حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَی بْنُ يَحْيَی وَأَبُو بَکْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ کِلَاهُمَا عَنْ أَبِي مُعَاوِيَةَ ح و حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ أَخْبَرَنَا جَرِيرٌ وَعِيسَی بْنُ يُونُسَ جَمِيعًا عَنْ الْأَعْمَشِ ح و حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ نُمَيْرٍ وَاللَّفْظُ لَهُ حَدَّثَنَا أَسْبَاطٌ وَأَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ قَالَا حَدَّثَنَا الْأَعْمَشُ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مُرَّةَ عَنْ مَسْرُوقٍ قَالَ سَأَلْنَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ عَنْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةِ وَلَا تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ قُتِلُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَمْوَاتًا بَلْ أَحْيَائٌ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ يُرْزَقُونَ قَالَ أَمَا إِنَّا قَدْ سَأَلْنَا عَنْ ذَلِکَ فَقَالَ أَرْوَاحُهُمْ فِي جَوْفِ طَيْرٍ خُضْرٍ لَهَا قَنَادِيلُ مُعَلَّقَةٌ بِالْعَرْشِ تَسْرَحُ مِنْ الْجَنَّةِ حَيْثُ شَائَتْ ثُمَّ تَأْوِي إِلَی تِلْکَ الْقَنَادِيلِ فَاطَّلَعَ إِلَيْهِمْ رَبُّهُمْ اطِّلَاعَةً فَقَالَ هَلْ تَشْتَهُونَ شَيْئًا قَالُوا أَيَّ شَيْئٍ نَشْتَهِي وَنَحْنُ نَسْرَحُ مِنْ الْجَنَّةِ حَيْثُ شِئْنَا فَفَعَلَ ذَلِکَ بِهِمْ ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ فَلَمَّا رَأَوْا أَنَّهُمْ لَنْ يُتْرَکُوا مِنْ أَنْ يُسْأَلُوا قَالُوا يَا رَبِّ نُرِيدُ أَنْ تَرُدَّ أَرْوَاحَنَا فِي أَجْسَادِنَا حَتَّی نُقْتَلَ فِي سَبِيلِکَ مَرَّةً أُخْرَی فَلَمَّا رَأَی أَنْ لَيْسَ لَهُمْ حَاجَةٌ تُرِکُوا
صحیح مسلم · Hadith 4885
It has been narrated on the authority of Masruq Who said: We asked 'Abdullah about the Qur'anic verse: Think not of those who are slain in Allah's way as dead. Nay, they are alive, finding their sustenance in the presence of their Lord.. (iii. 169). He said: We asked the meaning of the verse (from the Holy Prophet) who said: The souls, of the martyrs live in the bodies of green birds who have their nests in chandeliers hung from the throne of the Almighty. They eat the fruits of Paradise from wherever they like and then nestle in these chandeliers. Once their Lord cast a glance at them and said: Do ye want anything? They said: What more shall we desire? We eat the fruit of Paradise from wherever we like. Their Lord asked them the same question thrice. When they saw that they will continue to be asked and not left (without answering the question). they said: O Lord, we wish that Thou mayest return our souls to our bodies so that we may be slain in Thy way once again. When He (Allah) saw that they had no need, they were left (to their joy in heaven).
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020