Is the Hadith of the two men from Bali interpreted as the martyr being in an offensive rather than defensive jihad? And can it be said that defensive jihad is the most beloved deed to Allah when it is present, and therefore this Hadith does not apply to it? And have scholars said that the second man sincerely asked Allah for martyrdom and attained its reward, and can the Hadith be interpreted in this way? And how can this Hadith be reconciled with the two Hadiths that state that martyrdom is the highest status one can reach after the prophets?

The preference for the later individual over the first in the hadith (definition) about the two men from Balī' is due to his sincere intention to seek martyrdom and the increase in his good deeds after his companion. Goodness lies in him whose life is long and whose deeds are good. There is no difference in the reward for martyrdom between offensive and defensive jihad, but the martyr in the way of Allah is superior to others, as Allah the Almighty says: "And Allah has preferred the strivers over the stationary with a great reward" and "And never think of those who have been killed in the cause of Allah as dead. Rather, they are alive." The ranks of martyrs vary, and the best of jihad is "he whose horse is hamstrung and whose blood is shed." Martyrs are of two types: a martyr of this world and the Hereafter (one who is killed in war against disbelievers with sincerity), and a martyr of the Hereafter (such as those mentioned among the types of martyrs, but the rulings of this world do not apply to them).