Diligence and Chastity: The Life of Radwan Force Martyr Sayyed Hilal al-Moussawi
يقول أمير المؤمنين (ع): أعينوني بورع واجتهاد وعفة وسداد
“Aid me with devoutness, diligence, chastity, and rightness.” – The Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (as)
Letter from the Radwan Force to their recently-martyred brother, Sayyed Hilal al-Moussawi (ra)
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
To Martyr Leader Sayyed Hilal al-Moussawi,
Now then, you have become a martyr, and that is enough to be proud of,
What a wonderful martyrdom that you gave reached, O Sayyed Muhammad Murtada [his military title].
Indeed, we can’t really do you justice with writing.
You were a brave, courageous, altruistic, and well-mannered leader.
The brothers likened you to Qanbar [the freed slave of Imam Ali (as)], who adhered to his religious obligation.
You are the one who obeys the Imam of your time (aj) and works tirelessly for him.
What is the secret of your eyes and heart?
And what is the secret of the beauty of your smile?
O Sayyed Muhammad Murtada, you crossed where men dare not, and fought the enemy at the borders of the homeland in the town of Kfar Kila…
Whoever wants to know you, let him ask the valleys and the southern hills in Hawra, Deir Mimas, Tal al-Nahhas, etc.
Let him ask about that brave knight who roamed them boldly, unconcerned by the bombardment of enemy drones.
O Sayyed Muhammad Murtada, you are an example of the mujahid, the loyal leader of the resistance.
We try in vain to do you justice by writing.
We promise you that we will follow in your footsteps, our brother, and that we will carry the trust of your blood on our necks as we perpetuate the jihadi mission.
Your brothers in the Radwan Force, who yearn for you.
Introduction
Shaheed Sayyed Hilal was in his thirties and was someone who never thought about himself. He accepted the harshness of life and the cruelty of poverty, and avoided earning money through forbidden and unethical means, but instead worked hard and earned lawful money. Shaheed Sayyed Hilal was always proactive and eager to serve others, selflessly, loving his family, and caring for orphans.
This is the proof of the Noble Qur’anic verse 29 of Surat Al-Fath: “Muhammad, the Apostle of Allah, and those who are with him are hard against the faithless and merciful amongst themselves. You see them bowing and prostrating [in worship], seeking Allah’s grace, and [His] pleasure. Their mark is [visible] on their faces, from the effect of prostration. Such is their description in the Torah and their description in the Evangel. Like a tillage that sends out its shoots and builds them up, and they grow stout and settle on their stalks, impressing the sowers, so that He may enrage the faithless by them. Allah has promised those of them who have faith and do righteous deeds forgiveness and a great reward.”
Birth and Early Childhood
On 21 May 1993, Shaheed Sayyed Hilal al-Moussawi was born in the town of Nabi Sheet, the birthplace of the former Secretary General of Hezbollah, Sayyed Abbas al-Moussawi (ra).
His mother named him “Hilal” (literal meaning: crescent [of the moon]) due to the radiant and angelic features that were evident on his face from the moment he was born.
He was raised in a family that nurtured him from an early age with the highest values of faith.
Although he was not yet religiously obligated, Shaheed Sayyed Hilal began fasting regularly from the age of eight.
He was extremely modest and chaste, refusing to shake hands with non-mahram women even before he reached the age of religious obligation.
Shaheed Sayyed Hilal also refused to mix with the rest of the class, crying when his teacher seated him next to his female classmates.
The poor family was unable to provide toys, so Shaheed Sayyed Hilal would invent toys to amuse himself with his only friend, his sister Zainab who was a year and a half older than him. The only gift he received was a bicycle when he was 12 years old, which he later used for bread winning.
Shaheed Sayyed Hilal was keen to help his mother with household chores, being dutiful, affectionate, and helpful to everyone: his parents, his uncles, and his siblings.
Shaheed Sayyed Hilal (ra) was keen to visit the mausoleum of Hezbollah’s martyred Secretary General, Shaheed Sayyed Abbas al-Moussawi (ra), especially to participate in mourning processions for Ahlul Bayt (as) and martyrs.
Eventually, he fulfilled his dream of martyrdom like Shaheed Sayyed Abbas who used to repeat in his supplications: “O Lord, grant me a pure martyrdom, I chose it with prior will and determination, in order to atone for my sins; a martyrdom that is unparalleled, where my body is disintegrated and every wound in my limbs receives the retribution and punishment it deserves. After that, O Lord, I will certainly deserve to reside near You and near Your saints.”
Youth
Shaheed Sayyed Hilal quickly moved beyond childhood into adulthood as the circumstances of his poor family required him to shoulder the responsibility of securing a living early on and pursuing his studies simultaneously.
He was known for his enthusiasm and energy. Shaheed Sayyed Hilal was neither lazy nor a waste of time, but rather proactive and eager to do good deeds.
Shaheed Sayyed Hilal would sell corn, beans, and watermelons from a simple stall in the town square and help his uncles in their workshops for a small fee, or sometimes for free, just to earn a wage and maintain family ties.
Shaheed Sayyed Hilal was known for his calm and great respect for others. He never bothered anyone, and no one ever complained about him to his family, as he was extremely polite. He hated shouting and disturbing others. He abhorred backbiting, harming others, and slander.
High morality and religiosity
Shaheed Sayyed Hilal is known for his great interest in learning various religious rulings. He was keen to perform the prayer at its earliest proper time. Even if he was on the road, he would park his car to the side of the road to pray.
Imam al-Sadiq (as) specifically addressed his relatives with this advice because people expect righteousness from them, first and foremost, and to remind them that their kinship to him would not benefit them unless they fulfilled God’s obligations!
Thus, Shaheed Sayyed Hilal was very keen to perform the prayer at its first appointed time, to the point that he practically confirmed the words of Imam al-Sadiq (as): “Test our Shi’as in three matters: at the times of prayer, how they observe them; and when it comes to their secrets, how they guard them from our enemy; and regarding their wealth, how can they help their brothers in it?”
Shaheed Sayyed Hilal was extremely protective of his mahrams (nearest of kin of the opposite sex), zealous, and devoted to the abaya/chador (the loose, modest clothing that Islam recommends which goes above the basic requirements of the minimum obligatory hijab) and adherence to the rules of chastity. He was extremely happy when he learned that one of his relatives had worn the abaya.
Shaheed Sayyed Hilal also strongly condemned the unnecessary mixing of non-mahrams.
Once, his sister was in the hospital, and she did not have a private room, so Shaheed Sayyed Hilal sat close to her for fear that any part of her body, which should be covered according to Islamic teachings, would be exposed.
As for his close relationship with his great-great-grandmother, Sayyeda Fatima al-Zahra (due to his descent from the Hashemite family), he loved her intensely and constantly sought her out in every difficult situation. He was always present at every mourning event, wearing a shroud and sensing the presence of Sayyeda Zahra among them.
Joining the Resistance
At the age of 17, he insisted on joining the ranks of the resistance, where he was known for his prowess and strength, achieving numerous outstanding heroic deeds. This was the beginning of what was falsely known as the “Arab Spring,” when NATO-led takfiri terrorist groups began threatening Lebanese towns in the eastern mountain range of Lebanon, including Nabi Sheet, adjacent to Zabadani in Syria.
Shaheed Sayyed Hilal loved his colleagues and was beloved by them. He took the initiative to repel takfiri terrorism in Ghouta, Qusayr, Aleppo, and Qalamoun, among others.
During the war against Syria, Shaheed Sayyed Hilal once returned from his mission. He was extremely exhausted. He found his comrades preparing to carry out an operation to repel the takfiris. He wanted to join them, but the group’s commander asked him to rest. Shaheed Sayyed Hilal was deeply saddened. When the group reached a certain point, they were ambushed and besieged for two days. When they succeeded in breaking the siege and returned, Shaheed Sayyed Hilal began to laugh at them, playfully joking, “I told you to take me with you! But you refused and got yourself into trouble. Next time, when I insist on something, don’t oppose me, or you will regret it.”
While participating in repelling the foreign-backed terrorist gangs led by Al-Jolani (Syria’s de facto self-imposed president now known as “Ahmad al-Sharaa”), Shaheed Sayyed Hilal was valiant in his heroism. Following the martyrdom of his comrade Abu Muhammad al-Iqlim, he wanted to retrieve his pure body, even though Shaheed Sayyed Hilal was severely wounded.
The hail of bullets was very heavy, so he pulled Shaheed Abu Muhammad al-Iqlim out, yelling, “Ya Zahra!” He was hit by a bullet that penetrated his cheek, and the scars remained clearly visible on his face until shortly before his martyrdom.
Martyrdom
During the Battle of Uli al-Bas, from 26 September 2024, until mid-October, the date of his martyrdom, he performed many remarkable heroic deeds. He was a race to fulfill the duties of jihad.
As soon as he was called to duty, he traveled a long distance from Nabi Sheet to the Lebanese border with occupied Palestine in the town of Kfar Kila. He didn’t even have the luxury of a private car, so he used public transportation for some distance and then walked from place to place, while “Israeli” enemy drones watched the mujahideen. He could have worried about the fate of his wife and three children, but he never looked back.
Shaheed Sayyed Hilal could not bear to live after the martyrdom of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. He faced American missiles with a bare chest until he attained martyrdom, pure and chaste.
The body of Shaheed Sayyed Hilal remained in the open for four months due to the Lebanese government’s failure to deter the “Israeli” entity. When his family reached Kfar Kila, they searched for him for days, but found nothing of his holy remains.
Once during this search, Shaheed Sayyed Hilal’s mother was very sad and frustrated. She began to beseech Sayyeda Fatima al-Zahra (as), begging her to help her find even a few of his remains so she could build him a grave. Before she was about to leave, Shaheed Sayyed Hilal’s mother heard a faint voice directing her to a location. Indeed, the mother headed in that direction where she eventually found Shaheed Sayyed Hilal’s remains, which had decomposed into the dust, but only some shattered ribs of his chest, which he used to beat during the mourning for his grandfather, Imam Hussain (as).
From the Commander of the Faithful (as): “A man’s worth is proportional to his blessings, his truthfulness is proportional to his chivalry, his courage is proportional to his pride, and his chastity is proportional to his jealous sense of honor [for his mahrams].”
His Eminence Sheikh Panahian says: “Women raise martyrs; the reward for this work is equivalent to the status of martyrdom dozens of times over. Women do not need jihad or martyrdom to attain the highest ranks. Rather, through their religious upbringing, they attain all the ranks of men [including securing a livelihood, jihad, and martyrdom].”
In his will, the martyr recommends adherence to the Holy Qur’an, reviving the Hussaini rituals, and constant attendance at mosques and performing congregational prayers. Shaheed Sayyed Hilal insists on seeking the approval of his parents and calling on his siblings to continue his path of jihad for the sake of Allah. He also calls on his sisters to adhere to the hijab and maintain the standards of modesty and chastity. Shaheed Sayyed Hilal also calls on his children, especially his daughter Zainab, with whom he had a strong, affectionate relationship, to be righteous and faithful.
Shaheed Sayyed Hilal was extremely attached to children, especially his nieces and nephews. When their father, Shaheed Sayyed Ali al-Musawi (ra), was martyred, he became even more attentive to them, providing them constant care and guidance despite his frequent absences and numerous preoccupations.
Shaheed Sayyed Hilal (ra) found comfort in Shaheed Sayyed Abu Mahdi and loved his company as he embodied the noble Qur’anic verse 146 of Surah Al Imran: “How many a prophet there has been with whom a multitude of godly men fought. They did not falter for what befell them in the way of Allah, neither did they weaken, nor did they abase themselves; and Allah loves the steadfast.”
It is noteworthy that Shaheed Sayyed Abu Mahdi (ra) was Hezbollah’s commander in Nabi Sheet and was martyred days before the ceasefire while examining the needs of the steadfast residents who refused to be displaced, despite the heavy bombardment of the town.
