For many years, the phrase “Martyrs are immortal, the homeland is indivisible”, which has been chanted in unison at every martyr’s funeral, has become a discourse that expresses our feelings, reduces our anguish and reflects our anger. Some consider it a simple slogan. Others claim that it has become a hollow one and are disturbed by it.
However, even though it has become a slogan, it is the expression of two very important values such as the feeling of martyrdom and the love of homeland, which have been summarized and turned into an idiom.
Last week there were treacherous attacks against the Turkish soldiers. Twelve of our sons were martyred and dozens of terrorists were killed in return. It is a real shame for this nation that there are those who feel sorry for those carcasses and rejoice for our martyrs in our Veteran Parliament!
On the other hand, while our martyrs were being buried in their hometowns, some ignorant people immediately started a new debate on social media on their income levels. By showing the houses of the martyrs, they made comparisons such as why poor people are always martyred, why there is no villa or a photo of a solid house here. Thus, knowingly or unknowingly, on the one hand, martyrdom is revealed to be a condition specific to the poor, and on the other hand, it is as if all those who are well-off are tried to be shown to be far from the love of homeland and the determination of martyrdom…
All these are deliberate and intended to create a false perception against martyrdom. As if to say that if they had money they would not have the feeling of martyrdom.
Some people read history but cannot make any sense of it. Because reading and understanding are not the same thing. If they could understand, they would realize that this has been the case throughout history.
As a matter of fact, people of knowledge were not enrolled to military service in the Ottoman Empire. But they knew best how valuable martyrdom was. As for the timariots (tımarlı sipahi), the rich would feed and send soldiers according to their wealth. The recruited children were usually the sons of the poor.
In Europe, mercenary service was common. Why would rich people be interested in military service? There, too, it was mostly the poor, unemployed and powerless people who were interested in military service.
Today, are the rich countries also sending their soldiers to war? They establish many organizations under the name of PKK, PYD, YPG, DAESH. They find men in other countries to serve their ambitions, buy them with money and use them. And they die as bought traitors!…
The motto “martyrs are immortal, the homeland is indivisible” is actually our declaration to the world that “we live with the desire to be martyrs and die as martyrs” for the sake of homeland, flag, religion and honor as one and as a whole, from old to young, from rich to poor, from women to men.
Hundreds of thousands in twelve cities, tens of thousands in Fenerbahçe stadium and all hearts were shaken with this love and emotion. Only the traitors could not achieve this bliss.
Martyrdom is a value unique to the Muslim!
The value of martyrdom in our religion is very high. So much so that it wouldn’t be enough to write books which has volumes to explain the value our religion places on veteranism and martyrdom. In this respect, our nation’s expression “Martyrs are immortal” is an abbreviated version of many verses and hadiths.
Allahu Taala declares that the martyrs are not dead, but alive, and that they are sustenanced by Him. Even though man reaches this level by dying, Allahu Taala declares that they are not dead, but alive with a life that we cannot understand:
‘Do not say ‘dead’ about those who died in the way of Allah! They are alive. But you do not sense this.’ (The hundred and fifty fourth âyat of Baqara Sûra)
In another verse He says:
“Never think of those martyred in the cause of Allah as dead. In fact, they are alive with their Lord, well provided for rejoicing in Allah’s bounties and being delighted for those yet to join them. There will be no fear for them, nor will they grieve.” (The hundred and sixty ninth âyat of Al-i İmran Sûra)
Our glorious Prophet has many hadiths on this subject.
It is narrated from Hadrat Anas (radiy-Allâhu anh) that he said in a hadith about the degree of martyrdom:
“No one who enters Paradise desires to return to the world, even if everything on earth is his. Only the martyr wishes to return to the world and be martyred ten times over because of the honor and treatment he receives” (Tirmidhi, Fezâil al-jihâd 13, 25).
In addition to being a martyr, even aspiring to martyrdom is a great bliss. Indeed, our beloved Prophet said in this regard:
“If a person earnestly desires to be martyred in the way of Allah, even if he dies in his bed, Allah will raise him to the rank of martyrs.” (Muslim, Imaraa. 157. II, 1517)
Martyrdom is the desire to attain the true promise of Allah, which has made our nation run from victory to victory and adorned the pages of history with epics of heroism, and to be worthy of the reward He has prepared for martyrs.
Our ancestors stopped the Crusader armies, which were a great disaster for Islam and Muslims, with this spirit and excitement, made Anatolia the homeland of Muslim Turks from 1071 onwards, and with the conquest of Constantinople in 1453, closed the Middle Age and opened the New Age by annihilating the Byzantine Empire. Whether he was victorious or defeated on the battlefields, martyrdom was his greatest motto.
Dilaver Cebeci Bey, one of our late poets, pointed out in one of his poems, “For the sake of the houses that gave martyrs”, that the houses of the martyrs also had a share in this martyrdom and how venerable they were.
Lord, don’t make the dog breed happy!
Don’t let my nation be tricked!
Let lightning fall on their feast and wedding!
Protect my religion, my traditions, O Lord!
For the sake of the threes, sevens and forties,
For the sake of martyred homes,
For the sake of the righteous pure races,
Blind their eyes, do not make them see, O Lord!
The homeland is indivisible!
The souls of the martyrs are happy to see their beautiful positions in the Hereafter and enjoy the blessings of Paradise. A dying person does not eat, drink, enjoy anything, or rejoice.
However, martyrs are not like that. Because martyrs, even though they are visibly dead, are alive with a special life that Allah has bestowed upon them. They have the ability to feel, taste and enjoy. They are provided with abundant blessings and ample sustenance in the sight of Allah and they live a happy life, but people in the world cannot comprehend this.
There is no homeland without martyrdom. This paradise homeland we have today is the land that our heroic ancestors entrusted to us by watering every inch of it with their blood. How beautifully the poet has expressed it:
Don’t think your ancestors slept for centuries,
How were you going to find a homeland then?
Another poet said:
We have been living here for nine hundred years,
Millions of lives were sacrificed for this land.
Homeland is everything for a Muslim. Because sacred values such as religion, honor and independence can only be protected by the homeland. For this reason, our ancestors made all kinds of sacrifices for this beautiful homeland and did not surrender it to the enemy by shedding their blood.
Of course, we will love this homeland, which is kneaded with the blood of our ancestors, and of course, if necessary, we will gladly die for it. The love of homeland in our noble nation is alive with all its vitality. The poets who interpret the feelings of our nation express this beautifully in their verses.
Our martyrs have entrusted this paradise homeland to us by shedding their blood. Our duty is to build and protect these lands and hand them over to the next generations. If we do not do this, we will have failed to fulfill our duties both to our homeland and to our martyrs and we hurt their souls.
Asking the country to mourn during the news of the latest martyrs will do nothing but make the enemy happy and hurt their souls.
One of the martyrs in this latest conflict was my fellow countryman from Boyabat, infantry soldier Çağatay Erenoğlu. He had previously been wounded in a clash with terrorists in Northern Iraq and had been treated at GATA for eight months. One should think about what force could have brought this young man back to his barracks after four days at home.
Therefore, instead of discriminating between rich and poor, we should realize the difference between having the feeling of martyrdom and not having it and show our attitude to those who do not have it.
I wish mercy to all our martyrs from Allahu Taala, patience to their families and gratitude and thanks to our veterans. My condolences to our nation…
REFLECTION
We haven’t had enough of traveling in the homeland,
To challenge the enemy.
To sacrifice lives for the homeland
We are ready, even if we are resurrected.
Prof. Dr. Ahmet Şimşirgil
29th December 2023
Türkiye Gazetesi