Humaid bin Abdur Rahman Humairi says that a man named Hamma set out for jihad towards Isfahan during the caliphate of Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). This man was among the Companions of the Messenger. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: O Allah! Indeed, Hamma thinks that he desires to meet You. If Hamma is truthful, then fulfill his truth and grant him martyrdom, and if he is lying, then still grant him martyrdom, even if he dislikes it. O Allah! Do not return Hamma from this journey. It happened as such, and he died in the region of Isfahan due to a stomach illness. Sayyiduna Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up and said: O people! Whatever we have heard from your Prophet and the knowledge we have gained, it demands that Hamma is a martyr.

It is narrated from Abu Ishaq, he says: A pious man passed away. When his funeral was taken out, we met Sayyiduna Khalid bin 'Arfatah and Sayyiduna Sulaiman bin Surad (may Allah be pleased with them both). Both were companions. They said: You have preceded us regarding this pious man. The people said: He had a stomach illness and we were afraid because of the heat. Hearing this, each of the two looked at the other and said: Did you not hear the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say that whoever dies due to a stomach illness will not be punished in the grave? (According to another narration in Musnad Ahmad, the other companion replied: Yes, indeed.)

It is narrated from Sayyida Hafsa (may Allah be pleased with her), she says: I asked Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) how Ibn Abi Amrah died, he said: due to plague. Then he said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Plague is martyrdom for every Muslim.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna ‘Irbaad bin Saariyah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The martyrs and those who die a natural death on their beds will dispute before Allah Almighty about those people who die due to plague. The martyrs will say: These are our brothers and were martyred like us. Those who died on their beds will say: These are our brothers and died a natural death on their beds just as we did. Allah Almighty, while deciding, will say: You people look at their wounds; if their wounds are similar to the wounds of the martyrs, then they are among them and with them. Thus, their wounds will be similar to the wounds of the martyrs.

Sayyiduna Utbah bin Abd Sulami (may Allah be pleased with him) has also narrated a similar type of hadith from the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Uqbah bin Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Whoever dies from internal boils (such as cancer and tumors, etc.) is a martyr.

Muhammad bin Ziyad Al-Hani says: The mention of martyrs was made in the presence of Sayyiduna Abu ‘Unbah Khawlaani (may Allah be pleased with him). People mentioned those who die from stomach illness, plague, and women who die during childbirth. Sayyiduna Abu ‘Unbah (may Allah be pleased with him) became angry and said: The companions of our Prophet narrated to us from our Prophet (may Allah be pleased with him) that he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The martyrs of Allah on earth are those who are trustworthy among His creation in His land; whether they are killed or die a natural death.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna ‘Ubada bin Samit (may Allah be pleased with him), he says: I was ill and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came to visit me along with some Ansari people. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Do you know who is a martyr (shaheed)? They remained silent in response. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Do you know who is a martyr? They remained silent this time as well. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) again said: I am asking, do you know who is a martyr? I said to my wife: Support me. So she supported me, then I said: Yes, the one who accepted Islam, then migrated, and then was killed in the way of Allah, he is a martyr. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Then the number of martyrs in my Ummah will be very few. Rather, being killed in the way of Allah is martyrdom, dying due to a stomach illness is martyrdom, drowning is martyrdom, and dying in the state of postnatal bleeding is also martyrdom.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Rashid bin Hubaysh (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came to visit Sayyiduna Ubadah bin Samit to inquire about his health, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Do you know who are the martyrs of my Ummah? The people remained silent, but Sayyiduna Ubadah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Support me. So the people supported him, then he said: O Messenger of Allah! The one who is patient with the intention of reward. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Then the martyrs of my Ummah will be few. Listen, being killed in the way of Allah is martyrdom, plague is martyrdom, drowning is martyrdom, death due to stomach illness is martyrdom, and as for women in the state of postnatal bleeding, their child will pull them towards Paradise by the part of the navel that is cut at the time of birth. In Abu Awam’s narration, there is an addition of these individuals: the servant of Bayt al-Maqdis is a martyr, burning in fire is martyrdom, and dying in a flood is also martyrdom.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna ‘Ubada bin Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came to visit Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah bin Rawaha (may Allah be pleased with him) to inquire about his health. Due to the severity of his illness, he could not move from his bed for the sake of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Who are the martyrs of my Ummah? The people said: The killing of a Muslim is martyrdom. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Then the martyrs of my Ummah will be few. Listen, the killing of a Muslim is also martyrdom, plague is also martyrdom, and the pregnant woman who dies because of her child in her womb is also a martyr.