The Lion Still Roars: Legacy of Martyr Ibrahim al-Nabulsi

Submitted anonymously by one of our readers.

Four years have passed—four years of resistance and four years of mourning. Four years have passed since the martyrdom of the great hero, the Lion of Nablus, Ibrahim Al-Nabulsi, whose epic continues to tell stories in the alleys of clashes, from Nablus to Gaza and to Al-Jnoub (South Lebanon).

The resistance remains, and the clashes continue. Even though they may not be as common as they once were in the West Bank, the embodiment of the unity of the fields in Al-Jnoub continues to keep the barrel of the rifle directed at the enemy.

The bond between Al-Jnoub and Palestine does not simply come in the form of having the same enemy. It is a brotherhood whose love extends beyond factional affiliation and ideology. It is a principled stance to resist the enemy, reclaim the homeland, and defend your loved ones.

This is what Ibrahim taught us. It is the last message he left us in his will: never to abandon the homeland and to never abandon the rifle.

The Martyr Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah was one of the first to honor Ibrahim’s will. He was also one of the first, if not the only, leaders to personally call Ibrahim Al-Nabulsi’s mother and pay his respects. As Ibrahim’s mother recalls, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah did not call simply to offer his condolences. He called to congratulate the family on his victorious martyrdom, as it was something for which Ibrahim had prayed to Allah to attain its lofty status.

Fast forward four years, and the path continues. The sons of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah have not forgotten the will of Al-Nabulsi. Obviously, the path of the resistance will remain, no matter what. However, Ibrahim’s influence on the youth of the Axis must also be acknowledged.

We see this today in images of his face spread throughout the lands of resistance, from Iraq to Iran, Yemen, Palestine, and Al-Jnoub. His name, his face, and his story remain in the hearts of the revolutionary youth.

We see this within the youth of Al-Jnoub who rose in the battles of Al-Aqsa Flood and Asf Al-Makul. That is why, when we talk about Ibrahim, we are also talking about the youth who fought with the idea of Zulfiqar in their hands against the Yazid of our time.

This is what Ibrahim stood for, and this is what his counterparts in Al-Jnoub sacrificed themselves for. Their souls honored Ibrahim’s will. They never abandoned the homeland, and their rifles remained in their blessed hands.

Today, we see this solidarity in the fields of resistance in Al-Jnoub among young fighters like the martyr fighter Ali Talieh, who ascended at the age of 19, just like Ibrahim.

It was said that Ali cut his hair short like Ibrahim after his martyrdom. Ali looked up to him in every way. Ibrahim was his role model, both in appearance and in resistance. Ali would also recite songs dedicated to the martyrs and the resistance, especially those dedicated to the Lion’s Den, which Ibrahim was a part of. In the end, Ali was gifted the same fate as Ibrahim: a victorious martyrdom.

There are countless stories like Ali’s that demonstrate the invincible bond between Lebanon and Palestine, as the resistance forces of both nations continue to resist the Zionist occupation.

We also see this in the story of the martyred Palestinian Shi’a fighter of Hezbollah, Mohammed Al-Awdi, who ascended a few months ago during clashes against the invading occupation forces in Bint Jbeil. Before his martyrdom, Mohammed posted an edited picture of himself on social media beside Ibrahim Al-Nabulsi, with Al-Aqsa Mosque behind them, accompanied by the caption: “If we are martyred, know that we have departed this life in the noblest form of departure. The most honorable death is the death of martyrdom.” In the end, Mohammed was awarded martyrdom, like Ibrahim and Ali, who also ascended on the road to Al-Quds.

Today, the children of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Dr. Fathi Al-Shiqaqi, George Habash, and Sheikh Ahmed Yasin are united on the battlefield. The martyr Hamza Hamoud proved that borders do not separate the people of Al-Jnoub, Palestine, and the rest of the Axis nations. The love of the resistance and the martyrs exceeds all obstacles attempting to divide the masses. 

Four years later, the face of the young man who commanded his people to never abandon the homeland and the rifle remains lifted in all the fields of resistance, from Sana’a to Baghdad, Al-Jnoub to Gaza, and Tehran to the West Bank. Four years later, his story remains alive, hundreds after him continue to honor his will. As Ibrahim’s mother joyfully declared upon his martyrdom, “There are hundreds of Ibrahims! We are all Ibrahim!”