Shahid ( , شهيدة , شُهَدَاء ) denotes a martyr in Islam.["The word shahid (plural shahada) has the meaning of "martyr" and is closely related in its development to the Greek martyrios in that it means both a witness and a martyr ... in the latter sense only once is it attested (3:141)." David Cook, Oxford Bibliographies ]
The term is commonly used as a posthumous title for those who are considered to have accepted or even consciously sought out their own death in order to bear witness to their beliefs.[Gölz, "Martyrdom and the Struggle for Power. Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Martyrdom in the Modern Middle East". (), Behemoth 12, no. 1 (2019): 2–13, 5.] Like the English-language word martyr, in the 20th century, the word shahid came to have both religious and non-religious connotations, and has often been used to describe those who died for non-religious ideological causes.[Gölz, Olmo. "Martyrdom and the Struggle for Power: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Martyrdom in the Modern Middle East (Editorial)". (), Behemoth 12, no. 1 (2019): 2–13, 11.]
Etymology
In
Arabic, the word
shahid means "witness". Its development closely parallels that of the
Greek language word
martys (, ; also "martyr" in the
New Testament), the origin of the term
martyr.
Quranic references
A shahid is considered one whose place in
Paradise is promised according to these verses in the
Quran:
The Quranic passage that follows is the source of the concept of Muslim martyrs being promised Paradise:
Hadiths
The importance of faith is highlighted in the following hadith:
It is thus not the outcome that determines the placement in Heaven but rather the intention.
Nonetheless, Paradise for a shahid is a popular concept in the Islamic tradition according to Hadith, and the attainment of this title is honorific.
Muhammad is reported to have said these words about martyrdom:
Several hadith also indicate the nature of a shahid's life in Paradise. Shahids attain the highest level of Paradise, the Paradise of al-Firdous.
Furthermore, Samura narrated:
There are at least five different kinds of martyrs according to hadith.
One who dies protecting his property is also considered a martyr according to Hadith:
While the Qur'an does not indicate much about martyrs' death and funeral, the hadith provides some information on this topic. For example, martyrs are to be buried two in one grave in their blood, without being washed or having a funeral prayer held for them. The following Hadith highlight this:
Sikhism
The word
shahid () is also found in
Sikhism, a religion founded by
Guru Nanak in the northwest part of the Indian subcontinent (now Pakistan and India). It means a martyr.
The term was borrowed from the Islamic culture in Punjab when Sikhism was founded, and before the start of the British Raj it referred to the Sikh people who met death at the hands of oppressors.
The most discussed shahid in Sikhism have been two of their Sikh Guru, namely Guru Arjan and Guru Tegh Bahadur for defying Islamic rulers and refusing to convert to Islam.[Pashaura Singh (2005), Understanding the Martyrdom of Guru Arjan , Journal of Philosophical Society, 12(1), pages 29–62][Louis E. Fenech, Martyrdom in the Sikh Tradition, Oxford University Press, pp. 118–121] His martyrdom, that is becoming a shahid, is considered a watershed event in the history of Sikhism.
Guru Tegh Bahadur's martyrdom resulted from refusing to convert and for resisting the forced conversions of in Kashmir to Islam because he believed in freedom of conscience and human rights.
The Sikh have other major pilgrimage sites, such as the shahid-ganj in Sirhind, where two sons of Guru Gobind Singh were Immurement
Modern usage
In the course of the eighteenth century, there were several wars of independence within the colonial territories of the Muslim World. Many of the soldiers who died during these conflicts were given the title shahid upon their burial.
[ "Martyrdom". In The Islamic World: Past and Present. Ed. John L. Esposito. Oxford Islamic Studies Online. 5 December 2012.]
A Muslim who is killed defending his or her property is considered a martyr.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnians who died during the
Bosnian War and the
Bosnian genocide are considered martyrs by many due to them being killed for being Muslim.
In China
The Muslim General
Ma Fuxiang stated on how Chinese Muslims were willing to die to accomplish tasks assigned to them.
sponsored by the Kuomintang called for Muslims to go on
Jihad to become martyrs in battle, where Muslims believe they will go automatically to heaven. Becoming a shaheed in the Jihad for the country was encouraged by the Kuomintang, which was called "glorious death for the state" and a
hadith promoting nationalism was spread.
A song written by Xue Wenbo at the Muslim Chengda school, which was controlled by the Kuomintang, called for martyrdom in battle for China against Japan.
The Muslim General
Bai Chongxi himself was a member of a Dare to Die corps in the Xinhai revolution.
Some Uyghur activists have referred to victims of the Persecution of Uyghurs in China that died, martyrs.
In Palestine
In modern political usage, various Palestinian groups consider all Palestinians killed in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict to be martyrs for the cause, whether they be civilians or fighters.
Groups such as Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad consider martyrdom as the highest form of sacrifice for the Palestinian cause.
[Hatina, M. (2005). Theology and power in the Middle East: Palestinian martyrdom in a comparative perspective. Journal of Political Ideologies, 10(3), 241–267. doi:10.1080/13569310500244289][Meir Litvak (2010) “Martyrdom is Life”: Jihad and Martyrdom in the Ideology of Hamas, Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, 33:8, 716-734, DOI: 10.1080/1057610X.2010.494170] This ethos is widespread in educational materials, visual media, community events and ceremonies.
Women
A woman is considered "shahida" (شَهِيدَة
) if she dies during the fulfillment of a religious commandment. A woman can also be considered a martyr if she dies during childbirth.
[Lumbard, Joseph E.B. (2004) Islam, Fundamentalism, and the Betrayal of Tradition. World Wisdom Publishing, (30)] There are examples of women fighting in war such as Nusaybah bint Ka'ab. The first martyr (male or female) in Islam was Sumayyah bint Khayyat, who was executed for her conversion to Islam. She died after Abu Jahl, an anti-Muslim leader of the
Quraysh tribe, stabbed her in the abdomen.
[Cook, David (2007). Martyrdom in Islam. Cambridge University Press. .] Though her name is not common in the modern Muslim dialogue, ancient Islamic literature makes note of the events at the end of her life.
[Cook, David (2007). Martyrdom in Islam. Cambridge University Press. . p. 14.]
Other religions
Over a period of time, the word "shahid" began to be used by non-Muslims such as
Arab Christians to denote their own martyrs. So the word is still used by Christians in Arab-speaking countries, including the names of churches. Examples are the Forty Martyrs Cathedral () in
Aleppo,
Syria and the Saint George the Martyr Cathedral ()
[, pp. 57–58.] in
Damascus.
In South Asia, adopted the word "shahid" as a synonym to the Sanskrit word "hutātmā" (हुतात्मा in Devanagari and হুতাত্মা in Bengali alphabet; हुत् and হুত্ hut = sacrificing, आत्मा and আত্মা ātmā = soul, thus hutātmā = sacrificing soul / martyr), to denote Hindu martyrs.
Conditions for accepting Shahadat
Those who fight and die in the way of Allah with the pure intention of upholding the word of Tawheed are the true martyrs, and the condition for accepting Shahadat (martyrdom) to Allah is that he does not fight for the sake of showing off, to be called brave, or to make people listen.
[Muttafaq Alayh, Mishkat H/5316; Muslim, Mishkat H/205]
The forgiveness of sins of a martyr
According to Islam, all sins of a martyr are forgiven, except for debts.
Conditions for being called a Shahid
In Islam, if someone other than those mentioned as Shahid in the Quran and Hadith fulfills the conditions for being a Shahid, then according to the prohibition of
Umar as narrated in Sahih Muslim, he cannot be called a martyr directly,
Because this means that he is certain to be in Paradise after death, which is impossible to know without Allah's knowledge, many scholars including
Assim al-Hakeem advise that it is better to say "We hope and pray that Allah will accept him as a martyr" rather than saying "Shahid".
Prayer for shahadah (martyrdom)
See also
-
Istishhad, in Islam, the act of martyrdom or the seeking of martyrdom
-
Jihad, an Islamic religious duty, meaning "struggle"
-
Martyrdom in Christianity
-
Martyrdom in Judaism
-
Martyrdom in Sikhism
-
Martyrdom video, a video recording the acts of Islamic martyrs
-
Persecution of Muslims
-
Shahada, the Islamic creed
-
Shahid (name)
-
Shahidka, a term for Islamist Chechen female suicide bombers
-
Martyr (China)
External links
