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Saddam Hussein martyred?

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by Qibla.com

Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

1/ Should we consider Saddam Hussein to be a martyr? Is it permissible to do so?

2/ In general, if a person was a fasiq throughout his life, but his death fitted the description of a martyr, should that person be considered as such (i.e. Shaheed)?

Answer:
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Walaikum assalam wa rahmatullah,

I pray that this finds you well, and in the best of health and spirits. May Allah grant you all good and success in this life and the next.

Allah knows best what state Saddam Hussein–or anyone else–died in. As believers, we wish well for all humanity, and hate no one for themsleves. Rather, what we hate are wrongful actions, sins, and injustice–and not the persons who do them. Thus, we hate the many odious actions that Saddam Hussein committed, and pray that those wronged have their due redress in this life and the next. At the same time, we hope that Saddam Hussein (like any other human in his situation) sincerely repented from his sins before death.

Islamically, a martyr is someone who died in the field of battle. Those unjustly killed while upholding the truth, the good, or their rights can also be considered martyrs of the Hereafter. Does Saddam Hussein qualify as this? While it is certainly true–as the international community has generally affirmed–that the way he was brought to justice and hanged was wrong, unlawful, unfortunate, and ultimately harmful to the situation on the groun in Iraq, it would appear to be a stretch to consider him a “martyr” or any kind of Islamic hero. Not every act of defiance makes one a hero or a man of honor.

And Allah alone gives success.

Faraz Rabbani

This answer was indexed from Qibla.com, which used to have a repository of Islamic Q&A answered by various scholars. The website is no longer in existence. It has now been transformed into a learning portal with paid Islamic course offering under the brand of Kiflayn.

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