Question:
A man intended to perform Umrah on behalf of his deceased mother. While in the state of ihram, during Sa’i between Safa and Marwah, he fell unconscious and passed away. The imam in Makkah led his funeral prayer, and he was buried. Will he receive the status of a martyr (shahid)?
Answer:
First, it is important to note that performing Umrah on behalf of a deceased parent is not established in the Sunnah. Hajj may be performed on behalf of someone who had the obligation but died before fulfilling it, as the Prophetﷺ permitted this.
However, Umrah is not an obligation in the same way, and there is no similar permission to perform it on behalf of others. The deceased mother is not questioned by Allahﷻ for not performing Umrah, so the son’s action, while well-intentioned, was not necessary.
Regarding the status of martyrdom, there is no authentic hadith stating that one who dies while performing Hajj or Umrah becomes a martyr. The Prophetﷺ listed various causes of death that grant martyrdom—such as being killed in battle, dying from plague, drowning, being crushed under a collapsing building, dying during childbirth, and others—but Hajj or Umrah are not included.
What is narrated is that if a person dies while in ihram at Arafah after being trampled by an animal, the Prophetﷺ instructed that he be washed with water and lotus leaves, shrouded in two garments, and his head are not covered, for he will be raised on the Day of Judgment reciting the Talbiyah. This is a special honor, but it is not the status of martyrdom.
Therefore, the deceased in this case does not receive the status of a martyr.