'Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Whom do you reckon to be the martyr among you?” His hearers replied, “The one who is killed in God’s path is the martyr, Messenger of God.” He said, “The martyrs among my people would then be few. He who is killed in God’s path is a martyr, he who dies in God’s path is a martyr, he who dies of plague is a martyr, and he who dies of a disease in the belly is a martyr.”
He told that God’s Messenger and his companions went off and reached Badr before the polytheists, and when the polytheists arrived he said, “Rise to go to a garden whose breadth is as great as the heavens and the earth.” ‘Umair b. al-Humam thereupon said, “Bravo, bravo!” and when God’s Messenger asked him what had made him say that, he replied, “Nothing, I swear by God, Messenger of God, but a hope that I might be among its inhabitants.” He told him that he would be among them. He then took some dates out of his quiver and began to eat them, but after a little said, “If I live till I eat my dates it will mean a long life.” So he threw away the dates he had and then fought with the enemy till he was killed.
‘Abdallah b. ‘Amr reported God’s Messenger as saying, “No war-like party or body of troops will go out to fight, gain booty and return safe without getting beforehand two-thirds of their rewards,* and no war-like party or body of troops will be disappointed of their hopes and be smitten without getting their rewards in full.”
* The suggestion is made that the two-thirds are a safe return and booty which they get in this world, the remaining third being reward in the next.
Anas told that ar-Rubaiyi‘ daughter of al-Bara’, who was the mother of Haritha b. Suraqa, came to the Prophet and said, “Prophet of God, will you not tell me about Haritha? (He had been killed at the battle of Badr, being struck by a random arrow.) If he is in paradise I shall show endurance, but if he has met another fate I shall exert myself in weeping for him.” He replied, “Mother of Haritha, in paradise there are gardens, and your son has attained to al-Firdaus, the highest.”
