Person who voluntarily suffers death rather than deny his or her religion.
Readiness for martyrdom was a collective ideal in ancient Judaism, notably in the era of the Maccabees , and its importance has continued into modern times. Roman Catholicism sees the suffering of martyrs as a test of their faith. Many miracles to be canonized. In Islam, martyrs are thought to comprise two groups of the faithful: those killed in {{link=jihad">jihad and those killed unjustly. In Buddhism, a bodhisattva is regarded as a martyr because he voluntarily postpones enlightenment to alleviate the suffering of others.