from 'Abdullah that he was asked about Allah's saying: Think not of those as dead who are killed in the way of Allah. Nay they are alive, with their Lord (3:169). So he said: "As for us, we asked about that, and we were informed that their souls are in green birds wandering in Paradise wherever they wish, returning to lamps hanging from the Throne. Your Lord looks at them and says: 'Do you want anything more that We may grant you more?' They say: 'Our Lord! What more could we have when we are in Paradise wandering wherever we want' Then He looks at them a second time and says: "Do you want anything more that We may grant you more?' When they realize that they will not be left alone with that, they say: 'Return our souls to our bodies, so that we may return to the world to be killed in Your cause another time.'" AbU 'Ubaidah narrated similar from Ibn Mas'ud but he added: "Convey our Salam to our Prophet ﷺ and inform him that we are pleased, and You are pleased with us." (Da'if)  

عَنْ قَوْلِهِ (وَلَاَ تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ قُتِلُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَمْوَاتًا بَلْ أَحْيَاءٌ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ يُرْزَقُونَ ) فَقَالَ أَمَا إِنَّا قَدْ سَأَلْنَا عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَأُخْبِرْنَا أَنَّ أَرْوَاحَهُمْ فِي طَيْرٍ خُضْرٍ تَسْرَحُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ حَيْثُ شَاءَتْ وَتَأْوِي إِلَى قَنَادِيلَ مُعَلَّقَةٍ بِالْعَرْشِ فَاطَّلَعَ إِلَيْهِمْ رَبُّكَ اطِّلاَعَةً فَقَالَ هَلْ تَسْتَزِيدُونَ شَيْئًا فَأَزِيدُكُمْ قَالُوا رَبَّنَا وَمَا نَسْتَزِيدُ وَنَحْنُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ نَسْرَحُ حَيْثُ شِئْنَا ثُمَّ اطَّلَعَ إِلَيْهِمُ الثَّانِيَةَ فَقَالَ هَلْ تَسْتَزِيدُونَ شَيْئًا فَأَزِيدُكُمْ فَلَمَّا رَأَوْا أَنَّهُمْ لَمْ يُتْرَكُوا قَالُوا تُعِيدُ أَرْوَاحَنَا فِي أَجْسَادِنَا حَتَّى نَرْجِعَ إِلَى الدُّنْيَا فَنُقْتَلَ فِي سَبِيلِكَ مَرَّةً أُخْرَى  

“Think not of those as dead who are killed in the way of Allah. Nay, they are alive, with their Lord, and they have provision,”[3:169] that he said: “We asked about that, and (the Prophet ﷺ) said: ‘Their souls are like green birds that fly wherever they wish in Paradise, then they come back to lamps suspended from the Throne. While they were like that, your Lord looked at them and said, “Ask me for whatever you want.” They said: “O Lord, what should we ask You for when we can fly wherever we wish in Paradise?” When they saw that they would not be left alone until they had asked for something, they said: “We ask You to return our souls to our bodies in the world so that we may fight for Your sake (again).” When He saw that they would not ask for anything but that, they were left alone.’”  

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ فِي قَوْلِهِ {وَلاَ تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ قُتِلُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَمْوَاتًا بَلْ أَحْيَاءٌ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ يُرْزَقُونَ} قَالَ أَمَا إِنَّا سَأَلْنَا عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ أَرْوَاحُهُمْ كَطَيْرٍ خُضْرٍ تَسْرَحُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ فِي أَيِّهَا شَاءَتْ ثُمَّ تَأْوِي إِلَى قَنَادِيلَ مُعَلَّقَةٍ بِالْعَرْشِ فَبَيْنَمَا هُمْ كَذَلِكَ إِذِ اطَّلَعَ عَلَيْهِمْ رَبُّكَ اطِّلاَعَةً فَيَقُولُ سَلُونِي مَا شِئْتُمْ قَالُوا رَبَّنَا وَمَاذَا نَسْأَلُكَ وَنَحْنُ نَسْرَحُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ فِي أَيِّهَا شِئْنَا فَلَمَّا رَأَوْا أَنَّهُمْ لاَ يُتْرَكُونَ مِنْ أَنْ يَسْأَلُوا قَالُوا نَسْأَلُكَ أَنْ تَرُدَّ أَرْوَاحَنَا فِي أَجْسَادِنَا إِلَى الدُّنْيَا حَتَّى نُقْتَلَ فِي سَبِيلِكَ فَلَمَّا رَأَى أَنَّهُمْ لاَ يَسْأَلُونَ إِلاَّ ذَلِكَ تُرِكُوا  

[Machine] Regarding this verse, "{And never think of those who have been killed in the cause of Allah as dead. Rather, they are alive with their Lord, receiving provision}," it is narrated that the souls of the martyrs are like green birds, with lamps hanging from the Throne, roaming freely in Jannah wherever they wish. Allah then looks at them and says, "Do you desire anything so that I may increase it for you?" They reply, "Our Lord, are we not roaming freely in Jannah and have whatever we desire?" Allah does this thrice, and on the third time, they request for their souls to be returned to their bodies in order to fight in His cause and be killed again. Allah then remains silent regarding their request.  

عَنْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةِ {وَلَا تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ قُتِلُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ} إِلَى {يُرْزَقُونَ} قَالَ «أَرْوَاحُ الشُّهَدَاءِ عِنْدَ اللهِ ﷻ كَطَيْرٍ خُضْرٍ لَهَا قَنَادِيلُ مُعَلَّقَةٌ بِالْعَرْشِ تَسْرَحُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ حَيْثُ شَاءَتْ» قَالَ فَاطَّلَعَ عَلَيْهِمْ رَبُّكَ اطِّلَاعَةً فَقَالَ هَلْ تَشْتَهُونَ مِنْ شَيْءٍ فَأَزِيدُكُمُوهُ؟ قَالُوا رَبَّنَا أَلَسْنَا نَسْرَحُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ فِي أَيِّهَا حَيْثُ شِئْنَا؟ قَالَ ثُمَّ اطَّلَعَ عَلَيْهِمُ الثَّانِيَةَ فَقَالَ هَلْ تَشْتَهُونَ مِنْ شَيْءٍ فَأَزِيدُكُمُوهُ؟ قَالُوا رَبَّنَا أَلَسْنَا نَسْرَحُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ فِي أَيِّهَا حَيْثُ شِئْنَا؟ ثُمَّ اطَّلَعَ إِلَيْهِمُ الثَّالِثَةَ فَقَالَ هَلْ تَشْتَهُونَ مِنْ شَيْءٍ فَأَزِيدُكُمُوهُ؟ قَالُوا تُعِيدُ أَرْوَاحَنَا فِي أَجْسَادِنَا فَنُقَاتِلْ فِي سَبِيلِكَ فَنُقْتَلْ مَرَّةً أُخْرَى قَالَ «فَسَكَتَ عَنْهُمْ»  

"إِنَّ أرْوَاحَ الشُّهَدَاء فِى جوف طَيْرٍ خُضْرٍ، لها قَنَادِيلُ مُعلَّقَةٌ بِالعَرْشِ، تَسْرحُ فِى الْجَنَّةِ حَيْثُ شَاءَتْ، ثُمَّ تَأوى إِلى تِلْكَ الْقنادِيلِ، فاطَّلَعَ إِلَيْهمْ رَبُّهُمْ اطِّلَاعةً فقال: هلْ تَشْتَهُونَ شيئًا؟ قَالُوا: أَى شْئٍ نشْتهِى وَنَحْنُ نَسْرَحُ فِى الْجَنَّةِ حَيْثُ شِئْنَا؟ فَفَعَلَ ذَلِكَ بهِمْ ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ، فَلمَّا رَأَوا أَنَّهُمْ لَنْ يُتْركُوا مِنْ أَنْ يُسْأَلُوا، قَالُوا: ياربِّ نُرِيدُ أَنْ تَرُدَّ أَرْوَاحَنَا فِى أَجْسَادِنَا حَتَّى نَرْجعَ إِلى الدُّنْيَا فَنُقْتَلَ فِى سَبيلِكَ مَرَّةً أُخْرَى، فَلَمَّا رَأَى أَنْ لَيْسَ لهُمْ حَاجَةٌ تُرِكُوا ".