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).  

عَنْ هَذِهِ الآيَةِ { وَلاَ تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ قُتِلُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَمْوَاتًا بَلْ أَحْيَاءٌ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ يُرْزَقُونَ} قَالَ أَمَا إِنَّا قَدْ سَأَلْنَا عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ أَرْوَاحُهُمْ فِي جَوْفِ طَيْرٍ خُضْرٍ لَهَا قَنَادِيلُ مُعَلَّقَةٌ بِالْعَرْشِ تَسْرَحُ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ حَيْثُ شَاءَتْ ثُمَّ تَأْوِي إِلَى تِلْكَ الْقَنَادِيلِ فَاطَّلَعَ إِلَيْهِمْ رَبُّهُمُ اطِّلاَعَةً فَقَالَ هَلْ تَشْتَهُونَ شَيْئًا قَالُوا أَىَّ شَىْءٍ نَشْتَهِي وَنَحْنُ نَسْرَحُ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ حَيْثُ شِئْنَا فَفَعَلَ ذَلِكَ بِهِمْ ثَلاَثَ مَرَّاتٍ فَلَمَّا رَأَوْا أَنَّهُمْ لَنْ يُتْرَكُوا مِنْ أَنْ يُسْأَلُوا قَالُوا يَا رَبِّ نُرِيدُ أَنْ تَرُدَّ أَرْوَاحَنَا فِي أَجْسَادِنَا حَتَّى نُقْتَلَ فِي سَبِيلِكَ مَرَّةً أُخْرَى فَلَمَّا رَأَى أَنْ لَيْسَ لَهُمْ حَاجَةٌ تُرِكُوا  

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