Martyrdom (Mati Syahid): Know Its 10 Criteria According to Islam

As we know, Islamic teaching includes the concept of mati syahid. This term refers to people who pass away in a noble state on the path of Allah SWT. Mati syahid is also a sign of perfect faith and piety toward Allah SWT.

However, many people assume that this kind of death only happens when someone falls in battle. In fact, there are several criteria under which a person may be considered to have died as a martyr.

Criteria for Those Who Are Considered Mati Syahid

Here are 10 criteria for those who qualify as mati syahid according to Islamic teaching.

1. Drowning

The first criterion for someone who dies with honor on the path of Allah SWT is drowning. While drowning, a person is very likely to experience intense pain and suffering before death.

Those who drown may be swept away by river or sea currents, or during heavy rain.

Scholars also say that if a person goes to sea to earn a living and drowns in a storm, they may be considered mati syahid.

This differs from someone who goes to sea with an improper purpose, who is not counted among those who die as martyrs.

2. Victims of Fire

Another criterion for mati syahid is being a victim of fire. This includes not only fires inside a home but also fires caused by accidents.

When fire burns the body, a person will certainly experience intense pain and suffering, so they are regarded as having died on the path of Allah SWT.

For example, if a group of people is traveling by bus to a religious gathering, and along the way the bus crashes and burns everyone on board, those people are considered to have died as martyrs.

It is different for people who die in a fire at home or in a vehicle while engaging in sinful behavior. Such a situation cannot be called martyrdom or dying on the path of Allah SWT.

3. Contracting a Plague

Next, those who fall into the category of mati syahid include people who die from a plague. No one wants to be affected by an outbreak in their area. However, the emergence of such a plague happens by the power and permission of Allah SWT, so as believers we must accept it with sincerity.

For instance, during the Covid-19 pandemic that recently swept the whole world, many people were affected and died from the disease, with the numbers reaching into the millions. Those who died from Covid-19 are considered to have died as martyrs.

The exception is people who die from a plague but did not try to prevent its spread or avoid it, and then died. Likewise, those who deliberately endanger others around them do not count among those who die as martyrs.

4. Stomach Illness

One of the criteria for those who die on the path of Allah SWT is dying from a stomach illness. People who die from such conditions usually experience severe pain in the abdomen before reaching the end of their lives.

For example, the stomach pain suffered by people with stomach cancer or severe diarrhea. A chronic stomach illness like this can leave the sufferer unable to endure it for long. In this way, a person who
dies in such a condition is said to have died as a martyr, or died on the path of Allah SWT.

However, if the stomach pain is caused by consuming something forbidden, such as haram food or drink, it cannot be called mati syahid.

5. Pleurisy

Another cause of death that can meet the criteria of martyrdom is pleurisy. As explained in the Mirat-ul-Manajih narration, people suffering from pleurisy experience extreme pain.

It should be understood that pleurisy is an inflammation of the lining of the lungs. People with this condition may have symptoms such as coughing, fever, and pain in the ribs.

Therefore, for a person who experiences such pain and cannot bear the suffering, and who is very likely to die, that death may be counted as one of the criteria for mati syahid.

6. Collapse or Landslide

Another group that falls into the category of mati syahid is those who become victims of natural disasters, such as being buried under a collapse or landslide.

When a person suffers a natural disaster such as being trapped under the rubble of a house or a landslide, they will experience severe pain. For example, a broken leg with heavy blood loss.

For this reason, such people are included among those who die in honor on the path of Allah SWT. Even so, they still need to be washed, shrouded, and have the funeral prayer performed for them as is proper.

7. Death Caused by Animals

The next criterion of martyrdom is death caused by an animal attack. As we know, animals do not have rational thought like humans, so they can act uncontrollably.

It is not only wild and large animals such as lions, tigers, or crocodiles that can endanger human life, but also animals that seem tame, such as horses or camels.

Examples of death caused by animals include a person being attacked and eaten by a lion, or a person who falls while riding a horse or camel. Such a person will certainly suffer intense pain before dying, so they are included among those who die on the path of Allah SWT.

8. Mothers Who Die in Childbirth

The next group of those who die as martyrs is women who die while giving birth. A mother's struggle to carry her child and deliver it through extraordinary pain is a noble struggle before Allah SWT.

The pain of childbirth alone can feel like 20 bones breaking at once. The length of labor can also leave a mother's body severely weakened.

Not a few mothers, after giving birth, experience exhaustion and lose their lives, and such a loss is classified as martyrdom.

9. Dying on the Battlefield

The passing of a person who is a martyr also includes those who die in battle, especially while defending their faith. Those who die in war are given special honor: they do not need to be washed or have the funeral prayer performed over them before burial.

10. Dying While Defending One's Property

Another group of those who die as martyrs is a person who dies while protecting their property. For example, if a person falls victim to a crime such as bag snatching or robbery and dies while resisting, that victim can be considered to have died in the way of Allah SWT.

Now You Know the Criteria for Martyrdom

These are some explanations of the criteria for martyrdom in Islam. Anyone who suffers a loss as described above, and who is in a state of goodness, may be classified as one who died as a martyr. However, before passing away, there are usually several signs that a person is nearing death.

And when such a loss comes, the on-demand service Kamboja can help you with the funeral arrangements. When you choose the funeral service from Kamboja , all funeral needs will be well taken care of, from arranging the body, the death certificate and transport, to the final resting place.