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Shahid

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For other uses, seeShahid (disambiguation).
Not to be confused withShahada.

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Shahid(Arabic:شهيد,romanized:Shahīd[ʃahiːd],fem.شهيدة[ʃahiːdah],pl.شُهَدَاء[ʃuhadaː]) denotes amartyrinIslam.[1]The word is used frequently in theQuranin the generic sense of "witness" but only once in the sense of "martyr" (i.e. one who dies for his faith); the latter sense acquires wider usage in thehadith.[2][3]The first martyr for Islam was awoman;a Divine, unparalleled, universal and eternal honor. The term's usage is also borrowed by non-Muslim communities wherepersianate Islamic empiresheld cultural influence, such as amongstHindusandSikhsin India.

The term is commonly and wrongfully 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.[4]Like the English-language wordmartyr,in the 20th century, the wordshahidcame to have both religious and non-religious connotations, and has often been used to describe those who died for non-religious ideological causes.[5][6]

Etymology

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InArabic,the wordshahidmeans "witness". Its development closely parallels that of theGreekwordmartys(μάρτυς,lit. 'witness';also "martyr" in theNew Testament), the origin of the termmartyr.

Quranic references

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A shahid is considered one whose place inParadiseis promised according to these verses in theQuran:

Think not of those who are slain inAllah's way as dead. Nay, they live, finding their sustenance in the presence of theirLord;They rejoice in the bounty provided by Allah. And with regard to those left behind, who have not yet joined them (in their bliss), the (Martyrs) glory in the fact that on them is no fear, nor have they (cause to) grieve.

— Quran 3:169–170[7]

Allah hath purchased of the believers their persons and their goods; for theirs (in return) is the garden (of Paradise): they fight in His cause, and slay and are slain: a promise binding on Him in truth, through theTorah,theGospel,and the Qur’an: and who is more faithful to his covenant than Allah? then rejoice in the bargain which ye have concluded: that is the achievement supreme.

— Quran 9:111[7]

The Quranic passage that follows is the source of the concept of Muslim martyrs being promised Paradise:

Those who leave their homes in the cause of Allah, and are then slain or die,- On them will Allah bestow verily a goodly Provision: Truly Allah is He Who bestows the best provision. Verily He will admit them to a place with which they shall be well pleased: for Allah is All-Knowing, Most Forbearing.

— Quran 22:58–59[7]

Hadiths

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The importance of faith is highlighted in the following hadith:

It has been narrated on the authority of Anas b. Malik that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Who seeks martyrdom with sincerity shall get its reward, though he may not achieve it.

— Collected byMuslim ibn al-Hajjaj,"Sahih Muslim"[8]

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.

Muhammadis reported to have said these words about martyrdom:

By Him in Whose Hands my life is! I would love to be martyred in Allah's Cause and then get resurrected and then get martyred, and then get resurrected again and then get martyred and then get resurrected again and then get martyred.

— Collected byMuhammad al-Bukhari,Sahih al-Bukhari[9]

The Prophet said, "Nobody who enters Paradise likes to go back to the world even if he got everything on the Earth, except a Mujahid who wishes to return to the world so that he may be martyred ten times because of the dignity he receives (from Allah).

— Collected byMuhammad al-Bukhari,Sahih al-Bukhari[10]

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.

Haritha was martyred on the day (of the battle) of Badr, and he was a young boy then. His mother came to the Prophet and said, "O Allah's Apostle! You know how dear Haritha is to me. If he is in Paradise, I shall remain patient, and hope for reward from Allah, but if it is not so, then you shall see what I do?" He said, "May Allah be merciful to you! Have you lost your senses? Do you think there is only one Paradise? There are many Paradises and your son is in the (most superior) Paradise of Al-Firdaus.

— Collected byMuhammad al-Bukhari,Sahih al-Bukhari[11]

Furthermore, Samura narrated:

The Prophet said, "Last night two men came to me (in a dream) and made me ascend a tree and then admitted me into a better and superior house, better of which I have never seen. One of them said, 'this house is the house of martyrs.'

— Collected byMuhammad al-Bukhari,Sahih al-Bukhari[12]

There are at least five different kinds of martyrs according to hadith.

Allah's Apostle said, "Five are regarded as martyrs: They are those who die because of plague, abdominal disease, drowning or a falling building etc., and the martyrs in Allah's cause.

— Collected byMuhammad al-Bukhari,Sahih al-Bukhari[13]

One who dies protecting his property is also considered a martyr according to Hadith:

I heard the Prophet saying, "Whoever is killed while protecting his property then he is a martyr.

— Collected byMuhammad al-Bukhari,Sahih al-Bukhari[14]

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:

The Prophet collected every two martyrs of Uhud in one piece of cloth, then he would ask, "Which of them had (known) more of the Quran?" When one of them was pointed out for him, he would put that one first in the grave and say, "I will be a witness on these on the Day of Resurrection." He ordered them to be buried with their blood on their bodies and they were neither washed nor was a funeral prayer offered for them.

— Collected byMuhammad al-Bukhari,Sahih al-Bukhari[15]

Sikhism

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See also:Martyrdom in Sikhism
Detail ofTaru Singhbeingscalpedalive from a 19th centurySikh drawingdepicting hismartyrdom

The wordshahid(Punjabi:ਸ਼ਹੀਦ) is also found inSikhism,a religion founded byGuru Nanakin the northwest part of theIndian subcontinent(now Pakistan and India). It means a martyr.[16][17][18]

The term was borrowed from the Islamic culture inPunjabwhen Sikhism was founded, and before the start of theBritish Rajit referred to the Sikh people who met death at the hands of oppressors.[16]Another related term isshahid-ganj,which means a "place of martyrdom".[16][19]

The most discussedshahidin Sikhism have been two of theirGurus,namelyGuru ArjanandGuru Tegh Bahadurfor defying Islamic rulers and refusing to convert to Islam.[18]Guru Arjan was arrested under the orders of the Mughal EmperorJahangirand asked to convert to Islam.[20][21]He refused, was tortured and executed in 1606 CE.[20][22]Historical records and the Sikh tradition are unclear whether Guru Arjan was executed by drowning or died during torture.[20][23]His martyrdom, that is becoming ashahid,is considered a watershed event in the history of Sikhism.[20][24]

Guru Tegh Bahadur's martyrdom resulted from refusing to convert and for resisting the forced conversions ofHindusinKashmirtoIslambecause he believed in freedom of conscience and human rights.[25]He was publicly beheaded in 1675 on the orders ofMughal emperorAurangzebinDelhi.[26][27]Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahibin Delhi marks theshahid-ganj,or place of execution of the Guru.[28]

The Sikh have other major pilgrimage sites, such as the shahid-ganj in Sirhind, where two sons ofGuru Gobind Singhwerebricked alive[29]by theMughal Armyin retaliation of their father's resistance. In Muktsar, near a lake is a shahid-ganj dedicated to forty men who died defending Guru Gobind Singh.[19]

Modern usage

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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.[30]

A Muslim who is killed defending his or her property is considered a martyr.[14]

In Bosnia and Herzegovina

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Bosnians who died during theBosnian Warand theBosnian genocideare considered martyrs by many due to them being killed for being Muslim.

In China

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The Muslim GeneralMa Fuxiangstated on how Chinese Muslims were willing to die to accomplish tasks assigned to them.[31]Imamssponsored by the Kuomintang called for Muslims to go onJihadto 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 ahadithpromoting nationalism was spread.[32]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.[33]The Muslim GeneralBai Chongxihimself was a member of a Dare to Die corps in the Xinhai revolution.[34]

Some Uyghur activists have referred to victims of thePersecution of Uyghurs in Chinathat died, martyrs.

In Palestine

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See also:Martyrdom in Palestinian society

In modern political usage, various Palestinian groups consider all Palestinians killed in theIsraeli–Palestinian conflictto be martyrs for the cause, whether they be civilians or fighters.[35]Groups such as Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad consider martyrdom as the highest form of sacrifice for the Palestinian cause.[36][37]This ethos is widespread in educational materials, visual media, community events and ceremonies.

Women

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A woman is considered "shahida" (شَهِيدَةšahīdah) if she dies during the fulfillment of a religious commandment. A woman can also be considered a martyr if she dies during childbirth.[38]There are examples of women fighting in war such asNusaybah bint Ka'ab.The first martyr (male or female) in Islam wasSumayyah bint Khayyat,who was executed for her conversion to Islam. She died after Abu Jahl, an anti-Muslim leader of theQuraysh,stabbed her in the abdomen.[39]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.[40]

Other religions

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Over a period of time, the word "shahid" began to be used by non-Muslims such asArab Christiansto denote their own martyrs. So the word is still used by Christians in Arab-speaking countries, including the names of churches. Examples are theForty Martyrs Cathedral(Arabic:كنيسة الأربعين شهيد) inAleppo,Syriaand theSaint George the Martyr Cathedral(Arabic:كنيسة القدّيس الشهيد مار جرجس)[41]inDamascus.

In South Asia,Hindusadopted the word "shahid" as a synonym to theSanskritword "hutātmā" (हुतात्मा inDevanagariand হুতাত্মা inBengali;हुत् and হুত্ hut = sacrificing, आत्मा and আত্মা ātmā = soul, thus hutātmā = sacrificing soul / martyr), to denote Hindu martyrs.

See also

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References

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  1. ^Khalid Zaheer (November 22, 2013)."Definition of a shaheed".Dawn.Archivedfrom the original on 4 March 2016.Retrieved11 January2016.
  2. ^"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 BibliographiesArchived2015-11-01 at theWayback Machine
  3. ^"Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, μάρτυ^ς".www.perseus.tufts.edu.Archivedfrom the original on 2020-08-02.Retrieved2021-02-21.
  4. ^Gölz,"Martyrdom and the Struggle for Power. Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Martyrdom in the Modern Middle East".(Archived2019-05-17 at theWayback Machine), Behemoth 12, no. 1 (2019): 2–13, 5.
  5. ^Habib, Sandy (2017). "Dying for a Cause Other Than God: Exploring the Non-religious Meanings of Martyr and Shahīd".Australian Journal of Linguistics.37(3): 314–327.doi:10.1080/07268602.2017.1298395.S2CID171788891.
  6. ^Gölz, Olmo."Martyrdom and the Struggle for Power: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Martyrdom in the Modern Middle East (Editorial)".(Archived2019-05-17 at theWayback Machine),Behemoth12, no. 1 (2019): 2–13, 11.
  7. ^abcAbdullah Yusuf Ali
  8. ^Sahih Muslim,020:4694
  9. ^Sahih al-Bukhari,4:52:54
  10. ^Sahih al-Bukhari,4:52:72
  11. ^Sahih al-Bukhari,5:59:318
  12. ^Sahih al-Bukhari,4:52:49
  13. ^Sahih al-Bukhari,4:52:82
  14. ^abSahih al-Bukhari,3:43:660
  15. ^Sahih al-Bukhari,2:23:427
  16. ^abcW. H. McLeod (2009).The A to Z of Sikhism.Scarecrow. p. 185.ISBN978-0-8108-6344-6.
  17. ^H. S. Singha (2000).The Encyclopedia of Sikhism (over 1000 Entries).Hemkunt Press. p. 182.ISBN978-81-7010-301-1.
  18. ^abEleanor Nesbitt (2016).Sikhism: A Very Short Introduction.Oxford University Press. pp. 55–58.ISBN978-0-19-106276-6.
  19. ^abH. S. Singha (2000).The Encyclopedia of Sikhism (over 1000 Entries).Hemkunt Press. p. 183.ISBN978-81-7010-301-1.
  20. ^abcdPashaura Singh (2005),Understanding the Martyrdom of Guru ArjanArchived2016-03-03 at theWayback Machine,Journal of Philosophical Society, 12(1), pages 29–62
  21. ^Kulathungam, Lyman (2012).Quest: Christ amidst the quest.Wipf. pp. 175–177.ISBN978-1-61097-515-5.
  22. ^Jahangir, Emperor of Hindustan (1999).The Jahangirnama: Memoirs of Jahangir, Emperor of India.Translated byThackston, Wheeler M.Oxford University Press. p. 59.ISBN978-0-19-512718-8.
  23. ^Louis E. Fenech, Martyrdom in the Sikh Tradition, Oxford University Press, pp. 118–121
  24. ^WH McLeod (1989).The Sikhs: History, Religion, and Society.Columbia University Press. pp.26–51.ISBN978-0231068154.
  25. ^Pashaura Singh and Louis Fenech (2014).The Oxford Handbook of Sikh studies.Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. pp. 236–445.ISBN978-0-19-969930-8.This second martyrdom helped to make 'human rights and freedom of conscience' central to its identity. "and" This is the reputed place where several Kashmiri pandits came seeking protection from Auranzeb's army.
  26. ^Seiple, Chris (2013).The Routledge handbooks of religion and security.New York: Routledge. p. 96.ISBN978-0-415-66744-9.
  27. ^"Religions - Sikhism: Guru Tegh Bahadur".BBC.Archivedfrom the original on 2017-04-14.Retrieved2016-12-03.
  28. ^H. S. Singha (2000).The Encyclopedia of Sikhism (over 1000 Entries).Hemkunt Press. p. 169.ISBN978-81-7010-301-1.Archivedfrom the original on 2023-08-11.Retrieved2016-12-03.
  29. ^"The story of Sahibzada Zorawar Singh and Sahibzada Fateh Singh".31 December 2018.Archivedfrom the original on 16 November 2022.Retrieved16 November2022.
  30. ^"Martyrdom". InThe Islamic World: Past and Present.Ed. John L. Esposito. Oxford Islamic Studies Online. 5 December 2012.
  31. ^Upton Close (2007).In the Land of the Laughing Buddha – The Adventures of an American Barbarian in China.READ BOOKS. p. 271.ISBN978-1-4067-1675-7.Retrieved2010-06-28.
  32. ^Stéphane A. Dudoignon; Hisao Komatsu; Yasushi Kosugi (2006).Intellectuals in the modern Islamic world: transmission, transformation, communication.Taylor & Francis. p. 135.ISBN978-0-415-36835-3.Retrieved2010-06-28.
  33. ^Stéphane A. Dudoignon; Hisao Komatsu; Yasushi Kosugi (2006).Intellectuals in the modern Islamic world: transmission, transformation, communication.Taylor & Francis. p. 135.ISBN978-0-415-36835-3.Retrieved2010-06-28.
  34. ^Howard L. Boorman; Richard C. Howard; Joseph K.H. Cheng (1979).Biographical dictionary of Republican China, Volume 3.New York City: Columbia University Press. pp. 51–56.ISBN0-231-08957-0.
  35. ^Abdulrahim, Raja; Yazbek, Hiba (31 December 2022)."For Palestinians, a Rush to Claim 'Martyrs' Killed by Israel".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on 28 October 2023.Retrieved13 November2023.
  36. ^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
  37. ^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
  38. ^Lumbard, Joseph E.B. (2004)Islam, Fundamentalism, and the Betrayal of Tradition.World Wisdom Publishing,ISBN0941532607(30)
  39. ^Cook, David (2007).Martyrdom in Islam.Cambridge University Press.ISBN0521615518.
  40. ^Cook, David (2007).Martyrdom in Islam.Cambridge University Press.ISBN0521615518.p. 14.
  41. ^Arabic:متري هاجي اثناسيو, 2005، اديرة وكنائس دمشق وريفها: (بحث ميداني توثيقي تاريخي اثري),pp. 57–58.
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