MARTYR

The Arabic word for “martyr” in the Qurʾān, and in Muslim theology, is shāhid ( شاهد‎ ), pl. shuhūd , or shahīd ( شهيد‎ ), pl. shuhadāʾ , the literal meaning of which is “present as a witne .” It implies all that is understood by the Greek μάρτυς , and the English martyr; but it is also a much more comprehensive term, for, according to Muḥammadan law, not only those who die in witne of, or in defence of the faith, are martyrs, but all those who die such deaths as are calculated to excite the compa ion and pity of their fellow men. The word occurs in the Qurʾān, Sūrah iv. 71 : “Whoso obeys God and the Apostle, these are with those with whom God has been well pleased—with prophets ( nabīyīn ), and confe ors ( ṣiddīqīn ), and martyrs ( shuhadāʾ ), and the righteous ( ṣāliḥīn ): a fair company are they.” A perfect martyr, or ash-shahīdu ʾl-kāmil , is one who has either been slain in a religious war, or who has been killed unjustly. But the schools of divinity are not agreed as to whether it is nece ary, or not, that such persons should be in a state of ceremonial purity at the time of their death, to entitle them to such a high rank. A special ble ing is promised to those who die in a jihād , or religious war, see Qurʾān, Sūrah iii. 163 : “Count not those who are killed in the way of God as dead, but living with their Lord.” And according to Muslim law, all persons who have died in defence of the faith, or have been slain unjustly, are entitled to Muslim burial without the usual ablution or any change of clothes, such as are nece ary in the case of ordinary persons, the rank of martyrdom being such as to render the corpse legally pure. But in addition to these two cla es of persons, namely those who are slain in religious war, and those who have been killed unjustly, the rank of shahīd is given, in a figurative sense, to any who die in such a manner as to excite the sympathy and pity of mankind, such as by sudden death, or from some malignant disease, or in childbirth, or in the acquirement of knowledge, or a stranger in a foreign country, or dying on Thursday night. Those persons are entitled to the rank of martyr, but not to the honour of being buried without legal washing and purification. (See Raddu ʾl-Muḥtār , vol. i. p. 952; Kashshāf Iṣt̤ilāḥātu ʾl-Funūn , vol. i. p. 747; G͟hiyās̤u ʾl-Lug͟hah , in loco .) MĀRŪT ( ماروت‎ ). [ HARUT .] MARWAH ( مروة‎ ). A hill near Makkah, connected with the rites of the pilgrimage. According to Burton, it means “hard, white flints, full of fire.” [ HAJJ .] MARYAM ( مريم‎ ). [ MARY .]