Martyrdom is considered to be the highest rank in the face of Islam. The Quran does not merely speak about martyrs like any other believer. The concept of martyrs in Islam does not mean mere sacrifice. It is an expression of faith and elevation to a high spiritual rank. If you read the online Quran in English, you will know how the Quran describes martyrs –

Martyrdom in Islam can be described as –

The person who loses their life in a conflict with the Kuffaar or the disbeliever through any kind of combat. He falls within the category of martyrs who are rewarded in the Hereafter, as well as the laws governing martyrs in this world, which state that he shall not be given a funeral prayer or be washed. The one who receives the martyr's prize is exempt from this world's martyrdom laws. This includes those who are slain protecting their money, those who perish from stomach illnesses, the plague, people crushed beneath a collapsing building, and other people recorded in the Saheeh Ahadeeth who are referred to as martyrs. A funeral prayer and washing should be performed for such a person, but, in the Hereafter, he will get the martyrs' recompense, which may differ from those in the first group. 

What does the Quran say about martyrs and martyrdom?

There are several verses in the Quran that speak of the degree of martyrdom and their glorification. 

If you order the Quran online for free, you will see in Chapter 3, verse 169, where Allah says, “And you should not think that the martyrs are dead. They are indeed alive with their Lord.”

Next, in Chapter 3, verses 170-171, Allah says, “And never assume that people who are slain while serving Allah are no longer alive. Instead, they are happy and content with their Lord, secure in His provision, and they rejoice over the good things that Allah has bestowed upon them. They also rejoice that those who chose to stay behind will not be afraid or grieved.”

In Chapter 47, verse 4, Allah says, “And those who die in the way of Allah, their deeds are not wasted.” 

This is how the Quran speaks of the martyrs who die in the cause of the way of Allah.