are so commonly found among people today. They ask about legal rulings, but as soon as they put them into practice they abandon them and throw them behind their backs, as though they seek from knowledge nothing more than abstract, theoretical acquaintance. This is, in truth, manifest loss, for the one who learns and then leaves what he has learned is worse than the ignorant person.

Someone might ask, “Suppose we see a group of men fighting and declaring, ‘We are fighting for Islam, in defense of Islam,’ and one of them is killed—may we testify that he is a martyr?” The answer is: No, we do not bear witness that he is a martyr. The Prophet ﷺ said, “No one is wounded in the path of Allah— and Allah knows best who is wounded in His path—except that he will come on the Day of Resurrection with his wound oozing blood; its color will be the color of blood, but its fragrance will be the fragrance of musk.” His words “and Allah knows best who is wounded in His path” show that the matter hinges on intention, which is hidden from us but known to Allah.

ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb d. 23 AH once addressed the people, saying, “O people, you say, ‘So-and-so is a martyr, and so-and-so is a martyr,’ yet it may be that he had burdened his mount—that is, laden it with goods obtained through misappropriation of the spoils. Do not speak like this. Rather say, ‘Whoever dies or is killed in the path of Allah is a martyr.’” Therefore, do not attest to martyrdom for any specific individual unless the Prophet ﷺ himself attested to it; in that case you may testify on his behalf. As for anyone else, speak in general terms: say, “Whoever is killed in the path of Allah is a martyr,” or “We hope that he is among the martyrs,” and expressions of that sort. Allah is the One who grants success.