بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

وَلَا تَقُولُواْ لِمَن يُقۡتَلُ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ أَمۡوَٲتُۢ‌ۚ بَلۡ أَحۡيَآءٌ۬ وَلَـٰكِن لَّا تَشۡعُرُونَ

“Do not say of those who are slain in the way of Allah that they are dead. Instead, they are alive, but you do not perceive.” (154)
Ruling: One who dies in the path of Allah is a Shaheed, and even though it is alright to call him “dead”, it is forbidden to consider their deaths as ordinary deaths. (Maarif Al Quran V1 pg 404)