Is one who is killed for speaking the truth (haq) a shahid?

Is the following statement correct?

One who has been oppressively killed for saying what’s right (not necessarily for spreading islam) or asking for his own right, is a shahid?

Answer:

Yes.

Rasulullah (sallallahu’alayhi wasallam) said:

‘Indeed among the greatest forms of jihad is to say what is fair in front of a tyrant ruler’

(Sunan Tirmidhi, Hadith: 2174. Declared sound (hasan gharib) by Imam Tirmidhi (rahimahullah). Also see Al-Maqasidul Hasanah, Hadith: 136 and Faydul Qadir, Hadith: 4954)

And Allah Ta’ala Knows best,

Answered by: Moulana Muhammad Abasoomar

Checked by: Moulana Haroon Abasoomar

This answer was collected from HadithAnswers.com. The answers were either answered or checked by Moulana Haroon Abasoomar (rahimahullah) who was a Shaykhul Hadith in South Africa, or by his son, Moulana Muhammad Abasoomer (hafizahullah), who is a Hadith specialist. 

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