Answered by: Mufti Muhammad Asadullah Anwar Adam
Question:
Death due to a plague. Is the deceased regarded as a Shaheed?
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
It has been narrated by Anas bin Malik (R.A):
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Plague is the cause of martyrdom of every Muslim (who dies because of it).” [1]
It is a blessing of Allah that he has made possible great rewards for the people of this Ummah despite minimal effort and sacrifice. We the Ummah can only benefit from this. Mulla Ali Qari explains that these people will also have the rank of shaheed and will share only in some of the same blessings and bounties of the actual shaheed but not necessarily in every aspect and rank [2]. The greater reward, high rank, and honour are reserved for those who are considered to be shaheeds both in this world as well as the hereafter.
[1] [Sahih al Bukhari Hadith 2830]
[2] [Mirqaat, Vol 7, P376]
Only Allah knows best
Written by Mufti Muhammad Asadullah Anwar Adam
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham