a business trip by sea?
Praise be to Allaah.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked
about a man who traveled by sea for the purpose of trade, and he was
drowned – did he dieas a shaheed?
He replied, yes, he died as a shaheed, so long as he was not
travelling for sinful purposes. For it wasnarrated in a saheeh report
that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"The one who drowns is ashaheed, the one who dies of a stomach disease
is a shaheed, the one whois burnt to death is a shaheed, the one who
dies of the plague is a shaheed, the woman whodies giving birth is a
shaheed, and the one who is crushed by a collapsing building is a
shaheed." And people killed in other ways were also mentioned.
Travelling by sea for the purpose of trade is permissible, if one
thinks it is most likely to be safe.If it is not safe then he should
not travel for the purpose of trade; if he didthat [i.e., traveled
when it was not safe to do so], then he has contributed to his own
death, and in such a case we cannot saythat he was a shaheed. And
Allaah knows best
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