The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem called martyrdom a "badge of honor" bestowed upon the chosen of Allah in a recent interview.
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Speaking at an event in Ramallah in honor of the "martyrs" of the Gaza Strip and Jerusalem, Sheikh Muhammad Hussein said, "This badge of honor is praised and respected in this world, and those upon whom it was bestowed are honored in the hereafter as well. I am talking about the badge of honor of martyrdom, martyrdom for the sake of truth, for the sake of Allah, for the sake of rights, and for the sake of defending the homeland and honor from the attacks of attackers and the oppression of oppressors."
Martyrdom, said Hussein, was bestowed only upon the righteous.
"Therefore, Allah said [in the Quran] about them and about this badge of honor: 'Do not say about those who were killed for the sake of Allah that they are dead. Rather, they are alive, but you do not perceive,'" he said.
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"In another verse, [Allah] said, 'Think not of those who were killed for the sake of Allah as dead. Rather, they are alive with their Lord, and they are well-provided.' This is a life of honor in the hereafter and an enormous legacy in this world."
Hussein's speech was aired on Palestine TV on May 25, just days after his Friday sermon at the Al-Aqsa Mosque was interrupted by angry worshippers, who chanted: "Dogs of the PA, get out!" and accused him of being a spy.
Featured on JNS.org, this article was first published by MEMRI.org.
