Martyr
Martyr (Gk., martus, ‘witness’). One who suffers death on behalf of his or her faith, often for refusing to renounce it.
Judaism
See KIDDUSH HA-SHEM.Christianity
The Gk. word was only gradually restricted to those whose witness to their faith had led to their death in persecutions. From the 2nd cent. martyrs were specially honoured in churches, and the anniversaries of their deaths, as (heavenly) ‘birthdays’, were kept as feasts. They were venerated as intercessors in heaven, and their relics sought after. Accounts (‘Acts’) of martyrdom form an important class of hagiography.Islam
See SHAHĪD.Sikhism
Many Sikhs have died for their faith, particularly under the Mughal emperor, Auraṅgzeb, and during the conflicts of the 18th cent. Martyrs (Pañjābī, Hindī śahīd) are remembered daily in Ardās, and pictures of martyrdoms are displayed in the gurdwārās. Of the Gurūs, Arjan Dev and Tegh Bahādur were martyred.More From encyclopedia.com
NEARBY TERMS
Martyr
