Mother of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah: Architect of a Leader and Martyr

Editor’s note: This article was supposed to be published around the time of the tenth of Rabi’ al-Awwal, the anniversary of the marriage of the Noble Prophet Mohammad to Sayyeda Khadija al-Kubra (peace be upon them) in the year 28 before the Hijra. This auspicious occasion coincided this year with the honorable martyrdom anniversary of Sayyed Nasrallah’s older son.

However, due to busy schedules and other issues, this article was not even read by myself until after martyrdom of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and opening it to see that was about his honorable mother hit me like a ton of bricks.

Now, we publish it on the auspicious birthday of Lady Fatima al-Zahra (sa), the daughter of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S), which is honored as Mother’s Day and Women’s Day.

In this article, we investigate how this unique family has presented to the nation a successful marital model to be emulated. Especially as this family are Sayyeds, meaning those who descend from the lineage of the Holy Prophet via Lady Fatima, from whose honorable womb, a unique daughter has given birth to a unique son to be emulated.

Following the one week anniversary of the saddening demise of Sayyed Nasrallah’s mother – Sayyeda Nahdia Hashem Safieddine – His Eminence said that no one can fulfil his duties towards his mother and father, recalling the words of Imam Zain al-Abidin (as) in the Treatise of Rights, “As for the right of your mother, know that she carried you where no one else can bear anyone else.”

Martyr Sayyed Nasrallah asked the Almighty to grant us success and to help us thank our mothers and parents, explaining that his esteemed mother was “born to Hashemite Hussaini parents, who trace their noble lineage back to Martyr Zayd the son of Imam Zayn al-Abidin (as).”

Sayyed Nasrallah listed her great attributes as a wife and a mother, saying that she was:

– A faithful woman, kind, pure, and calm

– She rarely got angry

– A woman of few words

– If she spoke, she would only say what was necessary, and answer in brief

– She did not interfere in the affairs of others

– She did not offend anyone

– She did not hurt anyone, neither by word nor by deed

– She did not carry any grudge, hatred, rancor, or even envy for anyone

– She focused on taking care of her family (four sons & five daughters) as it was her absolute priority

– Contented; She never argued about housing, clothing, or food (she spent most of her life with her husband often in no more than three rooms house)

– Very helpful in carrying the family burdens (she helped her husband in his shop)

– Patient and steadfast

– Dutiful to her parents (she looked after her sick father in his last years in her house)

– She served everyone but felt hurt when someone serve her

– She was emotional and loved everyone

– Grateful to Allah for her entire life

His Eminence Sayyed Nasrallah said that during her illness that lasted eight years, she suffered from pain, but when she was asked about her condition, she would answer, “alhamdulillah (all praise is due to God).”

Sayyed Nasrallah pointed out that his parents’ favor upon him and his siblings is indescribable, narrating,

“We were born in a neighborhood of the belts of misery among the poor neighborhoods in East Beirut called the ‘Sharshbouk’ neighborhood adjacent to the Karantina area. We lived in that neighborhood for about 15 years. There was no mosque or prayer room in our neighborhood. There was no religious scholar or religious activity. Even the elementary, middle, and high schools we attended did not provide religious education or religious activity. Nevertheless, with the blessing of these parents, Allah has blessed us by guiding us to faith and religiosity. Since early ages, and in this environment, in this distant, foreign, or neutral environment from everything related to religiosity, they taught us prayer, fasting, reciting the Qur’an, and considering Allah.”

His Eminence Sayyed Nasrallah stressed that the greatest blessing after the father and mother is the blessing of faith. Through their blessing and grace, the Almighty bestowed upon him and his siblings not only the blessing of religiosity, but also the blessing of sound political affiliation and understanding.

He describes the Sharshbouk Neighborhood as “a poor neighborhood, far away, isolated, so that no one even sought to polarize it politically.”  However, he and his brothers were young men when their parents introduced them to Sayyed Musa al-Sadr. He elaborates, “They made us love him. His picture was before our eyes in the shop and at home. They were always talking about him,” noting that they belonged to his movement from its beginning and still do.

During that speech, Sayyed Nasrallah pointed to the demographic diversity in the Sharshbouk neighborhood explaining, “There were Lebanese and Palestinians in it. All of them were poor, of course.” According to His Eminence, during the early seventies, prior to Lebanon’s civil war, this helpless neighborhood gathered citizens from different Lebanese regions along with some Palestinian [forcedly displaced since 1948]. Further, there were residents from Arab tribes, known as “Arabs al-Maslakh” or “Arabs al-Karantina.” There were Kurds who were displaced and later obtained Lebanese citizenship. There were Armenians too.

They lived together as neighbors in peace, security, love, solidarity, and care for each other, where everyone cooperated, whether Muslim, Christian, Sunni, Shi’a, Lebanese, Palestinian, Armenian, Kurdish, etc. However, the civil war, according to Sayyed Nasrallah, “tore Lebanon apart,” wishing for the return of that harmony and peace and the resolution of political differences away from incitement, hatred, and animosity among people.

His Eminence stated that his esteemed mother, Sayyeda Nahdia Hashem Safieddine (may God have mercy on her), loved her first grandson, Shaheed Sayyed Hadi (ra), and he loved her in return. Sayyed Nasrallah described how she had received the news of his martyrdom by saying, “She was very affected, and she used to always speak about him.”

Sayyed Hadi Nasrallah (18 years old) is the eldest son of the Secretary General of Hezbollah. He was martyred during a heroic confrontation in Jabal al-Rafi’, in the Iqlim al-Tuffah region in southern Lebanon on 12  September 1997. Following his martyrdom, the Zionist enemy captured his body along with the rest of his martyred comrades until the resistance was able to free them in an exchange operation on 26 June 1998.

The martyrdom of Sayyed Hadi has provided a practical application of how the resistance’s leaders and their sons lead the convoy of sacrificers and defense, just as happened during the Syrian war when Jihad Mughniyeh, the son of Shaheed Imad Mughniyeh, got martyred, knowing that he has several martyred uncles, including Sayyed Mustafa Badr al-Din (whose cousin Sayyed Amin was martyred in the current war).

Per the doctrine of the resistance families, their beloved sons “are not a reserve far from dangers” but like other ordinary people. They participate in operations, get wounded, and get martyred in so many cases of giving and redemption.

His Eminence, the former Secretary General of Hezbollah, Sayyed Abbas al-Moussawi (ra), got martyred along with his wife Sayyeda Umm Yasser (aka Sayyeda Siham al-Moussawi) and his young son, Sayyed Hussain (ra).

Undoubtedly, Shaheed Sayyed Hadi Nasrallah’s attainment of the lofty degree of martyrdom was not easy, but rather had embarked on a tough journey of self-discipline, diligence, seeking academic & seminary knowledge, and training.

Shaheed Sayyed Hadi grew up in a pious and faithful family, committed to performing acts of worship before the stipulated age, as Islam has set conditions that, if met by a male or female, obligates them to perform acts of worship and perform certain duties.

Shaheed Sayyed Hadi used to regularly pray in the mosque. Besides, the 18-year-old youth set a special program to perform acts of non-obligatory worship to get closer to Allah, such as: prayers, fasting, and supplications. He also paid attention to charitable activities and to visiting the families of the Shuhada, checking on their conditions, and serving them as much as he can.

His martyrdom has established the credibility of the resistance and its leader, even with the segments of the enemy who admit that they trust the words of Sayyed Nasrallah more than their Zionist leaders. The martyrdom of the leader’s son has confirmed the certainty that this resistance is not for filthy worldly gain, positions, interests, and deals, but rather operated only for pleasing Allah and securing the afterlife.

Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said in a speech during Sayyed Hadi’s funeral ceremony, “We in Hezbollah, in all positions – men, women and children – are determined to continue the path of jihad, no matter the challenges, dangers, and sacrifices. This is a covenant. This is an oath. This is a pledge from which there is absolutely no turning back.”

His Eminence added, “I thank God for His great blessings that He has looked generously at my family and chose a Shaheed from it and accepted us as members of this blessed and sacred gathering of the families of Shuhada, whom I used to feel ashamed when I visited them. I used to feel ashamed in front of the father of the Shaheed, the mother of the Shaheed, and the wife of the Shaheed. I will remain ashamed in front of these people. Alhamdulillah who has accepted me & my family to be a comforter for the families of the Shuhada, not only at the level of martyrdom but also by the body of Shaheed [Sayyed Hadi] being detained too.” His Eminence asserted, “This is one of the greatest divine blessings that has weighed on our backs. We do not know how to thank Allah.”

Sayyed Nasrallah’s mother – Sayyeda Nahdia Hashem Safi al-Din has emulated the model of her great grandmother Sayyeda Khadija has redeemed Islam with her wealth and power and made an exceptional family of Imams who struggled for 250 years against all kinds of tyranny and injustice.

In the book The 250 Year Old Man, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution says:

“Estrangement of Imams have never been reached to an end all over their period, rather all centuries long, and it is possible disregarding other profound dimensions to say that the historical alienation of these magnanimous people continued to a certain extent. Undoubtedly, any written materials and scripts which were being recorded in these centuries, they have valued uniquely for the reason that they managed to keep the collections of narrations which were about the biography of these estimable to be the remembrance of future generations. However, an element (hot political combat and struggle) which is making up the outspread-life of guidance of Imams (as) during 250 years long, in the midst of Qu’ranic verses and traditional narrations and biographies in consideration of knowledge and spiritual aspects, are missing.”

Sayyed Ali Khamenei adds in the preface of this important book,

“The Imams’ lifestyles for us should be our role model and effective lesson not only valuable and magnificent memoirs, but without considering their political-strategy and the features we cannot gain anything from them: meaning that it is important to look into their way of living. Personally, I’m interested in this post and I have found that their way of living arouses and holds my attention. And it is not bad to say that this notion for me developed during the year 1350 (in the Persian calendar), the period of baleful and affliction and affection to difficulties.”