The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said to his Companions: "Allah put the spirits of your brothers martyred at Uhud in green birds..." Will you explain this hadith?

It is written in a hadith that the spirits of Uhud martyrs will benefit from the boons of Paradise in green birds. Does the spirit enter a green bird or is the spirt among birds? Will you explain it?

Dear Brother / Sister,

Ibn Abbas narrates: The Messenger of Allah said to his Companions:

"When your brethren were smitten at the battle of Uhud, which go down to the rivers of Paradise, eat its fruit and nestle in lamps of gold in the shade of the Throne. Then when they experienced the sweetness of their food, drink and rest, they asked: Who will tell our brethren about us that we are alive in Paradise provided with provision, in order that they might not be disinterested in jihad and recoil in war? "

Allah said to them,

" I shall tell them about you." Then, He sent down the following verse:

"Think not of those who are slain in Allah´s way as dead. Nay, they live, finding their sustenance in the presence of their Lord; They rejoice in the bounty provided by Allah: And with regard to those left behind, who have not yet joined them (in their bliss), the (Martyrs) glory in the fact that on them is no fear, nor have they (cause to) grieve." [(Aal-i Imran, 3/169, 170) Abu Dawud, Jihad 27, (2520)]

EXPLANATION:

The hadith above informs us about the reason why the verse stating that martyrs are not dead and that they are alive was sent down and explains the verse partly.

According to our observation, there is no difference between dying as a martyr and dying normally. Both of them are deaths. It is possible to understand that the life in the grave will be different for believers and unbelievers or righteous people and evil people but the martyrs’ having a different barzakh life and their being alive, not “dead”, is an issue that is difficult to understand. 

We will quote two paragraphs that explain the issue in an understandable way from Badiuzzaman Said Nursi. Diving life into five, Nursi shows that the life of martyrs is in the fourth level and makes the following explanation:

"According to the Qur’an, the martyrs are at a level of life higher than that of the other dead in their graves. Since they sacrificed their worldly lives in the way of truth, in His perfect munificence Almighty God bestows on them in the Intermediate Realm a life resembling earthly life, but without its sorrows and hardships. They do not know themselves to be dead and suppose only that they have gone to a better world. Enjoying themselves in perfect happiness, they do not suffer the pains of separation that accompany death. For sure the spirits of the dead are immortal, but they know they are dead. The happiness and pleasure they experience in the Intermediate World are not equal to the martyrs’ happiness. Like if two men in their dreams enter a beautiful palace resembling Paradise: one knows that he is dreaming and the pleasure and enjoyment he receives are deficient. He thinks: “If I wake up, all this enjoyment will disappear.” While the other man is unaware that he is dreaming, and he experiences true pleasure and delight.

Thus, the martyrs partake of life in the Intermediate Realm differently to the other dead. It has been definitely established by innumerable incidents and narrations that they manifest life in the way described above and suppose themselves to be alive. Indeed, their level of life has been illuminated and proved on numerous occasions by such occurrences as Hamza (May God be pleased with him) – the lord of the martyrs – protecting those who have recourse to him, and his performing and making performed tasks in this world. I myself, even, had a nephew and student called Ubeyd. He was killed at my side and in my place and became a martyr. Then, when I was being held as a prisoner-of-war at a place three months’ distance away, I entered his grave in a true dream, which was a sort of dwelling-place under the earth, although I did not know where he was buried. I saw him living the martyrs’ level of life. He evidently thought that I was dead and said that he had grieved over me greatly. He thought he was alive, but having retreated before the Russian invasion, had made himself a good home under the ground. Thus, owing to such indications, my unimportant dream convinced me about the above-mentioned truth as certainly as having witnessed it."

(Prof. Dr. İbrahim Canan, Kütüb-ü Sitte Tercüme ve Şerhi)

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