About the Martyrs

It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the, Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: While a man walks along a path, finds a thorny twig lying on the way and puts it aside, Allah would appreciate it and forgive him Prophet ﷺ said: The martyrs are of five kinds: one who dies of plague;
one who dies of diarrhoea (or cholera) ;
one who is drowned;
one who is buried under debris and one who dies fighting in the way of Allah.

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى، قَالَ قَرَأْتُ عَلَى مَالِكٍ عَنْ سُمَىٍّ، عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ " بَيْنَمَا رَجُلٌ يَمْشِي بِطَرِيقٍ وَجَدَ غُصْنَ شَوْكٍ عَلَى الطَّرِيقِ فَأَخَّرَهُ فَشَكَرَ اللَّهُ لَهُ فَغَفَرَ لَهُ " . وَقَالَ " الشُّهَدَاءُ خَمْسَةٌ الْمَطْعُونُ وَالْمَبْطُونُ وَالْغَرِقُ وَصَاحِبُ الْهَدْمِ وَالشَّهِيدُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ " .

It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira (through another chain of transmitters) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Whom do you consider to be a martyr among you? They (the Companions) said: Messenger, of Allah, one who is slain in the way of Allah is a martyr. He said: Then (if this is the definition of a martyr) the martyrs of my Umma will be small in number. They asked: Messenger of Allah, who are they? He said: One who is slain in the way of Allah is a martyr;
one who dies in the way of Allah, is a martyr;
one who dies of plague is a martyr;
one who dies of cholera is a martyr. Ibn Miqsam said: I testify the truth of your father's statement (with regard to this tradition) that Prophet ﷺ said: One who is drowned is a martyr.

وَحَدَّثَنِي زُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنْ سُهَيْلٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " مَا تَعُدُّونَ الشَّهِيدَ فِيكُمْ " . قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَنْ قُتِلَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَهُوَ شَهِيدٌ قَالَ " إِنَّ شُهَدَاءَ أُمَّتِي إِذًا لَقَلِيلٌ " . قَالُوا فَمَنْ هُمْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ " مَنْ قُتِلَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَهُوَ شَهِيدٌ وَمَنْ مَاتَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَهُوَ شَهِيدٌ وَمَنْ مَاتَ فِي الطَّاعُونِ فَهُوَ شَهِيدٌ وَمَنْ مَاتَ فِي الْبَطْنِ فَهُوَ شَهِيدٌ " . قَالَ ابْنُ مِقْسَمٍ أَشْهَدُ عَلَى أَبِيكَ فِي هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ أَنَّهُ قَالَ " وَالْغَرِيقُ شَهِيدٌ " .

A version of the tradition narrated on the authority of Suhail contains the additional words:" And one who is drowned is a martyr."

حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ الْحَمِيدِ بْنُ بَيَانٍ الْوَاسِطِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدٌ، عَنْ سُهَيْلٍ، بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ . مِثْلَهُ غَيْرَ أَنَّ فِي حَدِيثِهِ قَالَ سُهَيْلٌ قَالَ عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مِقْسَمٍ أَشْهَدُ عَلَى أَبِيكَ أَنَّهُ زَادَ فِي هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ " وَمَنْ غَرِقَ فَهُوَ شَهِيدٌ " .

Another version of the tradition narrated on the authority of Suhail thouch a different chain of transmitters contains the additional words:" A drowned person is a martyr."

وَحَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ حَاتِمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا بَهْزٌ، حَدَّثَنَا وُهَيْبٌ، حَدَّثَنَا سُهَيْلٌ، بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ وَفِي حَدِيثِهِ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مِقْسَمٍ، عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، وَزَادَ، فِيهِ " وَالْغَرِقُ شَهِيدٌ " .

It has been narrated on the authority of Hafsa daughter of Sirin who said: Anas b. Malik asked me the cause of death of Yahya b. 'Abu 'Amra. I said: (He died) of plague. He said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said that death by plague is martyrdom for a Muslim.

حَدَّثَنَا حَامِدُ بْنُ عُمَرَ الْبَكْرَاوِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَاحِدِ، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ زِيَادٍ - حَدَّثَنَا عَاصِمٌ، عَنْ حَفْصَةَ بِنْتِ سِيرِينَ، قَالَتْ قَالَ لِي أَنَسُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ بِمَا مَاتَ يَحْيَى بْنُ أَبِي عَمْرَةَ قَالَتْ قُلْتُ بِالطَّاعُونِ . قَالَتْ فَقَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " الطَّاعُونُ شَهَادَةٌ لِكُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ " .