Narrated Masruq:

from 'Abdullah that he was asked about Allah's saying: Think not of those as dead who are killed in the way of Allah. Nay they are alive, with their Lord (3:169). So he said: "As for us, we asked about that, and we were informed that their souls are in green birds wandering in Paradise wherever they wish, returning to lamps hanging from the Throne. Your Lord looks at them and says: 'Do you want anything more that We may grant you more?' They say: 'Our Lord! What more could we have when we are in Paradise wandering wherever we want' Then He looks at them a second time and says: "Do you want anything more that We may grant you more?' When they realize that they will not be left alone with that, they say: 'Return our souls to our bodies, so that we may return to the world to be killed in Your cause another time.'"

حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي عُمَرَ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مُرَّةَ، عَنْ مَسْرُوقٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ، أَنَّهُ سُئِلَ عَنْ قَوْلِهِ : (وَلَاَ تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ قُتِلُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَمْوَاتًا بَلْ أَحْيَاءٌ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ يُرْزَقُونَ ) فَقَالَ أَمَا إِنَّا قَدْ سَأَلْنَا عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَأُخْبِرْنَا أَنَّ أَرْوَاحَهُمْ فِي طَيْرٍ خُضْرٍ تَسْرَحُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ حَيْثُ شَاءَتْ وَتَأْوِي إِلَى قَنَادِيلَ مُعَلَّقَةٍ بِالْعَرْشِ فَاطَّلَعَ إِلَيْهِمْ رَبُّكَ اطِّلاَعَةً فَقَالَ هَلْ تَسْتَزِيدُونَ شَيْئًا فَأَزِيدُكُمْ قَالُوا رَبَّنَا وَمَا نَسْتَزِيدُ وَنَحْنُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ نَسْرَحُ حَيْثُ شِئْنَا ثُمَّ اطَّلَعَ إِلَيْهِمُ الثَّانِيَةَ فَقَالَ هَلْ تَسْتَزِيدُونَ شَيْئًا فَأَزِيدُكُمْ فَلَمَّا رَأَوْا أَنَّهُمْ لَمْ يُتْرَكُوا قَالُوا تُعِيدُ أَرْوَاحَنَا فِي أَجْسَادِنَا حَتَّى نَرْجِعَ إِلَى الدُّنْيَا فَنُقْتَلَ فِي سَبِيلِكَ مَرَّةً أُخْرَى .

قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ .