Does the Martyrdom Promised in the Hadiths Extend to a Fasiq?

Question

Many hadiths state that one who dies of such-and-such an illness, or who performs such-and-such an act, receives the reward of a martyr: (1) one who drowns, one who perishes in an accident, or one who dies by burning; (2) one who dies in a state of wudu. If a person dying within these two groups is a fasiq — that is, one who performs prayer and fasting yet also commits major sins — will he be freed from the punishment of the grave? And will he obtain in Paradise a place in the abode of the martyrs?

Answer

When Allah the Exalted wishes to send down His mercy upon a servant, He is not bound by any law in doing so: if He wills, He forgives all the sins of the greatest of fasiqs and sends him to Paradise without any hesitation; if He wills, He grants an immense reward for a very small deed; and if He wills, He calls to account even for a trifling matter.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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