Afterlife Shocker! Martyrs Get the Bird

Since the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, there has been much speculation of what impact there will be on al-Qaeda in Iraq and the global war on terror. Naturally, opinions vary. Through time, we'll know.

But a more curious question also should be answered. What happens to Zarqawi's remains? Once all his body pieces have been collected, it's presumed that they will be given to his family for a final farewell and internment.

According to Adil Salahi, who answers religious questions for the Arab News, cremation is not an option. Islam forbids it because fire is the symbol of divine punishment. Therefore, "when a Muslim dies, his relatives attend to him or her, washing their bodies thoroughly and wrapping them in clean shrouds, offering a special congregational prayer for them before burying them." The guidance applies even when only pieces of the deceased carcass remain.

After burial, the soul or spirit does not remain in the grave. Instead, it goes somewhere but the Qur'an doesn't specify where.

God says in the Qur'an: "They ask you about the spirit. Say, (knowledge of) the spirit belongs to my Lord; and you have been given but scanty knowledge." (17:85 )

Okay. So the body rots in the grave and the soul goes to the Lord. Seems pretty clear.

There is, however, the special case of martyrs. Some have said that Zarqawi was a martyr and, if so, he would be governed by a different procedure.

The Prophet tells us, for example, that the spirits of martyrs remain within green birds flying in heaven.

Now, I'm flummoxed. There's no mention of any virgins, much less the advertised 72.

Agreed, Adil Salahi is only one of a seemingly inexhaustible supply of Qur'anic experts but he writes for a primary media outlet in the Wahabist Kingdom of Saudi Arabia which likely indicates his words are authoritative. Nevertheless, he may have skipped over some salient details regarding the afterlife of martyrs. If so, it's still difficult to create a link between 72 virgins and green birds. Maybe there's a separate passage in the Qur'an which explains how martyrs, virgins and birds are related.

My guess would be that the idea of offering 72 virgins was created as an advertising gimmick to buttress the recruiting of martyrs after the green bird promise failed to get many takers. After all, there is little reason to believe that truth in advertising is a basic precept of Islam.

In summary, Zarqawi, certified as a martyr, would fly in heaven inside a green bird. If Zarqawi is not certified as a martyr, he doesn't get the bird and his soul goes to some undefined place. Apparently, there's no other option.

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