"We thought that your death would come when fighting in the cause of Allah." He said: "You think that martyrdom only comes when one is killed in the cause of Allah. In that case your martyrs would be few. Being killed in the cause of Allah is martyrdom, dying of an abdominal complaint is martyrdom, being burned to death is martyrdom, drowning is martyrdom, being crushed beneath a falling wall is martyrdom, dying of pleurisy is martyrdom, and the woman who dies along with her fetus is a martyr." A man said: "Are you weeping when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) is sitting here?" He said: "Let them be, but if he dies on one should weep for him."
Hadith Commentary: The Book of Jihad
This narration from Sunan an-Nasa'i 3194 expands the understanding of martyrdom (shahadah) beyond conventional warfare, revealing the comprehensive mercy and wisdom of Islamic teachings.
Context and Occasion
The companions initially held a limited understanding that martyrdom only occurred through combat death. This hadith corrects this misconception during an emotional moment when the Prophet ﷺ visited a dying companion.
Seven Types of Martyrdom
1. Military Martyrdom: Killed fighting in Allah's cause - the conventional understanding
2. Abdominal Disease: Includes cholera, dysentery, and similar fatal stomach ailments
3. Fire Victims: Those who perish in fires, whether accidental or intentional
4. Drowning: Anyone who dies by drowning in water
5. Structural Collapse: Victims of building collapses and similar accidents
6. Pleurisy: A fatal chest disease involving lung inflammation
7. Maternal Death: Women who die during childbirth along with their fetus
Scholarly Insights
Classical scholars explain these martyrs receive the reward of martyrdom in the Hereafter but are treated as ordinary deceased in worldly matters (ghusl, burial, etc.). This demonstrates Allah's expansive mercy, making lofty spiritual stations accessible to ordinary believers.
Emotional Wisdom
The Prophet's ﷺ permission for weeping before death reflects Islamic balance - allowing natural human emotion while prohibiting excessive lamentation after death. This maintains dignity in grief while affirming divine decree.