Who is considered a Martyr in Islam?
1) 
The one who is killed or dies for the sake of Allah
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Whoever is killed for the sake of Allaah is a martyr, and whoever dies for the sake of Allaah is a martyr.” ( Muslim 1915)
2) The one who dies defending his deen, wealth or life
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Whoever is killed defending his wealth is a martyr; whoever is killed defending his religion is a martyr; whoever is killed in self-defence is a martyr.” ( al-Tirmidhi, 1421)
The Prophet (ﷺ) say: “Whoever is killed defending his wealth is a martyr.” (Al-Bukhaari 2480 ; Muslim 141)
3) The one who dies of a plague
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “The plague is martyrdom for every Muslim.” ( al-Bukhaari 2830; Muslim 1916)
It was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her), the wife of the Prophet (ﷺ), said: I asked the Messenger of Allaah (ﷺ)about the plague, and he told me that it is a punishment that Allaah sends upon whomsoever He will, and that Allaah has made it a mercy for the believers, for there is no one who stays in his land at the time of a plague, bearing that with patience and seeking Allaah’s reward, knowing that nothing will befall him but that which Allaah has decreed for him, but he will be given a reward like that of a martyr.” (al-Bukhaari 3474 )
4) The one who dies from a stomach disease
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “… and whoever dies of a stomach disease is a martyr.” ( Muslim 1915)
5) The one who dies by being crushed by a falling wall or drowning
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “The martyrs are five: the one who dies of plague, the one who dies of a stomach disease, the one who drowns, the one who is crushed by a falling wall, and the one who is martyred for the sake of Allaah.” ( al-Bukhaari, 2829; Muslim, 1915)
6) The one who dies from childbirth or pregnancy
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “A woman who dies with child is a martyr.” Abu Dawood (3111)
The Messenger of Allaah (ﷺ) told us about the martyrs and mentioned among them, “A woman who is killed by the child in her womb attains martyrdom, and her child will drag her by his umbilical cord to Paradise.” (Ahmad 17341 – Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Kitaab al-Janaa’iz, p. 39).
7) The one who dies by burning
The Messenger of Allaah (ﷺ) said: “Martyrdom is seven things besides being killed for the sake of Allaah. ……..tne who is burned to death is a martyr
Ahmad (23804), Abu Dawood (3111) and al-Nasaa’i (1846)
8) The one who dies of Tuberculosis
The Prophet (ﷺ): “Tuberculosis is martyrdom.”
(Narrated by at-Tabaraani from Salmaan, and by Abu’sh-Shaykh from ‘Ubaadah; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami‘. It was also attributed to Ahmad, from the hadith of Raashid ibn Hubaysh, as noted by al-Haafiz in al-Fath)
Note: The doors of Allah’s mercy are open and so we hope martyrdom can be extended to similar endings as the ones mentioned above.
The best of martyrs are those who die and are killed for the sake of Allah. They are not to be performed ghusl on (washed) and no funeral prayer is to be offered on them. However, those who died for other reasons that would warrant martyrdom are to be washed and the funeral prayer is to be offered on them.
It must be also noted we should avoid using statements in the definite form because in the end, only Allah knows who is considered a martyr. We can only speak in general terms and say “the one who dies of ….. or ….. is a martyr and so we hope he is one”, instead of saying “this person is a martyr”.
