Literally speaking, Siddiq means a true person, and it has more intensive meaning of truth than the word sadiq, which is just a simple statement that somebody is truthful. But siddiq means one who is always truthful, there is constancy in his truth and a permanency, plus there is greater depth. You know, all these things are relative terms when spoken about human beings. The only true being is God. In the very depth, in the most refined form and way, it is only Allah who is true. And when these terms apply to human beings, they have various shades. So among the human beings, the strongest possible definition of one’s truth can be expressed by the word siddiq in Arabic.
This is why, although technically speaking, prophet is a higher being in order than siddiq, yet the word siddiq is also used as applied to prophets. In the holy Quran it is mentioned, so siddiq here can be expressed as someone who is deeply true to the very inner soul of his being. And even the finest shades, he would not tell a lie or go against the truth. He is true also in the meaning, there is no inconsistency about him. Whatever is his apparent form, within he is exactly the same. So truthful both in words as well as in action, that is what siddiq means. And sole is the first step towards righteousness.
Anyone who begins to accept a right course and begins to act upon it, the goodness which he gains out of that course he pursues, that goodness in the first form, in the first phase is called salihiyat. He accepts it naturally and in good faith and with good intentions and gradually he does not stay in fact on that status. Gradually he begins to travel towards shahadat. Shaheed you said you knew, but the fact is that few people know what shaheed is. It is not the only person who is martyred in the way of Allah. But this word shaheed is applicable more with greater intensity to those who are living. This is why the word shaheed is also used in context with the prophets.
Shaheedan alayhan, that is used by Hazrat Masih. Also the founder of Islam is called that you would be shaheed over all prophets. So what does shaheed mean? Shaheed in fact is somebody whose faith is so positive and certain as if he is seeing it. That is one meaning. And the meaning of shaheed as applied to those who give up their lives in the way of Allah is also derived from the same meaning. Why are they called shaheed? Because shaheed literally means witness. So when they offer their life and they shed their blood in the path of Allah, what is there to witness about? I mean apparently, superficially speaking, it has no relationship with witnessing. But if you revert to the first meaning which I described, then you will begin to understand the significance of the word shaheed as applied to those who shed their blood in the cause of Allah.
Why do they give up their life which is present? Why the general trend of the people is that a bird in hand is better than two in the bushes. So for the promises of future, they give up what is in their hand. That is to say that they see the future as certainly. They bear witness to the certainty of future after death so positively that the life here may be in doubt but the life after is most certain to them. So when they are prepared to shed their life for the cause of religion, for the cause of God, they bear witness that we believe positively, truly and honestly in the life to come and to sacrifice this life for the sake of that is no sacrifice. That is a barter and we know this is a good bargain. So this is why we are called witnesses.
The literal meaning of shaheed is witness. So those who witness Allah more closely, they become prophets. So prophets are also called shaheed in that sense, not in ordinary sense of shaheed. So this word acquires a greater sense and a loftier sense when applied to different stages of people. It can apply to a smaller man and to a man of higher order. So the range of shaheed is also extended up to the prophets.
