Martyrdom

Question:-

Why are suicide bombers regarded as martyrs? Why do they want to be martyrs? How is martyrdom understood? Why is it only a feature of the Islamic religion?

Answer:-

There tends to be a misunderstanding or naive understanding of certain verses in the Quran. Martyrdom in Islam and the desire for it when it is genuine is based on the following verses:-

"And say not of those who are slain in Allah's Way (the Way of striving, sacrifice and restraint) (that they are) dead. Nay, they are living; but you do not perceive it." 2:154

But this verse should be understood in its context:-

The verses before…

"Remember Me, then, and I will remember you; thank Me, and do not disbelieve (or reject faith). O you who do believe! Seek aid from sabr (patience, perseverance, self-restraint and constancy) and from prayer, verily, Allah is with the patient." 2:152-153……….

And the verses after…

"We will try you with something of fear, and hunger and loss of wealth, and lives and fruits (of toil); but give good tidings to those who patiently persevere who, when there falls on them a calamity say, "Verily, we are Allah's and, verily, to Him is our return. These are they on whom are blessings from their Lord and Mercy, and they it is who receive Guidance." 2:155-157

This should also be understood with respect to the following:-

"Whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger, these are in the company of those unto whom Allah has shown favour, of the prophets and saints and martyrs and the righteous; - the fairest company are they." 4:69

"Say: Verily, my worship and my sacrifice, and my living and my dying belong to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. He has no partner. This I am commanded, and I am foremost of those who surrender (unto Him)" 6:163-164

"Verily, Allah hath bought of the believers their lives and their wealth, because the Garden will be theirs; they shall fight in the way of Allah, and they shall slay and be slain, a promised binding on Him in Truth, in the Torah and the Gospel and the Quran; and who is more faithful to His covenant than Allah? Rejoice then in the covenant which you have made with Him, for that is the supreme triumph. Triumphant are those who repent, those who serve Him, those who praise, those who fast, those who bow down, those who fall down prostrate (in awe or surrender), those who bid what is right and forbid what is wrong, and those who keep the limits (ordained) of Allah - glad tidings to those who believe." 9:111-112

To explain:-

A martyr in the religious or spiritual sense is one who gives up his worldly life of sin, self-indulgence, materialism, greed etc. for Allah, for the Spiritual life. A martyr is one who gives up his ego, the false or illusory self, in favour of the divine spirit within. He surrenders and becomes Muslim. Having been spiritually dead, he is then spiritually resurrected. This is irrespective of whether he dies physically in the way of Allah. Even if he dies physically he is alive spiritually.

"Is he who was dead and We have quickened (given him life) him, and made for him a light, wherein walks amongst men, like him whose likeness is one walking in utter darkness whence he cannot emerge? Thus is their conduct made seemly to the disbelievers." 6:123

"O you who believe! Respond unto Allah and His Messenger when He calls you to that which quickens you; and know that Allah comes in between a man and his own heart; and that He it is unto Whom you shall be gathered." 8:24

As the above quoted verse, 9:111, indicates, this need for self-sacrifice is also a feature of the teachings of past dispensations of religions. Jesus, for instance taught:-

"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Matthew 6:19-20

"He that finds his life shall lose it: and he that loses his life for my sake shall find it." Matthew 10:39 and 16:25

"Then said Jesus unto his disciples: If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." Matthew 16:24 and 10:38

This refers to the patience, persistence and endurance of the difficulties and hardship that self-denial of worldly desires and temptations brings on the spiritual path. But many Christians misunderstood this and undertook self-mortification, flagellation and other means of causing self-injury and suffering. This is a form of self-punishment to relieve the feeling of guilt which the religious teaching about sins can produce. But it cannot be regarded as an effective way of spiritual regeneration. This practice is also found among Muslims, mainly Shias, and the suicide bombers may also have this kind of distorted understanding.

This verse has the same significance as:-

"Say: If you love Allah then follow me, and Allah will love you and forgive you your sins, for Allah is Forgiving and Merciful." Quran 3:31

The guilt that self-awareness of one's limitations, wrongs and errors brings is, of course a stimulus to taking counter measures, but is correctly and effectively dispelled through the idea of divine forgiveness provided there is repentance and amendment, a change in mental orientation from the pursuit of worldly to spiritual values.

This idea of salvation by sacrifice is symbolised by the rites and rituals of blood sacrifice in many religions, including Hebraism and Islam. These commemorate the sacrifice of his beloved son that Abraham was willing to make for God, but God substituted a lamb instead.

This should have removed the superstitious practice of human sacrifice that existed in many ancient communities. This appears to have been based on a misunderstanding. It was believed that natural disasters, which they thought were punishments from the gods or God, could be averted by human sacrifice – by returning voluntarily some of that which came from nature to nature. In fact, of course, disasters are avoided by dealing with their causes. These, even if they are natural disasters, may well be caused by human activity and regarded as natural punishment or as stimulants to efforts or as tests. The destructive results of global warming, for instance, are affects of human greed and materialism and can be avoided by the sacrifice of these defects.

Sacrifice has to do with the notions of justice, exchange and payment and ultimately with the idea of causation and the fundamental law of Conservation, that nothing comes out of nothing. Some effort has to be made to obtain anything and this involves sacrifice of some resource, energy, time and attention that is withdrawn from something else. The returns are proportional to the quantity, quality and value of the efforts, and vice versa, but it is not always in the same coin. It is perfectly possible to exchange material, physical, social, mental, psychological, or spiritual benefits for each other. One can, for instance, spend money to buy goods for personal pleasure, or buy a book to learn something, or buy medicine to improve health, or on entertainment of friends or to buy gifts or spend it in charity and so on. One can also spend efforts or resources on what causes harm, or waste it or maximise benefits.

Question:-

This seems like a revolutionary idea in Islam. Are you now saying that Christian Theology was right and salvation is by the sacrifice or crucifixion of Jesus, though the Quran denies he was crucified?

Answer:-

No that is a misunderstanding. Death and resurrection have a symbolic meaning. You die to the worldly life in order to be resurrected spiritually and you die spiritually by cultivating the worldly life. The two kinds of life are mutually contradictory.

What the Quran tells us is:-

“And because of their boastful saying:, Verily, we have killed the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah, - but they killed him not, nor did they crucify him, but it was obscured for them (or it appeared so to them). And verily, those who differ about him are in doubt concerning him; they have no knowledge thereof, but only follow a conjecture. Certainly, they slew him not!” 4:157

The verse denies that the Jews killed him. It does not deny the death of Jesus but indicates that the whole episode about his crucifixion was misunderstood. Jesus himself said:-

“Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man takes it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father." John 10:17-18

Jesus did not teach salvation by his crucifixion, but by obedience to God (Matthew 7:21-23). The New Testament story of the crucifixion of Jesus does not indicate that he died on the cross because his disciples saw him in the flesh afterwards. See Luke 24:36-45. He had probably gone into a deep unconsciousness from which he later revived. This is not uncommon even today. His disciples were in despair because of his crucifixion. They thought he was dead and when he reappeared they thought he was a ghost. But when he convinced them that he was still alive by letting them touch him and by eating food, their spirits revived. Thus the apparent death and revival of Jesus caused the death and resurrection of the faith and the whole episode symbolised death and resurrection.

In the past it was the sinking and rising of the sun that symbolised death and resurrection, the change from the darkness of the night into the light of the day. It was also symbolised by the change of the seasons from winter to spring and summer when nature as it were dies and is revived. These are also given in the Quran as the signs of death and resurrection.

----------<O>----------

Contents