al-bagarah_p348

154. " and do not say of those who are slain in allah's way:
` they are dead.' nay (they are) alive,
but you perceive (it) not."

commentary :

the qur'anic phrase ` of those who are slain in allah's way '
refers to those who are slain (i.e. martyred) in the battles led by the
prophet (p.b.u.h.) or imams (a.s.) or one of their specific deputies, as
well as anyone who is martyred on the path of islam and propagation of
the religion of allah. the content of the verse is inclusive of not only
all who are slain in the path of allah such as: the immaculate imams
(a.s.) their ministers, muslim scholars and believers, although the
occasion of revelation of the verse is reported that it was revealed
about the muslims who were martyred in the battle of badr, but also
any one other than them.

" and do not say of those who are slain in allah's way:
` they are dead.'..."

the phenomenon of martyrdom is more clearly described in sura
'ali-`imran, no. 3, verses 169,170 which gives further information
about the truth that those who surrender or sacrifice their lives in the
way of allah (i.e. the martyrs) are alive receiving their sustenance
from their lord.

" and reckon not those who are killed in allah's way as dead; nay
they are alive (and) are provided sustenance from their lord;" " rejoicing
in what allah has given them out of his grace, ..."

the term /sahid/ ` martyred ' used in many occurrences in the
qur'an refers to this blissful state of realization.

therefore, this stage of life, i.e. the life immediately after death,
i.e. the purgatory life, is not allocated to martyrs alone, though the
verse is about them, but it envelops all people, because stating
something does not mean that the unstated, but applicable, instances
are not involved. for example, when we say ` this man is just ', it does
not mean that justice belongs to him exclusively and there is not any
other just person; while there may be thousands of people who are just.

thus, this verse, here, confirms the purgatorial life for the
martyrs. this life, the intermediate state, according to many verses of
the qur'an and abundant islamic traditions, exists for all believers and
nonbelievers both, with a distinction. the soul of a believer, after
departuring from its physical body, will settle in a body similar to this
one and will be sustained in that world until when the hereafter comes
forth; while the soul of a nonbeliever, during the time when passing this
course, will be in torment, as the qur'an says: " (in falsehood will they
be) until when death comes to one of them, he says: ` o' my lord! send me
back (to life), " " in order that i may work righteousness in the things i
neglected. ' by no means! it is but a word he says, before them is a
partition till the day they are raised up." (sura al-mu'min, no. 23, verses 99 and 100).

it is narrated from yunus-ibn-thibyan who said he was sitting
with imam sadiq (a.s.) when he was explaining about the believers'
souls and he (a.s.) said: " o' yunus! when allah gets the soul of a believer
taken, he puts his soul in a setting like his body that was in this world. so,
they eat and drink and when a comer enters he recognizes them in the same
form as they were in the world." 1

also, abu-basir narrates from imam sadiq (a.s.) who, about the
believers' souls, said: " (they will be) in heaven with the same features as
their (worldly) bodies were so that if you see him (one of them) you will
surely recognize him and say who he is." 2

then the qur'an continues saying:

"...nay, (they are) alive, ..."

life is divided into four sorts: the plant-life, the animal-life, the
human-life, and the faith-life.

plant-life is the power of growth which is common among plants
and animals including human beings. the death of this particular life is
when that power stops.

animal-life is the power by which feeling and conscious
movement come to being. human beings and animals have this life in
common. it dies when this power ceases.

human-life is the faculty of general reasoning and perceiving by
which man is distinguished from animal. this phenomenon emerges
because of that abstract and rational soul which administrates this body.
its death causes the interruption of this administration and breaking off
its connection with the body but there is no destruction for it and it
remains to return to the body again when the resurrection occurs. so,
this purgatorial state exists not only for martyrs or muslims, but for the
soul of every conscious being.

faith-life is the peace of mind, assurance of self, and clearness of
heart all of which come into existence for a believer through faith and
knowing allah. it is in this state that he can live in rest and tranquility
with joy and pleasure because the toils, hardships, and miseries of this
world would not create any awe, worry, anxiety or instability for him.
this very condition originates from his relianace and belief in
providence, who gives only goodness.

this life is the same as the ` good life ', about which the lord says:
" whoever works righteousness, man or woman, and has faith, verily, to
him will we give a new life, a life that is good and pure, and we will bestow
on such their reward according to the best of their actions." (sura
an-nahl, no. 16, verse 97). and, the qur'an also says: " o' you who
have faith! give your response to allah and his apostle, when he calleth
you to that which will give you life; ..." (sura al-anfal, no. 8, verse 24).

it is said that the utterances in a language indicate meanings so
that letter and spirit correspond with each other. for example, the
term `light or lamp ' is applied to any means which is used in darkness
to get brightness from. then, whatever has this function, the
application of that term for it is correct, although the substance is
different from the point of material, form and other qualities.

life is a general sense which is recognized by the appearance of
the effects which are expected from it. in this sense, the term ` life ' is
used for the essence of allah, too. the example of this idea is recited
in sura 'al-i-`imran, no. 3, verse 2 which says: " allah! there is no
god but he, the living, the self-subsisting, eternal." that is, the essence
from whom the effects of knowledge and power are clear and manifest.
that is why some sholars said that allah's life is his very knowledge
and power. of course, the essence of the knower and the mighty is
alive. therefore, wherever the effects of this meaning exist, the
application of this utterance is correct, but it is not necessary that its
kind and its characteristics and properties, which are appropriate to
those particular situations, be the same everywhere and in all
circumstances. hence, the life in purgatory, from the point of quality
for martyrs and other people, is of the quality of the same world. it is
for this reason that the people of this world with their senses, the
quality of the nature of which is of the quality of this world, can not
perceive that which is of the quality of the nature of that world.

"...but you perceive (it) not."

by the way, this verse clears the doubt of materialist and pagans
who believe that with death, man's life becomes extinct, i.e. there is no
life after death. here, the qur'an warns all, muslim or non-muslim,
that man's life does not perish after death, but it does
remain.

so, with this in mind, we realize that there is nothing more
valuable or worthwhile than the time spent striving for the perfection of
such a life. may allah help us all to follow his ordinances that he so
graciously made available to us by way of the qur'an in order that we
might experience success in this life and in the hereafter.

1 majma` ul-bayan,vol. 1,p.236