Fatwa ID: 04651

Answered by: Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Question

I was engaged to a very loyal man called Fady! He used to work for the Egyptian military. We were getting married this coming up June! He died on his way to work. It was a car accident and the car blew up while he was in there. My question is: Is he a shaheed? 

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer

The scholars have classed shaheeds in two categories. The first are those who are considered shaheed in the real sense. (They are considered a shaheed in this world as well as the hereafter) These kinds of shaheehds are buried without a ritual bath. The second are those who will have the rank of a shaheed in the hereafter, but the rules of a shaheed will not apply to them in this world and they are shaheed in a constructive sense. (Durrul Mukhtar, Vol 1, P669)

The second type of shaheed who will have the rank and honour in the hereafter but the rules of shahadah do not apply to them in this world. They are many and are in excess of forty. These are not mentioned in a single Hadith but have been taken from different narrations. Allama Ibn Abideen has mentioned these kinds of shaheeds in his book Raddul Muhtar, (Vol1, P672)

Regarding your question, a person who dies as in a road accident is a shaheed in the hereafter only and not in this world. (Ahsanul Fatawa p.254 v.4) 

Furthermore, someone who dies in a fire is also considered a shaheed.

The Prophet of Allah Sallallahu Alahi Wasalam said: “The one who drowns is a shaheed, the one who dies of a stomach disease is a shaheed, the one who is burnt to death is a shaheed, the one who dies of the plague is a shaheed, the woman who dies giving birth is a shaheed, and the one who is crushed by a collapsing building is a shaheed.” (Muwatta Imam Malik)

It is a blessing of Allah that he has made possible great rewards for the people of this Ummah despite minimal effort and sacrifice. We the Ummah can only benefit from this. Mulla Ali Qari explains that these people will also have the rank of shaheed and will share only in some of the same blessings and bounties of the actual shaheed but not necessarily in every aspect and rank. (Mirqaat, Vol 7, P376). The greater reward, high rank, and honour are reserved for those who are considered to be shaheeds both in this world as well as the hereafter.

Only Allah Knows Best

Written by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham