BEIRUT – His Eminence, Martyr Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah (R), was distinguished by his unique ability to address the emotions of people of all backgrounds. His simple, honest, and deeply rooted discourse touched on daily concerns, making them feel like he was one of them: embracing their concerns, sharing their joys and sorrows, and embodying their endeavor to freedom and dignity.

The honesty and transparency in his political and religious discourse made his words unquestionably trustworthy. His humility and ascetic life brought him close to the poor and the working class. His courage in confronting occupation and injustice gave people a sense of pride and dignity, and he became a symbol from which hope could be derived.

His Eminence transcended sectarian and regional affiliations. His presence was not limited to his Shiite community, but he was able to address diverse sects and regions.

‘Sayyed Nasrallah was a nation in one man’

Sunni cleric Sheikh Khader Kabash (the father of a martyr) says: “Sayyed Nasrallah was a nation in one man; he devoted everything he had to the existential battle with the occupying entity. Part of this man’s great value was that he was a compassionate father to the martyrs, the wounded, and the mujahideen. He was a source of patience for me when I longed for my son Muhammad (an anonymous martyr).”

For his part, prominent researcher Dr. Naseeb Hoteit asserts that His Eminence represents: “a symbol of the Husseini Islamic resistance in the Islamic world and a pioneer in the project of resisting the American-Israeli project at the regional and global levels, as he was able to ‘globalize’ the Lebanese resistance movement, to be a partner in resisting injustice according to his ability and capabilities. He is among a series of Shiite Muslim leaders who have embraced and supported the Palestinian resistance since the occupation of Palestine, especially the Lebanese Shiites since Izz ad-Din al-Qassam’s revolution in 1936, Imam Khomeini, Sayyed Baqir al-Sadr, and Imam Musa al-Sadr.”

‘He vaccinated society with doses of victory’

Hoteit adds: “The martyr Sayyed was a pioneer in establishing a system of unifying ‘word and action’ and twinning the word of resistance with the bullet of resistance. He was a pioneer in psychological warfare against the enemy and a doctor who vaccinated society with doses of victory and increased ideological and communal immunity to confront the culture of defeat and lack of self-confidence.

He sailed, with his family and his resistance fighters, to the shore of dignity and the inevitable half, God willing, and the courage of the resistance fighters in the field. The martyr Sayyed was an example of those who responded to the Husseini call in Karbala, ‘Is there a supporter to support us?’, and instead of repeating, ‘If only we were with you,’ he joined Imam Hussein.”

‘I carried loyalty to the path of resistance in my womb’

“I was a newlywed when the shocking news of the martyrdom of Sayyed Abbas al-Moussawi, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, rang out. We wept for him and participated in the blessed funeral, but we were too anticipating his successor, who was a handsome young man.

Then, I travelled abroad, but I carried with myself my belonging and loyalty to the path of resistance and in my womb. At the time, I was pregnant with my eldest son. Something always driving me to yearn for my homeland,” recounts Hawra Hijazi, the mother of martyr Sayyed Muhammad Baqir Hijazi.

‘Sayyed is the past, the present, and the future’

She adds, “After a ten-year nostalgia, I set foot in my homeland, and this is where the journey began. My eldest son adored His Eminence until he was martyred under his banner. Sayyed is the father, the brother, the leader, and the supporter. Sayyed is the past, the present, and the future. He is our pride, our victories, and our true promise.”

In turn, Hajja Walaa Hammoud, the veteran resistance media pioneer and women’s media activist and mother of martyr Hussein Hammoud, says: “I met him more than once, but the most prominent meeting was when he honored media professionals after the 2000 victory. I met him and my name was the last name among those honored, so I took my time and had a lengthy conversation with him.”

She goes on to say, “I recited a poem to him expressing my love, respect, and appreciation for his great character. When I made the mistake of giving him a picture of my little Hussein instead of his older brother, Sayyed prayed for him and told me that martyrdom does not recognize age. Sayyed was true as the martyr in my house was Hussein.”

‘A prominent and enduring presence within us’

For her part, Hajja Zainab Al-Dirani, mother-in-law of martyr Dr. Muhammad Hassan Faris Shams, says: “Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah is not a person who has disappeared from us, but rather has a prominent and enduring presence within us.

He left us a prolific heritage everywhere we are: schools, universities, institutes, circles, homes, and seminaries. Sayyed is the leader we should be proud of and preserve his approach, because it is the approach of belonging, emulation, and freedom for the sake of God, because belonging in word requires belonging in action.”

Author Iman Shams El-Din explains the first four verses of Surat al-Saff: (O you who have believed, why do you say that which you do not do? Great is hatred in the sight of Allah that you say that which you do not do. Indeed, Allah loves those who fight in His cause in ranks as if they were a solid structure. “These verses constitute a practical basis in all areas for the faithful person to whom Allah addressed them, whether in political, social, security, or military work. His Eminence, martyr Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, embodied this verse in his jihadi and reformist path.”  

‘Both friend and foe were perplexed by him’

She continues: “Because he was strict in his principles and values, he was able, with this strictness, to form a bulwark that deterred enemies at home and abroad. He had no personal interests, but rather a self-interest defined by the Quran and Islam, and he followed this guidance. Both friend and foe were perplexed by him, and he was a balancing act through his principled positions, which aligned his beliefs and faith with his behavioral path.”

“Some may say this is normal, but I don’t see it that way. If it were normal, God Almighty would not have singled out believers in the Quran for special address. This special address demonstrates the importance of the matter in the path of the believer and the strong emphasis on honesty as the standard for both faith and action.

It is rare in our time in general, and in the world of politics in particular, where hypocrisy is widespread, to find a figure who embodies these verses in word and deed, representing a standard of honesty and providing a safety net for those around him,” Shams El-Din emphasizes.

‘Strong in his honesty and integrity’

In her opinion, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah “was strong in his honesty and integrity, and in matching his words with his actions. His enemy, before his friend, knew that what he said was true. The enemy awaited his words and speeches before his friend, because he often did what he said, and anticipated the future according to data based on an accurate reading of reality and history, and the laws of history and the Quran.

Gaza was the perfect detection device for which he gave his life in support of the oppressed, paying no attention to superpowers and their threats, nor to the slaves of these superpowers, because, in short, his concern was to please God even if it angered people.”

Shams al-Din notes that His Eminence “advocated Gaza while most Arabs failed to. It will be recorded in history that the Arab Shiite Sayyed supported the Sunni people of Gaza, proving to future generations that sectarian strife is what weakened this nation, and that the enemy crafted it with his satanic fingers so that he could shatter this nation’s resolve, will, and unity, enabling the enemy to control the arenas as he pleased, in accordance with his colonialist plan.

However, Sayyed Nasrallah inscribed with his blood the words of unity and established the foundations of unity like a solid structure. He proved his truthfulness that if Muslims unite and their blood mingles, their spirit will not fade. He instilled terror in the hearts of their enemies and thwarted the projects of fragmentation and hegemony based on the principle of divide and conquer.”

She concludes: “His blood was a testament to the truth of his positions and words regarding Palestine and its people. He did not launch his support with mere slogans, like most regimes and leaders, but rather, they were words and slogans backed by sincere action and the sacrifice of blood and soul.”

‘A leader who lived through the pain of the Yemeni people’

Regarding the international symbolism of His Eminence, Yemeni activist Zainab Al-Dailami says: “When we talk about His Eminence as a supporter of the Yemeni cause at first glance, we are talking about a leader who lived through our pain and our injustice, which were absent from the index of the unconscious world, due to the Zionist and American injustices, as if he were Yemeni before he was Lebanese. Rather, he was able to blend the two identities in the vein of his humanity, in addition to the Palestinian cause, whose banner he carried in the early days of his jihad and until his ascension to the status of martyrdom.”

Al-Dailami concludes, “We miss the sparkle of his eyes, the reassurance of his voice, the intensity of his courage, and the tenderness of his heart. We miss seeing the Yemeni heroes who are crushing the beds of the temporary, worn-out entity. We miss his presence to soothe our wounds. We can only say thanks to God for his judgment, despite the bitterness of separation. We will remain faithful to the covenant, my master, O Nasrallah, as long as we live.”