Once a martyr's soul is placed in a green bird's body in jannah, will he be able to meet and have intercourse with hoor al-ayn even before the Day of Judgement? Many people claimed that the martyrs are living together with hoor al-ayn now (although the martyrs are using the green bird bodies before the Day of Judgement instead of human bodies), is their claim true?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger. 

The fact that the souls of the martyrs will be inside green birds as confirmed in the hadeeth does not prevent them from enjoying the bliss of Paradise; the hadeeth reads, “When your brothers were smitten at the battle of Uhud, Allaah put their souls inside green birds ... and when they found their good food, drink, and their place of rest … they said, 'Who would inform our brothers about us...'” [Muslim and Abu Dawood]

So despite the fact that they are inside birds, they enjoyed the good food and drink, so it is not impossible that they enjoy marrying the hoor (the women of Paradise). Ibn Majah, at-Tirmithi and al-Albaani narrated from Miqdaam ibn Ma’di Karib, who said:

“The Prophet said, 'The martyr has six blessings from Allaah: (1) he is forgiven from the moment his blood is first shed and will be shown his place in Paradise; (2) he will be spared the trial of the grave; (3) he will be secure on the Day of the Greatest Terror (the Day of Judgment); (4) there will be placed on his head a crown of dignity, one ruby of which is better than this world and all that is in it; (5) he will be married to seventy-two of the hoor al-‘een; (6) and he will be permitted to intercede for seventy of his relatives.'”

Some interpreters of the Quran said that the apparent meaning of the hadeeth is that these blessings will happen to him as soon as he is martyred, from the moment his blood is first shed.

Ameer as-San'aani said in his book entitled At-Tanweer Sharh Al-Jaami’ As-Sagheer: “‘The Martyr is forgiven from the moment his blood is first shed,’ i.e. as soon as he sheds blood; and ‘he will be married to hoor al-‘een,’ it appears that it means at that hour, and there are many ahaadeeth in this regard.

The author of At-Tahreer wat-Tanweer said in regard to the interpretation of the verse in which Allaah says (what means): {And never think of those who have been killed in the cause of Allaah as dead. Rather, they are alive with their Lord, receiving provision.}, ‘It is a life in the sense of their souls achieving the effects of life for their souls, such as having enjoyment and things that make them happy...’”

Moreover, Ibn Jareer At-Tabari said in his Tafseer about what Allaah has singled out for the martyrs in the life after death, “What Allaah has singled out the martyrs with in this regard, and informed the believers about them, is that they are given provision from the provision and food of Paradise in their life after death before they are resurrected, and they enjoy the same thing in the same manner as those who enter Paradise enjoy after resurrection from other human beings…”

So, it is not impossible that the martyrs in their life after death enjoy the hoor since they are alive, and the fact that they are inside green birds does not mean that it is impossible for them to enjoy the hoor as Allaah is over all things Omnipotent and the matters of the unseen are not measured by what we see in this temporary world.

We ask Allaah to bless us with martyrdom for His sake, facing the enemy and not running away, while being sincere and not showing off, having good faith and certainty and not doubting or being shaken in our faith.

Allaah knows best.