وَلَا تَقُولُواْ لِمَنْ يُقْتَلُ فِي سَبيلِ اللّهِ أَمْوَاتٌ بَلْ أَحْيَاء
And say not of those who are killed in the way of Allah, "They are dead." Nay, they are living,
indicates that the martyrs are alive and receiving their sustenance.
وَلَكِن لاَّ تَشْعُرُونَ
Nay, they are living, but you perceive (it) not.
Muslim reported in his Sahih;
أَنَّ أَرْوَاحَ الشُّهَدَاءِ فِي حَوَاصِلَ طَيْرٍ خُضْرٍ تَسْرَحُ فِي الْجَنَّة حَيْثُ شَاءَتْ ثُمَّ تَأْوِي إلَى قَنَادِيلَ مُعَلَّقَةٍ تَحْتَ الْعَرْشِ فَاطَّلَعَ عَلَيْهِمْ رَبُّكَ اطِّلَعَةً فقَالَ مَاذَا تَبْغُونَ
The souls of the martyrs are inside green birds and move about in Paradise wherever they wish. Then, they take refuge in lamps that are hanging under the Throne (of Allah). Your Lord looked at them and asked them, `What do you wish for?'
فَقَالُوا يَا رَبَّنَا وَأَيَّ شَيْءٍ نَبْغِي وَقَدْ أَعْطَيْتنَا مَا لَمْ تُعْطِ أَحَدًا مِنْ خَلْقِكَ
They said, `What more could we wish for while You have favored us with what You have not favored any other of your creation.'
ثُمَّ عَادَ إِلَيْهِمْ بِمِثْلِ هذَا
He repeated the question again.
فَلَمَّا رَأَوْا أَنَّهُم لَا يُتْرَكُون مِنْ أَنْ يُسْأَلُوا قَالُوا نُرِيدُ أَنْ تَرُدَّنَا إِلَى الدَّارِ الدُّنْيَا فَنُقَاتِلَ فِي سَبِيلِكَ حَتَّى نُقْتَلَ فِيكَ مَرَّةً أُخْرَى لِمَا يَرَوْنَ مِنْ ثَوابِ الشَّهادَةِ
When they realize that they will be asked (until they answer), they said, `We wish that You send us back to the earthly life, so that we fight in Your cause until we are killed in Your cause again,' (because of what they enjoy of the rewards of martyrdom).
فَيَقُولُ الرَّبُّ جَلَّ جَلَلُهُ إِنِّي كَتَبْتُ أَنَّهُمْ إلَيْهَا لَا يَرْجِعُون
The Lord then said, `I have written that they will not be returned to it (earthly life) again.
Imam Ahmad reported that Abdur-Rahman bin Ka`b bin Malik narrated from his father that Allah's Messenger said;
نَسَمَةُ الْمُوْمِنِ طَايِرٌ تَعْلَقُ فِي شَجَرِ الْجَنَّةِ حَتَّى يَرْجِعَهُ اللهُ إِلَى جَسَدهِ يَوْمَ يَبْعَثُه
The believer's soul is a bird that feeds on the trees of Paradise until Allah sends it back to its body when the person is resurrected.
This Hadith includes all the believers in its general meaning. Thus, the fact that the Qur'an mentions the martyrs in particular in the above Ayah serves to honor, glorify and favor them (although the other believers share the rewards they enjoy