He was asked about Allah's saying, "Do not think of those who have been killed in the way of Allah as dead. Rather, they are alive with their Lord, being provided for" [Aal Imran 3:169].He replied, "We asked about this and were told that their souls are within green birds that roam freely in Paradise wherever they wish, then return to lanterns suspended from the Throne. Your Lord looked upon them and asked, 'Do you desire anything more, that I may grant you more?'They answered, 'Our Lord, what more could we desire when we roam through Paradise wherever we please?'Then He looked upon them a second time and asked, 'Do you desire anything more, that I may grant you more?'When they saw that they would not be left without answering, they said, 'Return our souls to our bodies so we may go back to the world and be killed in Your path once again.'"
حدثنا ابن أبي عمر حدثنا سفيان عن الأعمش عن عبد الله بن مرة عن مسروق
أنه سئل عن قوله {ولا تحسبن الذين قتلوا في سبيل الله أمواتا بل أحياء عند ربهم يرزقون} فقال أما إنا قد سألنا عن ذلك فأخبرنا أن أرواحهم في طير خضر تسرح في الجنة حيث شاءت وتأوي إلى قناديل معلقة بالعرش فاطلع إليهم ربك اطلاعة فقال هل تستزيدون شيئا فأزيدكم قالوا ربنا وما نستزيد ونحن في الجنة نسرح حيث شئنا ثم اطلع إليهم الثانية فقال هل تستزيدون شيئا فأزيدكم فلما رأوا أنهم لم يتركوا قالوا تعيد أرواحنا في أجسادنا حتى نرجع إلى الدنيا فنقتل في سبيلك مرة أخرى
Muslim also narrated it, in the Book of Faith, chapter on the explanation that the souls of the martyrs are in Paradise and that they are alive with their Lord, provided for, hadith 1887, from the hadith of Amash, with the same chain.