shaheed

Society Religion & Philosophy
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What exactly is Shaheed defined as?

I thought it meant somenoe who dies for the sake of Islam. I know there are other ways of becoming Shaheed, such as drowning and burned in a fire.

But what about soldiers that fight for their country? People say that Pakistani soldiers that die are automatically Shaheed? What about Muslim soldiers in any other country, such as India and the USA?

Does being a Shaheed mean that they will not be punished for the sins they have committed here in the Duniya? Do they just go straight to Jannah? and which level of Jannah? Al Firdaus?

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Re: Soldiers and Shaheed

To me at this day and age, where 99% of the wars are for a pice of land and power, anot neccesarily to save Islam, I am not sure who is shaheed and who is not. We can only hope and pray that Allah gives all the soldiers who died in the recent avalanche, a status of Shaheed

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Re: Soldiers and Shaheed

To me any one dying for the cause of Islam is shaheed. Be it pakistani Soldier,Afghan,Tajik,Chechan Mujahid etc.

But one should have correct aqeedah and correct intention to be a shaheed. There are people who blow themselves up in public places and consider that they will get jannat and then there are people who bomb muslims in wazirstan and consider that they will die as shaheed. Both have berthed a place in hell for doing these grave sins.

It is intention and the conformity of action with shariah that matters.

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Re: Soldiers and Shaheed

^Exactly I heard a program of Dr.Israr Ahmad and he said...muslims have obligation to fight for islam...but its not our obligation to win the war by hook or crook.....so we must follow sharia when fighting for cause of islam......
Its like praying three rakah farz namaz of juma......while we are ordered to pray two rakah.......

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Re: Soldiers and Shaheed

I like this explanation at this source:
There are basically two broad categories of martyrs
(shuhada’) in Islam, firstly, those who have died fighting for the cause of Allah (i.e., in jihad), and secondly, those who have died being succumbed to certain types of ailments or calamities, not of their own making.
The second group, although not recognized and treated as martyrs in this world, will receive rewards of martyrs in the Hereafter. As for a list of people of this category, we find a number of traditions—although not contradictory—such as the following:

  1. In a report jointly reported by Imam al-Bukhari and Muslim, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned five types of martyrs: “One who dies in a plague, one who dies of intestinal ailments, one who dies of drowning, one who dies under a collapsed building, and one who dies as a martyr in jihad.”
  2. Imam Ahmad, Abu Dawud, an-Nasa’i, and others stated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “There are seven martyrs”. Having said this, he added the following to the list mentioned above: “…one who dies in a fire” and “…a woman who dies during child-birth.”
  3. A third report states that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Whoever dies while defending his own possessions is a martyr; whoever dies defending his own person is a martyr; whoever dies guarding his own faith is a martyr; whoever dies fighting in order to defend his own family is also a martyr.”
  4. Finally, in a report by an-Nasa’i, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Whoever fights to protect his rights and dies in the process is a martyr.”
    Imam Ibn Hajar states, “we can conclude from these traditions that martyrs are of two types: Those who are recognized as martyrs in this world, and those who are recognized as martyrs only in the Hereafter. A martyr recognized in this world is one who has died fighting in the cause of Allah without having retreated from the battle. But those who are recognized only in the Hereafter are those upon whom the laws of martyrdom are not applicable in this world, although they merit rewards of martyrdom.”
    According to Imam an-Nawawi, “The second category of martyrs will receive rewards of martyrdom, and yet unlike the martyrs of jihad, they will be bathed (before burial) and prayed over.”
    From the above discussion, however, one is advised not to jump to the conclusion that everyone who dies in similar circumstances as mentioned above will automatically merit rewards of martyrdom. Such an inference is not valid, since Allah’s acceptance of a person ultimately depends on his or her state of faith or iman as well as upon the way he or she has responded to the will of Allah at the time of death. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “A person is raised up in the Hereafter in the state he has passed away.”
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Re: Soldiers and Shaheed

And to precisely answer regards the muslim soldiers bit , I think every muslim soldier who dies protecting a muslim country is a shaheed ... Look at it this way, if muslims do not protect their land , or if soldiers were sent back from borders of islamic countries and non muslim countries take over and implement their own law of the land , muslims suffer ... hence why its fard upon every muslim to defend their religion, land and people ...

Now one can argue that the war is a wrong decision in the first place so why are the soldiers shaheed .. if the war is wrongly done then thats the fault of the decisions makers, ordinary soldiers are just following orders and that cannot be denied ... they die in the battlefield , fighting a non muslim enemy.. they will be considered shaheed ..

However , like every soldier writes in most of their letters " may our shahadah be accepted by Allah" .. it is eventually Allah SWA who will accept/reject martyrdom .. much like Hajj or Umrah .. muslims go their again and again and always pray tht Allah accepts their Hajj / umrah ..

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Re: Soldiers and Shaheed

Shaheed is one who gives Shahadah ... or become witness. Anyhow, when we talk of Shaheed in Islam, it means those who died giving Shahadah.

Shahadah of what?

To understand Shahadah, we have to understand that Allah has made many duties and responsibilities obligatory on Muslims. A Muslim should know his obligations, and fulfil those obligations even if in process loses his life. Anyhow, while fulfilling his obligations, if that Muslim dies than that Muslim is Shaheed ... died giving witness with his life that Allah has made such deeds obligatory on him.

So, it is important for a Muslim not only to know obligations but to fulfil those obligations too (to the best of one’s ability).

Here it is important to know that intention of action regarding obligations is inherently built in humans. That means, a person do not have to make conscious intention of his actions when fulfilling obligations (as intention is by default), but have to make conscious intention of actions when that person is not willing to fulfil obligations.

[quote]
I thought it meant somenoe who dies for the sake of Islam. I know there are other ways of becoming Shaheed, such as drowning and burned in a fire.
[/quote]

If a person intentionally drowns or burns himself to death, then that person died a curse death (suicide) and is not Shaheed. On the other hand, if due to mishap a person is drowning or burning but is also struggling to come out of it, then that person is fulfilling the duty and responsibility that Allah has made on him obligatory (that is, to try to save his life in any mishap) and thus if that person dies in process than that person is Shaheed.

Actually, every death that happens while struggling to fulfil one’s duty makes a person Shaheed. For instance, a person is sick and is doing something to get cured, but died, so the person is Shaheed. Similarly, if a person is attacked and he fights to save his life or life of his family, then he is Shaheed. A person is going out to earn living so that he can provide for himself and his family, and on the way got killed (in accident or whatever), so he is shaheed ... and so on.

[quote]
But what about soldiers that fight for their country? People say that Pakistani soldiers that die are automatically Shaheed? What about Muslim soldiers in any other country, such as India and the USA?
[/quote]

It is obligatory on Muslims (just like any human) to safeguard their home. For Pakistani soldiers, Pakistan is their home. So, when they die safeguarding their home (Pakistan), they are Shaheed. [At the moment, they are trying to safeguard Pakistan and Pakistani people from Kharjee insurgents in Waziristan and other parts of KP, and thus if they die fighting these insurgents, they are Shaheed].

As for Muslims living in non-Muslim country, there are two types.

One who are living in non-Muslim country since generations and are not persecuted in that country due to their religion ... or have no way to leave that country even if they are persecuted, then that country is their home.

Anyhow, if a Muslim chose to live in non-Muslim country willingly and intentionally for worldly gains, even though that Muslim has opportunity to live in Muslim dominated country, then (in my opinion) that non-Muslim country is not his home.

[quote]
Does being a Shaheed mean that they will not be punished for the sins they have committed here in the Duniya? Do they just go straight to Jannah? and which level of Jannah? Al Firdaus?
[/quote]

From what I know, when Allah says that he would forgive someone’s sin, then that forgiveness is usually regarding sins related to Huquq-ul-Allah and not Huquq-ul-Ibad.

Actually, Allah is very generous in forgiving sins related to Huquq-ul-Allah, and look for opportunities to forgive such sins of mankind, be they Muslim or non-Muslim. That is the meaning of Allah being most compassionate (Al-Rahman) and most merciful (Al-Rahim). One can be sure of one thing, and that is Allah’s mercy is much greater than all sins in the world and no sin is big enough for Allah not to forgive.

As for sins related to Huquq-ul-Ibad, Allah does not forgive such sins because that would be unjust to person who got wronged. Thus, for such sins, it is those people who are wronged can only forgive. Actually, on day of judgement it is sins related to huquq-ul-Ibad that would be reason many would go to hell and many would get saved from hell.

We should know and understand that:
Huquq-ul-Allah is sin that cannot be compensated on judgment day.
Huquq-ul-Ibad is sin that can be compensated on judgment day.

Compensation means ... sinner can compensate grieved party by giving own good deeds to grieved party on day of judgement (or take bad deeds of grieved party if person has no good deeds to give). Such transfer could save grieved party from going to hell (as it would increase the weight of their good deeds on scale) and could take the guilty to hell as it would decrease the weight of their good deeds on scale (or would increase their bad deeds).

That means, if Allah forgives such sin, grieved party would be wronged as sin is forgiven and thus they could not take good deeds of the person on judgment day in exchange of sins against them.

Another thing to remember is that ... Huquq-ul-Ibad does not mean Huquq-ul-Musalman ... but it means Huquq-ul-Insaan. That means, every human being (Muslims as well as non-Muslims) have rights over other human being, and any violator of such rights would have to pay for it with his good deeds to other on judgment day in compensation of those violations and that payment would be just (determined by Allah).

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Re: Soldiers and Shaheed

I forgot to mention a very important aspect regarding Soldiers and Shahadah.

In Islam, defending homeland is farz-e-Kafaya assigned by Allah. That means, a group should be there to defend homeland from all aggressions, and it is due to that group farz of all gets fulfilled. If no group comes out when defence is needed, then all within the community would become sinner (would be neglecting the duty and responsibility Allah has assigned on Muslims).

In Pakistan, it is Pakistan armed forces that fulfils this duty and thus fulfils Farz-e-Kafaya for whole nation. When they die defending homeland (Pakistan), they die not only fulfilling their own duty but duty for whole nation. Thus, their death on duty is certainly Shahadat.

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Re: Soldiers and Shaheed

Jihad does not always remain fard e kifaya.((Our armed forces are doing fard e kifaya for america as well). If some muslims land is in kuffar custody then it becomes a fard e ain ( you may read scholars interpretations on this). It beocmes nafeer e aam when islamic ameer declares jiihad.

PS: Can discuss this on new thread if some one is interested.

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Re: Soldiers and Shaheed

You are right that when Ameer (ruler or head of state) declares Jihad, it becomes general call for Jihad, but even then it depends on type of war and requirement of Ameer. Some wars are not Jihad. Further, even if war is Jihad, Ameer can decide what to do, entirely depend on standing army or make general call. Anyhow, whoever gets enrolled by Ameer does Jihad. Rest, who are not enrolled, their fards get fulfilled by those who take part in Jihad (and that is why this Jihad is not fard but fard-e-Kifaya).

Please let me go through a bit in detail (according to my knowledge and understanding) so to put things straight. I will ask you question later in this post. Fard is duty and responsibility.

Fard-e-Ayn is fard that are related to personal life of an individual and individual’s duty towards people who are individual’s responsibility.

Fard-e-Kifaya is fard on ‘group gathered’ or ‘nation (Ummah)’ but not fard on each and every individual.

Jihad (by sword) is related to life of nation (ummah). Such Jihad is responsibility of ruler (Khalifa, Ameer, or head of state). Ruler fulfils this responsibility with the help of nation. All such responsibilities that are fard on ruler are fard-e-Kifaya on individuals.

Anyhow, as far as Jihad (by sword) is concerned, ruler cannot start an unjust war (war of aggression) and expect that it is Jihad. Similarly, individuals if they believe that war of ruler is unjust than to take part in such war is not fard (war of aggression is war of sinners).

War that are fard if declared by 'head of state' (Ameer or ruler):
1: Defensive war (defending against aggressors)
2: War of retribution (if war is in response to past aggression or past unjust result)
3: War imposed (due to threats by others).

War that is not fard rather sin (even if head of state declares that war):
1: War of aggression are wars to expand territory or for loot and plunder.
2: War for aggression in the name of religion (Islam) for conversion:

[Note: war in the name of religion for conversion is nothing to do with Islam. Actually, Islam even forbids conversion of people who got occupied by Muslims due to just wars. In Islam, these occupied non-Muslims are left to follow their own religion and it is they who could decide to accept Islam willingly if they want to].

Reasons Jihad (by sword) is not fard on individuals but becomes fard-e-Kifaya when state calls people to join Jihad.

If Jihad would have been fard on individuals, then everyone within a state according to their understanding or understanding of their guru (so-called religious scholars) would have started Jihad on others. Such would only create fitna and not jihad.

For instance ... let see some scenario of Jihad not decided by state but by people (considering Jihad as fard and not fard-e-Kifaya):

1: Let say, I with group of like minded Pakistanis on our own or under the influence of some so-called ‘religious scholar’ decide that it is fard Jihad on me to fight ‘India or USA’ and we attacked ‘India or USA’ on our own (to fulfil that fard). The consequence of such attack could be retaliation (war and/or sanctions). Such retaliation may not only effect like minded us, but would affect whole nation (Pakistanis) whose responsibility is not ours but it is of state (people ruling). It is also state who is answerable of their well being to Allah, and not we. So, we not only interfered with duty and responsibility of others (state), but with our actions we endangered life of many innocent people.

2: Let say, I with group of like minded Pakistanis on our own or under the influence of some so-called ‘religious scholars’ decides that it is fard on us to do Jihad and clean Pakistan from deviant sects (what is happening a lot in Pakistan in name of so-called Jihad by Kharjees). Suppose in our dictionary Wahabis and Deobandis are that deviant sects. So, we start killing all ‘Wahabis and Deobandis’ in Pakistan. Start target killing known Deobandi ulemas like Taqi Usmani and others, start blowing Deobandi mosques, Deobandi madrasas, Raiwand gatherings, and so on. In process, many innocent would get killed and affected and we would create fear in the hearts of people following Deobandi sect.

3: Let say, if we consider such Jihad mentioned above (1 and 2) as fard on us, and start donating money to people doing what is mentioned above, or helping them with moral support or in whatever way we can, then also we would be doing same what above two groups would be doing.

Now ... what you think? Are the above mentioned Jihad fard or Fitna?

To me, all above 3 hypothesis I mentioned (actually, they are not hypothesis but is actually happening in Pakistan, though instead of Deobandis it is Shias and Brelvies) are Fitna and all people involved in such actions what they claim as Jihad are Kharjees who would end up in hell.

What you think of such so-called Jihad?

1: Do you think it is Jihad to start attack on other countries without state involvement?
2: Do you think it is Jihad to kill people following Deobandi sect (or any sect)?
3: Do you think it is Jihad to help such groups attacking and killing others with money, moral and other supports?

Please reply to above three questions.

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Re: Soldiers and Shaheed

^ Very interesting post saleem, inshalah will get back to you tomorrow.

Quickly answers of your last three questions are

What you think of such so-called Jihad?
*1: Do you think it is Jihad to start attack on other countries without state involvement?
*
In General NO. There could be exceptions which we will discuss tomorrw inshallah

*2: Do you think it is Jihad to kill people following Deobandi sect (or any sect)?
*
No it is not jihad to kill any one from any sect /Religion. ( Even it is not allowed for an individual to kill some one whose blood is made halal by islam)

**3: Do you think it is Jihad to help such groups attacking and killing others with money, moral and other supports?

No , It is not jihad to help such groups mentioned above**

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Re: Soldiers and Shaheed

^^^ Thanks for replies generally as ‘No’ (we will talk about any contentious issue later).

So, what you think of those Pakistanis who are actively taking part in such mentioned fitnas claiming them Jihad, and what do you think of those so-called scholars who are not condemning such fitna (so-called jihad of kharjees)?

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Re: Soldiers and Shaheed

This is not called jihad rather it is fisaad.

Having said that one should know the ahkam of Jihad before one can make any claims about what is jihad and what is not.

This is good book on the issue.