Question
Are martyrs dead or alive?
Answer
The view that martyrs are alive is based on the evidences from the Holy Qur’an. Surah al-Baqarah (2) reads:
وَلاَ تَقُولُوْا لِمَنْ يُقْتَلُ فِي سَبيلِ اللّهِ أَمْوَاتٌ بَلْ أَحْيَاء وَلَكِن لاَّ تَشْعُرُونَ (154:2)
And say not of those who are slain in the way of Allah. “They are dead.” Nay, they are living, though ye perceive (it) not. (Q 2:154)
Similarly, a verse from Surah ‘Āl ‘Imrān reads as follows:
وَلاَ تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ قُتِلُوْا فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ أَمْوَاتًا بَلْ أَحْيَاء عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ يُرْزَقُونَ (169:3)
Think not of those who are slain in Allah.s way as dead. Nay, they live, finding their sustenance in the presence of their Lord. (Q 3:169)
The verse in Surah Baqarah explicates that we cannot perceive the reality of that life. It clearly shows that their life is different from that of ours. We cannot grasp the essence and form of their life comparing it with our everyday life.
(Translated into English by Abid Mahmood)
Answered by: Talib Mohsin
Date: 2015-02-02
