Is every Believer a 'Siddiq' and a 'Shahid'?

" وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِاللَّـهِ وَرُ‌سُلِهِ أُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الصِّدِّيقُونَ وَالشُّهَدَاءُ عِندَ رَ‌بِّهِمْ "And those who believed in Allah and His messengers, it is they who are the siddiqs [ the most righteous ] and the shuhada' (martyrs) in the sight of your Lord. ...57:19) This verse indicates that every 'believer' is a 'Siddiq' and a 'Shahid'. On the basis of this verse Qatadah and 'Amr Ibn Maimun maintain that anyone who believes in Allah and His Messenger ﷺ is a 'Siddiq' and a 'Shahid'. Ibn Jarir reports that Sayyidna Bara' Ibn ` Azib ؓ narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: مَؤمِنُوا اُمَّتِی شُھَدَآُء "The believers of my Ummah are all Shahids (martyrs)." In support of this, he recited the current verse.

Ibn Abi Hatim reports that Sayyidna Abu Hurairah ؓ narrates that one day some of the Companions ؓ had gathered around him, and he stated کُلُّکُم صِدِّیقُ وَّ شَھِیدُ Each one of you is a 'Siddiq' and a 'Shahid'. This startled them and they exclaimed: "What are you saying, Abu Hurairah?" He replied: "If you do not believe me, then read the present verse [ 19] وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِاللَّـهِ وَرُ‌سُلِهِ أُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الصِّدِّيقُونَ ۖ وَالشُّهَدَاءُ.

However, another verse of the Qur'an seems to be against this concept. It is the verse [ 4:69]: فَأُولَـٰئِكَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمَ اللَّـهُ عَلَيْهِم مِّنَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَالصِّدِّيقِينَ وَالشُّهَدَاءِ وَالصَّالِحِينَ (And those who obey Allah and the Messenger are with those whom Allah has blessed, namely, the Prophets, the Siddiqin, the Shuhada' and the righteous...) This indicates that not every believer is a 'Siddiq' and a 'Shahid' because in addition to the Prophets, the general body of Muslims comprise three categories of believers who are specially mentioned: [ 1] the Siddiqin; [ 2] the Shuhada ; and [ 3] the righteous. It would appear that the three categories are distinctly different. Otherwise, there would have been no need to mention them separately. Therefore, some scholars believe that the 'Siddiqin' and the 'Shuhada' in fact constitute the highest and most sublime categories bearing the supreme attributes. Here all believers are referred to as 'Siddiq' and 'Shahid' in the sense that every believer is in some degree included in the group of 'Siddiqin' and 'Shuhada'. Ruh-ul-Ma’ ani states that it is appropriate to believe that the verse under comment refers to people who have perfect faith and perform deeds of righteousness. Otherwise, people who are believers but indulge in deeds that are not in keeping with the dictates of their faith can hardly be called 'Siddiq' or 'Shahid'.

The Holy Prophet ﷺ is reported to have said: اَللَّعَّانُونَ لَا یَکُونُونَ شُھَدَاَء (The cursers cannot be 'Shuhada"." This Tradition supports the notion. Sayyidna ` Umar Al-Faruq ؓ once said to the people: "What is the matter with you? You see someone defaming people, you neither stop him nor do you raise your eyebrows about it! They replied: 'We are afraid of his violent tongue. If we tell him something, he will also attack our honour.' Sayyidna ` Umar ؓ made a rejoinder 'if that is the case, then you cannot be 'Shuhada"'. Ibn Athir cited this narration and said: 'This means that such coward people will not be among the 'Shuhada' who will bear witness against the communities of the previous Prophets.' [ Ruh-ul-Ma’ ani ]. Mazhari states that the word الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا 'believers' in verse [ 19] refers only to the Companions ؓ of the Holy Prophet ﷺ who reposed their faith in Allah and His Messenger ﷺ ، saw him and had the pleasure of his company. As such, the restrictive phrase, هُمُ الصِّدِّيقُونَ 'it is they who are the Siddiqs..' in Verse [ 19] indicate that the status of Siddiq is limited or restricted to the noble Companions of the Holy Prophet ﷺ . Mujaddid Alf Thani states that all the noble Companions ؓ had a share in the noble qualities of prophet-hood. Any Companion who saw him in a state of faith even for a short time is absorbed and drowned in such qualities of perfection. Allah, the Pure and Exalted, knows best!