Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
The martyrs of this ummah are many, praise be to Allah. The
one who is killed or dies (in jihad) for the sake of Allah is a martyr; the
one who dies defending his wealth or property is a martyr; the one who dies
defending his honour is a martyr; the one who dies of the plague is a
martyr; the one who dies by drowning is a martyr; the one who dies of
pleurisy is a martyr; the one who dies of a stomach ailment is a martyr; the
one who dies by burning is a martyr; the one who dies under a collapsed wall
or building is a martyr; and the woman who dies in childbirth is a martyr.
See the answer to questions no.
4017,
93105 and
151904
Secondly:
There is no shar‘i evidence – as far as we know – to suggest
that the one who suffers difficulty in breathing then dies as a result of
suffocation is regarded as a martyr, but at-Tabaraani narrated in
al-Mu‘jam al-Kabeer (6115) from Salmaan that the Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Being killed for the sake of Allah is
martyrdom; dying of the plague is martyrdom; dying in childbirth is
martyrdom; being burned to death is martyrdom; drowning is martyrdom;
tuberculosis is martyrdom and dying of a stomach complaint is martyrdom.”
Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami‘,
3691
Tuberculosis is a disease that affects the lungs in which the
person becomes emaciated and dies.
Al-Mu‘jam al-Waseet, 1/445
However, there is no clear indication that the one who dies
as a result of difficulty in breathing is a martyr. The status of martyrdom
is a special status before Allah, and not everyone who dies of sickness
attains it, even if he is one of the righteous close friends of Allah.
Rather it is a status concerning which we adhere to what is mentioned in the
texts, and we do not know of any shar‘i text that suggests that the one who
dies as a result of difficulty breathing is regarded as being one of the
martyrs. But there are many other positions of virtue and reward before
Allah apart from that, and Allah’s bounty towards His slaves is abundant.
Thirdly:
We do not know of any shar‘i evidence to suggest that having
a nosebleed as death is approaching is one of the signs of a good end.
The signs of a good end were mentioned by Shaykh al-Albaani
(may Allah have mercy on him) in Ahkaam al-Janaa’iz (pp. 34-46). We
have mentioned them in the answer to question no.
10903, and this is not one of
them.
And Allah knows best.