dying sick?

[uk brother]

salaam to all.i have a quick question to ask.there is a hadeeth out there which prophet muhammed(pbuh) was supposed to have said...

"a dying person dying of a illness will die as a martyr"

what i dont understand is as you get older your going to die of a disease anyway.more than likely most of us will die of a certain disease cancer etc.now i need clarification about this hadeeth from people who have more knowledge than me.

if a person lives a bad life and they reach the age of 50, 60 and develop cancer etc.will that person be classed as a martyr?
im finding it very hard to phrase the question, hmm... as you get older your more than likely to die of a disease, so how is that person going to die as a martyr?

 

[BintMuhammad]

Assalamu alaikum,

She fell into a well and died – is she counted as a shaheedah (martyr)?

Question:
My mother died approximately twenty years ago, by falling into a well that was not completely filled with water. She was a righteous woman. Is she among those who are counted as shuhadaa’ (martyrs)?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Yes, those who drown are counted as martyrs, because of the report from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) according to which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The shuhadaa’ are five: the one who dies of plague, the one who dies of a stomach disease, the one who drowns, the one who is crushed by a falling wall, and the one who is killed for the sake of Allaah.” This was narrated by Maalik in al-Muwatta’, and by al-Bukhaari, Muslim and al-Tirmidhi.

And Allaah is the Source of strength. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions, and grant them peace.



Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

See also His wife died following childbirth – is she a shaheedah (martyr)?

 

[uk brother]

salaam

thanks for reply.plague means disease?what disease is this hadeeth on about?
like i said as you get old your more than likely to get a disease and pass away.so this hadeeth is telling me that people who are old and have cancer etc die as martyrs?
(do consider the amount of people that die of diseases).