It is narrated from Sayyiduna Malik bin Aws bin al-Hadathan (may Allah be pleased with him) that Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) came to a gathering in the Prophet's Mosque where people were talking about a military detachment (sariyyah) that had perished in the path of Allah. One of them was saying: "They were Allah's workers who gave their lives in His path, and their reward is now binding upon Allah." Another was saying: "Allah knows best about their state; they will have what they intended." When they saw Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) approaching, leaning on his staff, they fell silent. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) came near, gave salam and asked: "What were you talking about?" They said: "We were talking about this detachment that was martyred in the path of Allah. Some of us say that they were Allah's soldiers who died in His path and that their reward with Allah is certain, while others say that Allah knows their intentions best." At this Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Allah knows best. Indeed, some people fight for show and reputation; some people are such that when fighting descends upon them, they have no choice but to fight; and some people fight solely seeking the pleasure of Allah, and it is they who are truly the martyrs. Every person will be raised in the state in which he died. By Allah, no soul knows what will be done with it, except that person (the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)) about whom it has been made clear to us that all his past and future sins have been forgiven." This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the condition of Imam Bukhari, but the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim) did not record it; in this chapter they agreed on the hadith of Sayyiduna Abu Musa al-Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him): "Whoever fights so that the word of Allah is uppermost, he is (fighting) in the path of Allah."