Does the drowned or the burned die before their appointed time, and why are they considered martyrs?

Firstly, no one dies except at their appointed time, which is recorded in the Preserved Tablet. The one who is killed died at their appointed time, for Allah the Almighty created death and life and their causes. The saying that a person, had they not died from illness or murder, would have lived longer, is the false assertion of the Mu'tazilah.

Secondly, martyrs are of five types: the plague-stricken, the one who dies of an internal disease, the drowned, the one who dies under a collapsed building, and the martyr in the way of Allah. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, considered one who dies by burning to be a martyr. The wisdom behind them being martyrs is that their deaths were severe, thus expiating their sins and raising their ranks.

Thirdly, the meaning of these individuals being martyrs is that they receive the reward of a martyr in the Hereafter. However, regarding worldly rulings, they are washed, shrouded, and prayed over. They are martyrs in terms of reward, not in terms of worldly rulings, unlike the martyr killed in a war against disbelievers, who is neither washed nor prayed over.