Recently, Meta, a major tech company which oversees social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, removed a ban on the common usage of the Arabic word ‘shaheed’ after receiving years of criticism on the company’s approach in assessing content involving the Middle East.¹

The ban was described as being ‘overbroad’ and unnecessarily suppressing the speech of millions of users.

Read: Dismantling Islamophobia With Compassion and Understanding

So, what does the term ‘shaheed’ mean? And why was it banned in the first place? As critics remained persistent over the years, what is the significance of ‘shaheed’?²

The Meaning of Shaheed in Islam

‘Shaheed’ or ‘shahid’ bears much significance in Islam. It is an Arabic term (شَهِيْد) which is derived from its root-word sh-h-d (شَهِد) meaning ‘to witness’, ‘to be present’ or ‘to testify’.

The depth of the Arabic language allows one word to connote multiple meanings (derived from the root-word), making each word unique, even against other synonyms. Thus, the term ‘Ash-Shaheed’, when Allah ascribed it to Himself, means ‘The One who is ever present and witnessing over everything of the known and the unknown’. We can see this description in many Quranic verses, such as:

مَا قُلۡتُ لَهُمۡ إِلَّا مَاۤ أَمَرۡتَنِی بِهِۦۤ أَنِ ٱعۡبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ رَبِّی وَرَبَّكُمۡۚ وَكُنتُ عَلَیۡهِمۡ شَهِیدࣰا مَّا دُمۡتُ فِیهِمۡۖ فَلَمَّا تَوَفَّیۡتَنِی كُنتَ أَنتَ ٱلرَّقِیبَ عَلَیۡهِمۡۚ وَأَنتَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَیۡءࣲ شَهِیدٌ

“I never told them anything except what You ordered me to say: ‘Worship Allah—my Lord and your Lord!’ And I was witness over them as long as I remained among them. But when You took me, You were the Witness over them—and You are a Witness over all things.”

(Surah Al-Ma’idah, 5:117)

Read: 99 Divine Names of Allah s.w.t.

In fact, in the same verse, Allah s.w.t. also ascribed the word ‘shaheed’ to Prophet Isa a.s; “And I was witness over them as long as I remained among them”, meaning ‘to oversee (mushahid) and guide them (raqib)’, as pointed out by the scholar Ibn ‘Asyur in his tafsir.

Another common usage of the word shaheed, which is also used in the Quran, refers to the meaning of martyr. Interestingly, the English word ‘martyr’ comes from the Greek word, also meaning ‘to bear witness’.³

Our scholars have different opinions on why the word shaheed is applied to martyrs in Islam. In what way does the act of ‘witnessing’ and ‘being present’ correspond to martyrdom?

We will list for you three views:⁴

1. Allah s.w.t. and Rasulullah s.a.w. will bear witness to the martyr to enter Paradise
2. The martyr witnesses Paradise during his death
3. The soul of the martyr witnesses Paradise before others

Whatever the reasons are, the Quran uses the term shaheed to refer to martyrs. As seen in the following verse:

وَمَن يُطِعِ ٱللَّهَ وَٱلرَّسُولَ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ مَعَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَنْعَمَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْهِم مِّنَ ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ وَٱلصِّدِّيقِينَ وَٱلشُّهَدَآءِ وَٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ ۚ وَحَسُنَ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ رَفِيقًا

“And whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger will be in the company of those blessed by Allah: the prophets, the people of truth, the martyrs, and the righteous—what honourable company!”

(Surah An-Nisa, 4:69)

Shaheed, or martyrdom, is a significant concept in our religion. Unfortunately, for those who are not familiar with Islam or the Arabic language, shaheed may be misunderstood as a negative term to mobilise violent extremists in the past. The review by the oversight board funded by Meta but operates independently, found that Meta’s rules on shaheed failed to account for the word’s variety of meanings and resulted in the removal of content not aimed at praising violent actions.

Read: Addressing Misconceptions: Jihad and Martyrdom

As Muslims, it is our responsibility to learn about Islam and be good ambassadors of the faith. Let us discuss shaheed-martyrdom in Islam. How does a Muslim attain the status of shaheed? And what does being a shaheed entail for you? Are there different types of shaheed?

Definition of Martyrdom and Sacrifice

Shaheed or martyrdom in Islam refers to those who have died in God’s cause (fi sabilillah).⁵ Often, ‘God’s cause’ is affiliated with those who defend their country during a military struggle. However, God’s cause could also be any honourable cause that sincerely seeks the pleasure of Allah s.w.t.

So, in Islam, martyrdom is not only limited to those who die in a justified battle but also encompasses individuals who made the ultimate sacrifice in a sincere effort to bring good to the world or to save the lives of others. The sacrifices of a shaheed are seen as a testament to their dedication to Allah and their willingness to endure hardship for the sake of their faith.

Through Allah’s mercy, another classification of martyrdom in Islam includes innocent victims who died in tragic accidents or circumstances.

The above reasons for martyrdom in Islam can be seen in the hadith narrations of our Prophet s.a.w. Jabir Ibn ‘Atik r.a. reported that Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. said, 

الشَّهَادَةُ سَبْعٌ سِوَى الْقَتْلِ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ الْمَطْعُونُ شَهِيدٌ وَالْغَرِقُ شَهِيدٌ وَصَاحِبُ ذَاتِ الْجَنْبِ شَهِيدٌ وَالْمَبْطُونُ شَهِيدٌ وَصَاحِبُ الْحَرِيقِ شَهِيدٌ وَالَّذِي يَمُوتُ تَحْتَ الْهَدْمِ شَهِيدٌ وَالْمَرْأَةُ تَمُوتُ بِجُمْعٍ شَهِيدٌ

“There are seven martyrs besides one who is killed in the way of Allah: the victim of plague is a martyr, the one who drowns is a martyr, the one who dies of chest pain is a martyr, the one who dies of stomach infection is a martyr, the one who burns to death is a martyr, the one who dies under rubble is a martyr, and the pregnant woman who dies in labour is a martyr.”

(Sunan Abi Dawud)

In another hadith, Abu Hurayrah r.a. reported a conversation between the Prophet s.a.w. and some of the companions r.a:

ما تَعُدُّونَ الشَّهِيدَ فِيكُمْ؟ قالوا: يا رَسولَ اللهِ، مَن قُتِلَ في سَبيلِ اللهِ فَهو شَهِيدٌ، قالَ: إنَّ شُهَداءَ أُمَّتي إذنْ لَقَلِيلٌ، قالوا: فمَن هُمْ يا رَسولَ اللهِ؟ قالَ: مَن قُتِلَ في سَبيلِ اللهِ فَهو شَهِيدٌ، ومَن ماتَ في سَبيلِ اللهِ فَهو شَهِيدٌ، ومَن ماتَ في الطَّاعُونِ فَهو شَهِيدٌ، ومَن ماتَ في البَطْنِ فَهو شَهِيدٌ

“(Rasulullah s.a.w. asked) ‘Who do you think is a martyr among you?’ 
They said, ‘The one who is killed in the way of Allah.’ 
He said: ‘Verily, if that is so, then the martyrs among my nation are few.’ 
They asked, ‘O Rasulullah, then who are the martyrs?”

He said: ‘He who is killed in the way of Allah is a martyr, and he who dies a natural death in the way of Allah is a martyr, and he who dies of plague is a martyr, and he who dies of stomach disease is a martyr, and he who dies from drowning is a martyr.’”

(Sahih Muslim)

Even a person who died a natural death could become a martyr by the mercy of Allah s.w.t. May Allah s.w.t. grant us all a beautiful end in this world.

Rewards of Martyrdom

A shaheed is revered in Islam. Sumayyah r.a, the female companion (sahabiyyah) of Prophet Muhamamd s.a.w. is revered as the first shaheedah or martyr in Islam. Sumayyah r.a. did not go to battle. She was tortured because of her resilience in faith. It got so severe that she was martyred.

Allah s.w.t. raises the status of martyrs so high that they are promised the highest levels of Paradise.³ This would automatically mean immediate entry to Paradise, attaining Allah’s forgiveness, and salvation from the trials of the Hereafter and from the torments of the Hellfire.

وَلَا تَحْسَبَنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ قُتِلُوا۟ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ أَمْوَٰتًا ۚ بَلْ أَحْيَآءٌ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ يُرْزَقُونَ. فَرِحِينَ بِمَآ ءَاتَىٰهُمُ ٱللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِۦ وَيَسْتَبْشِرُونَ بِٱلَّذِينَ لَمْ يَلْحَقُوا۟ بِهِم مِّنْ خَلْفِهِمْ أَلَّا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ

“Never think of those martyred in the cause of Allah as dead. In fact, they are alive with their Lord, well provided for—rejoicing in Allah’s bounties and being delighted for those yet to join them. There will be no fear for them, nor will they grieve.”

(Surah Ali ‘Imran, 3:169-170)

Here, Allah s.w.t. described martyrs are being alive, clearly renouncing the affiliation of being dead.

This aspect of faith also serves as a source of comfort and solace for families and communities of those who have lost their lives in the pursuit of righteousness.

Such merits attributed to a shaheed can only be so appealing. However, it does not mean we should put ourselves in a situation that could put us to our death.

Embracing Death

Unfortunately, the misinterpretation of texts on shaheed and martyrdom has been exploited by violent extremists to mislead individuals by justifying and glorifying acts of violence. In distorting the true meaning of shaheed, they have sought to legitimise their radical ideologies, often targeting vulnerable individuals who may be susceptible to manipulation and indoctrination. 

This is where we draw the line between a correct understanding of a shaheed and an extremist version.

In Islam, while there is an emphasis on the contemplation of death as a means of spiritual reflection and preparation for the afterlife, the deliberate seeking of one's own death or the killing of others, such as in the case of suicide bombings, is unequivocally condemned. Islam places great value on the sanctity of life and prohibits any form of self-harm or harm to others. Suicide bombings and similar acts of violence are considered not only unacceptable but also contrary to the fundamental principles of Islam, which emphasise compassion, justice and the preservation of life.

Read: Islamic Quotes On Death: The Idea of Mortality in Islam

The Quran clearly says:

وَلَا تُلْقُوا۟ بِأَيْدِيكُمْ إِلَى ٱلتَّهْلُكَةِ

“and do not let your own hands throw you into destruction”

(Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:195)

In a hadith, Aisyah r.a. reported that Rasulullah s.a.w. said:

مَنْ أَحَبَّ لِقَاءَ اللَّهِ أَحَبَّ اللَّهُ لِقَاءَهُ وَمَنْ كَرِهَ لِقَاءَ اللَّهِ كَرِهَ اللَّهُ لِقَاءَهُ. قالَتْ يا رسول الله، أكراهية الموت‏؟‏ فكلُّنا نكرَهُ الموتَ. قال‏:‏‏ لَيْسَ كَذَلِكِ وَلَكِنَّ الْمُؤْمِنَ إِذَا بُشِّرَ بِرَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ وَرِضْوَانِهِ وَجَنَّتِهِ أَحَبَّ لِقَاءَ اللَّهِ فَأَحَبَّ اللَّهُ لِقَاءَهُ وَإِنَّ الْكَافِرَ إِذَا بُشِّرَ بِعَذَابِ اللَّهِ وَسَخَطِهِ كَرِهَ لِقَاءَ اللَّهِ وَكَرِهَ اللَّهُ لِقَاءَهُ

“Whoever loves to meet Allah, Allah loves to meet him. Whoever hates to meet Allah, Allah hates to meet him.’
Aisyah asked: ‘O Messenger of Allah, So far as the feelings of aversion against death is concerned, we all have this feeling.’ 
The Prophet replied: ‘I do not mean that. Rather, when a believer is given the glad tidings of the mercy of Allah, His pleasure, and Paradise, then he loves to meet Allah, and Allah loves to meet him. When a disbeliever is given news of the punishment at the Hand of Allah and hardship to be imposed by Him, he hates to meet Allah, and Allah hates to meet him.’”

(Sahih Muslim)

This hadith aptly encapsulates a Muslim’s approach to death. Death is not to be sought but prepared for when the time comes. And each of us, individually, has a different fate. When death comes, we pray that Allah shows us His mercy, accepts us and forgives our shortcomings.

Thus, we must take precautions to prevent some of those unfortunate events from occurring, such as taking approved vaccinations during a plague, wearing a life vest during cases of emergency at sea to prevent drowning, and quickly seeking medical attention if feeling unwell. 

We must also possess disciplined piety. In other words, we must be fully aware that Allah s.w.t. is Ash-Shaheed, The One who is Omnipresent and All-Observing. Only He decrees our time and judges our actions and intentions in this world. Beyond the manner in which an individual dies, Allah alone determines our faith and ultimate fate.

The True Struggle For Martyrdom

Our focus is on living a life that pleases Allah and striving to maintain sincerity and consistency. It was warned to us in a hadith about a person who went out of his way to achieve martyrdom:

إنَّ أوَّلَ النَّاسِ يُقْضَى يَومَ القِيامَةِ عليه رَجُلٌ اسْتُشْهِدَ، فَأُتِيَ به فَعَرَّفَهُ نِعَمَهُ فَعَرَفَها، قالَ: فَما عَمِلْتَ فيها؟ قالَ: قاتَلْتُ فِيكَ حتَّى اسْتُشْهِدْتُ، قالَ: كَذَبْتَ، ولَكِنَّكَ قاتَلْتَ لأَنْ يُقالَ: جَرِيءٌ، فقَدْ قيلَ، ثُمَّ أُمِرَ به فَسُحِبَ علَى وجْهِهِ حتَّى أُلْقِيَ في النَّارِ

“The first to be judged on the Day of Resurrection will be a man who had died as a martyr. He will be brought forward. Allah will remind him of the favours He had bestowed upon him, and the man will acknowledge them. Then He will ask him: 'What did you do to express gratitude for it?' The man will reply: 'I fought for Your Cause till I was martyred.' Allah will say: 'You have lied. You fought so that people might call you courageous, and they have done so.' Command will then be issued about him, and he will be dragged on his face and thrown into Hell.”

(Sahih Muslim)

Many stories in the Islamic tradition emphasise inner consciousness and piety over ego on the battlefield. For example, Ali Ibn Abi Talib r.a. was once in a battle where he wrestled his enemy to the ground. As he lifted his sword to kill him, the man spat in Ali r.a.’s face. Ali r.a. immediately paused, dropped his sword, and let the man go. Ali r.a. was terrified that his heart might become impure with anger and revenge rather than justice. 

This sense of struggle contrasts deeply with individuals who would rather rush to choose violence as a means to achieve their ideals.

Fate is not random. Through His mercy and compassion, Allah s.w.t. grants martyrdom to whomever He wills. Unfortunately, there will be people who continue to abuse the idea of shaheed and embark on agendas that are against Islamic teachings, such as purposely taking away a life, be it their own or others. 

Read: Rethinking 'Hostile' Verses from the Quran

Conclusion

The concept of shaheed is particularly meaningful in regions where individuals or communities face persecution due to their religious beliefs. The status of shaheed serves as a beacon of strength and resilience to those grappling with adversity, offering a sense of purpose and meaning in the face of unimaginable hardship.⁶

Read: Duas for Palestine and Gaza in English With Transliteration and Translation

Shaheed encompasses cultural, religious and historical significance that represents the enduring values of faith, sacrifice and resistance against injustice. While the meaning of shaheed provides insight into the rich tapestry of Islam, it also serves as a reminder of the legacy of those who held on to their faith in the everlasting belief in Allah s.w.t. 

Read: Inspiring Muslims

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Notes

¹ R. (2024, March 27). Meta oversight board urges company to end ban on Arabic word 'shaheed'. Reuters

² https://www.almaany.com/ar/dict/ar-ar/الشهيد/

³ Brown, J. (2017, September 12). Is Islam a Death Cult? Martyrdom and the American-Muslim Imagination. Yaqeen Institute

⁴ Hasan Ibn Ahmad Al-Kaff, Taqrirat As-Sadidah Fil-Masa-il Al-Mufidah (A Sound Declaration On Issues of Benefit), Dar Mirath An-Nabawiyyah (The Prophet Heritage Publication), pg. 367 (footnote no.3)

⁵ https://www.almaany.com/ar/dict/ar-ar/الشهيد/

⁶ Nashed, M., & Humaid, M. (2024, February 8). ‘We’re waiting to be martyred’: Palestinians await Israeli attack on Rafah. Al Jazeera.