Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Dear burhan Sb,
Kindly refer your Question number 1163.

In the answer of above question you mentioned in many places that Rasool Allah SAW and Hazrat Ali are dead. Dont you think that it is not correct to call them as dead? I know  that they are not among us now but I want to point your attention towards following ayah of Noble Quran:-- "And  say not of those who are killed in the Way of Allâh, "They are dead." Nay, they are living, but you perceive (it) not. [Al-Baqrah, vers 154]"
Allah  swt  Himself  ordering  believers  not  to call those who are killed (shaheed)  in the way of Allah as dead as they are living although they are not  among  us  today.  I  am  not  a  scholar  like  you, I might be
wrong somewhere,  may  allah swt forgive me for that, but I request you to kindly reply in the light of above ayah.

Thanks a lot!!

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Answer:

Martyrs should not be called Dead

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His  forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Allah Subhanah revealed the above quoted aayah of Surah Baqarah immediately after the Battle of Ohud, when the hypocrites started spreading propaganda amongst the believers and said that the martyrs died in vain, and did not enjoy the life of this world! Allah Subhanah revealed this aayah to comfort the believers and to impress upon them the honor those martyrs received in the realm of His Presence. Allah Subhanah declares that these martyrs are honored and are alive in His Presence, but the people of the world cannot perceive that reality. Such is the honor Allah bestows on those who are slain in His Cause. Allah Subhanah demands that their death in the life of this world should not, and cannot be compared to the people who die a normal or natural death.

Thus, Allah has declared honor and admiration to those who are martyred for Allah’s Cause, and affirmed that the dying of one in the Cause of Allah cannot be compared to a normal death of this life! The very word ‘dead’ as understood by human beings is very discouraging, and kills the spirit of self-sacrifice, and the urge to fight in the Way of Allah. Instead of this, the believers are encouraged to believe that the martyrs are alive in the Presence of Allah Subhanah, but we are not able to perceive that honorable life of theirs. And this is a reality which revitalizes and keeps the spirit of courage and ‘jihad’ alive in the hearts of the true believers.

That is the basic essence and meaning of the above aayah 154 of Surah Baqarah.

Allah Subhanah reveals in another Surah, a similar verse and describes the honor and bliss the martyrs are enjoying in the Presence of their Merciful Lord, where they are provided with abundant sustenance and bounty. The aayahs are meant to impress upon the people of this life, that those who are slain in the Way of Allah, have bartered their transitory worldly life for an eternal and everlasting life of joy, bliss, Grace and Mercy, and where they have absolutely no fear, and no cause to grieve.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale Imraan verses 169-171:

169 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.

170 They rejoice in the bounty provided by Allah: and with regard to those left behind, who have not yet joined them (in their bliss), the (martyrs) glory in the fact that on them is no fear, nor have they (cause to) grieve.

171 They glory in the Grace and the Bounty from Allah, and in the fact that Allah suffereth not the reward of the faithful to be lost (in the least).

But to use this aayah as evidence, and claim that Prophet Mohamed (saws), or Ameer ul Mumineen Hadrat Imam Ali ibn Taalib (r.a.) are alive is incorrect and against the guidance of the Quran and Sunnah.

The Prophet (saws) and Hadrat Ali (r.a.) were human beings, and like all human beings, they too met with their appointment of death. Only Allah Subhanah is Ever-Living, and He will never die. There are several aayahs in the Quran, whereby Allah Subhanah has Himself declared that the Prophet (saws) will die one day!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 39 Surah Zumar verse 30:

30                Truly thou (O Prophet), wilt die (one day), and truly they (too) will die (one day).

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale Imraan verse 144:

144                       Muhammad is no more than an Apostle: many were the Apostles that passed away before him. If he died, or were slain, will ye then turn back on your heels? If any did turn back on his heels, not the least harm will he do to Allah; but Allah (on the other hand) will swiftly reward those who (serve him) with gratitude.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale Imraan verse 185:

185           Every soul shall have a taste of death: and only on the Day of Judgment shall you be paid your full recompense. Only he who is saved far from the fire and admitted to the garden will have attained the object (of life): for the life of this world is but goods and chattels of deception.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan