But martyrdom removes that uncertainty, that suspense.

But martyrdom removes that uncertainty, that suspense. It immediately bestows on the martyr the joy, the everlasting bliss and an immortal life in of Allah. So this is the reality which the Qur'an has taught us: That if we are killed in the way of Allah, we shall continue our lives in the next world with true honour and real prestige. Not only that: We shall be sacrificing a transitory life of a few years; but Allah will reward us with eternal and everlasting life in His presence.

It is because Allah, the Eternal, is the Creator of life, and when a life is sacrificed to please Him, He in His mercy bestows prestigious immortality on that life. Shahudat or martyrdom means testifying, witnessing. A martyr testifies with his blood the glory of God; his indelible blood becomes a permanent evidence of God's unity, His power and His majesty.

Allah as a reward makes him immortal The flame of life is never extinguished; death cannot conquer his soul Allah has said in the Qur'an: Surely Allah has bought of the believer their persons and their properties for this: that they shall have the Garden. (9:111) Here we find a business deal made between Allah and the believers. There are four elements in every trade transaction: a seller, a buyer, a merchandise and a price.

In this deal too all the factors are clearly mentioned: The believers are the sellers; and Allah is their customer, who has bought from them their lives and their properties, and has offered the Garden as the price. It should not be forgotten that, in real fact, every thing - including the believers and their lives and properties -belongs to Allah. Still He, in His mercy and grace, is buying His own belongings from the believers -which they had received from Allah Himself, in the first place.

So He buys what in fact already belongs to Him, and then offers an everlasting price for it, and that is the Garden.

Islamic laws, sent down by Allah, recognize three modes of business deal: (1) Where on conclusion of deal, goods are handed over to the customer and price paid to the seller-all in the same sitting; (2) Where the goods are delivered in that sitting but payment of price is deferred to an agreed date; (3) Where price is paid in that sitting but delivery of good is deferred to an agreed date. Islam recognizes all three types of transactions as valid and binding.

But if neither the goods have been delivered nor the price has been paid, then such a deal is not binding in Islamic jurisprudence.