112 – Moreover, Allah says in His Book: “Do not say of those who are killed in the cause of Allah, ‘They are dead.’” (al-Baqarah 2:154).

113 – And He says: “Never think of those who have been killed in the cause of Allah as dead; rather, they are alive with their Lord, being provided for.” (Āl ‘Imrān 3:169).

114 – Thus He forbade the believers to call the martyr “dead.”

115 – The scholars explain that the martyr was singled out in this ruling so that people would not imagine he dies and therefore shrink from jihād out of fear of death.

Calling martyrdom “destruction” is a monstrous slander

116 – Allah has stated that the martyr is alive and provided for; this description also applies to others, such as the prophets and the eminently truthful, yet the prohibition was confined to the martyr so that no one would hold back1 from jihād, for souls naturally flee from death. If, then, He—exalted is He—has forbidden us to label or regard the martyr as dead so as not to deter people from jihād, how can anyone brand martyrdom as “destruction” when the word destruction repels even more than the word death?

117 – Whoever claims that Allah’s words, “And do not cast yourselves with your own hands into destruction” (al-Baqarah 2:195), refer to fighting in Allah’s cause has indeed fabricated against Allah a grievous falsehood!