that he stood among them and declared: “Striving in Allah’s cause and believing in Allah are the best of deeds.” A man rose and said, “Messenger of Allah, if I am killed in the path of Allah, will my sins be absolved?” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ replied, “Yes—if you are killed in the path of Allah while remaining steadfast, seeking Allah’s reward, advancing and not turning back.” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ then asked, “What did you just say?” He repeated, “Messenger of Allah, if I am killed in the path of Allah, will my sins be absolved?” The Prophet ﷺ said, “Yes, while you are steadfast, seeking reward, advancing and not turning back—except for debts. Gabriel informed me of that.” Narrated by Muslim.

[Explanation]
The author (may Allah have mercy on him) here sets out the virtue of striving in Allah’s cause and of martyrdom. Jihād in Allah’s path is the peak of Islam’s crest, as the Prophet ﷺ stated, and martyrdom in Allah’s cause expiates every sin except outstanding debts. The same ruling applies when a person misappropriates anything from the spoils—meaning he hides it and denies it. In the first ḥadīth, a group of the Prophet’s Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) came to him on the Day of Khaybar saying, “So-and-so is a martyr, so-and-so is a martyr,” until they passed by a man and said, “So-and-so is a martyr.” The Prophet ﷺ responded, “No …,” and the rest of the report follows.

A burdah is a kind of cloak, while an ʿabāʾah is well known. “He pilfered it” means he concealed it—he had taken it from the unbelievers’ property during battle, then hid it for himself. Because of that he was punished with it in Hellfire, and the lofty quality of martyrdom was withdrawn from him, for the Prophet ﷺ said, “No,” meaning he is not a martyr, because he pilfered that small item and thereby nullified