From the Biographies of the Distinguished Martyrs: (12) Umar Hadid

Left: AQI’s official portrait of Umar Hadid. Right: Footage of Hadid released in 2017 by IS. He sits with foreign fighters, one of whom (far left) identified as Abu Suhayb al-Maqdisi in AQI’s 2005 film “Shuhada al-Sham fil-Iraq.” Image credits to Mr0rangetracker on Twitter.

With the twelfth entry of this series, we come to perhaps the most important “distinguished martyr” yet–Umar Hadid. Before the war, Hadid belonged to the Iraqi Salafi Jihadist underground. Abu Ismail al-Muhajir reports that Hadid formed the first jihadist group in Fallujah, where he blew up “un-Islamic” establishments like women’s hair salons, which were supposedly hidden brothels. Interestingly, Muhajir describes Fallujah in scathing terms, calling it a center of “innovation” and “superstition.” The city was known for its conservatism even before the war, which highlights Hadid’s (and Muhajir’s) extremism. Hadid’s group was active in Fallujah’s neighboring villages, including Karmah, suggesting a non-insignificant degree of militant organization. Unsurprisingly, Hadid soon came under Baathist persecution, forcing him to flee to various cities in Iraq. This came to an end with the Coalition invasion, after which Hadid, Abu Muhammad al-Lubnani, and other (mainly foreign) jihadists formed the camp at Rawah. In other words, he is a founding member of Islamic State.

Hadid’s presence at the Rawah Camp raises several questions, particularly about his eventual introduction with Zarqawi, and generally about Zarqawi’s relationship to Lubnani’s Rawah-based network. According to Abu Muhammad al-Salmani, Abu Anas al-Shami was the “general prince” of the Rawah Camp,¹ so Hadid and Shami likely met there. This meeting must have taken place before the June 2003 airstrike that destroyed the camp and killed dozens of jihadists. Given that Shami was a long-time and highly trusted comrade to Zarqawi, this would also suggest that Zarqawi’s network was loosely involved with Lubnani’s in Rawah. However, per Daniele Raineri, Zarqawi and Lubnani would not meet until months after the raid on the camp, suggesting that the two networks remained distinct for much of 2003.² It seems that Shami coordinated with Lubnani on his own initiative while Zarqawi organized primarily in Baghdad. In other words, Shami may have been the bridge between the two networks. Shami’s closeness to Lubnani can be seen in their joint efforts to recruit Iraqi jihadists and ex-officers, commandos, etc. from the Baathist Army–for example, both recruited Abu Umar al-Baghdadi. It is therefore plausible that Hadid was introduced to Zarqawi by Shami. However, were this the case, I imagine that Muhajir would explicitly state it, so my hypothesis should be treated with skepticism.

In any case, after the raid on Rawah, Hadid returned to his native Fallujah to fight the Coalition. Muhajir reports that upon the First Battle of Fallujah, Hadid, Shami, and Abu Azzam al-Iraqi (among others) formed a “general command” for the fighters. This would indicate a few things. First, all three were already in positions of authority or respect by the time of the Battle. Second, they all knew each other and had been working together. Muhajir’s telling does not suggest that this was their first time organizing joint efforts. Third, Jama’at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad’s (JTJ) presence in the city was already significant, as it was capable of securing leadership of the insurgency before the battle commenced. This is corroborated by the biography of Thamir Mubaraz ‘Atruz, which informs us that ‘Atruz (another top JTJ leader) led a special group patrolling Fallujah’s outer desert. This group re-entered the city to fight the Coalition during the First Battle. Fourth, the leaders of JTJ had known (about) each other for roughly a year by the time of the Battle.

This all explains the ease with which JTJ seized total power in Fallujah after the Battle and formed an Islamic emirate. Muhajir tells us that Hadid and the other JTJ leaders formed the Fallujah Mujahidin Shura Council, through which they enforced strict Salafi governance. In particular, Hadid persecuted Sufi shaykhs due to their supposed cowardice–incidentally, one key JTJ ally was the Sufi shaykh Abdullah al-Janabi (still alive today in Turkey). During the “emirate” phase, insurgents from all over Iraq and even from foreign countries came to Fallujah, which became the insurgency’s unofficial capital. The US military assessed that enforcement of sharia was primarily by foreign fighters.³ Muhajir’s reference to “monotheistic youth” who replaced the Sufi shaykhs suggests that Iraqi jihadists played some role in enforcement. The rest of the biography is devoted to Hadid’s battlefield exploits and do not need to be addressed here.

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In the name of God, the most Gracious, the most Merciful

Umar Hadid

The Flag of Fallujah’s Flags

And the master of martyrs in it–we consider him as such–is its dutiful son, its obeyed leader, and its valiant commander. He who grasped the reins of glory, which yielded and submitted to him. His soul aspired to the heights, so he was not content with anything less than Paradise. Feared in stature yet gentle in demeanor, his name is a drawn sword against enemies and a flowing stream of purity for his brethren. Among people, he is a mark of distinction, and on the forehead, he is a crown. When you see him, you are reminded of God, and the soul finds comfort and tranquility. He is the quickest to do good for others and the farthest in his pursuit of excellence.

He is Umar Hadid or Umar Husayn Hadid al-Muhammadi, the lion of Fallujah who seized the reins of heroism and clothed himself in the garment of awe. This towering mountain, who made the small city a symbol for people, a sign of pride, and an honor in glory, never sought fame or desired recognition. He never turned toward it or wept for it, nor did he strive for it as many do. Yet, the honor of this world and the Hereafter was his portion–we believe, and God is his Reckoner. How could it not be, when he was the dutiful son of faith, its outstanding student, and its successful caller who proclaimed the truth? He was tested for the sake of God, a monotheist in an era of darkness, striving to remove the rubble of negligence during the time of the doomed tyrant (God willing), the leader of the Ba'ath, Saddam Husayn.

It was during this time that our beloved brother met the da'iyah (caller to faith) Muhammad al-Shishani, and together, at Al-Fayyad Mosque, they formed the first group for enjoining good and forbidding evil in the capital of innovations [bidah] and the cradle of superstition at that time–Fallujah. This group succeeded in destroying immoral video stores, women's hair salons (which were used for other hidden purposes [referring to prostitution]), and liquor shops. They then expanded their efforts to neighboring villages, reaching as far as al-Karmah. However, God decreed to test him and pave the way for his trials. One member of the group was arrested and confessed to the prominent role of the Shaykh and his companion. They were surrounded in a house, but the heroic martyr and his companion managed to break the siege after killing one of the tyrant's henchmen and wounding others.

Thus began the first journeys of displacement and the lessons of exile. He moved between the cities of Iraq, seeking safety and calling people to God.

One day, one of his relatives, who was an official in the intelligence services at the time, came to him and said: "Come with me for just one hour, and I promise you will return and never be pursued. It’s just a formality–you announce your repentance and declare your innocence in the killing of the soldier, and then you will be safe." Umar looked at him and replied: "Rather, save yourself from the punishment of God when He questions you about your service to this tyrant. As for me, I am at ease and safe by the will of God, and God is predominant over His affair."

The Ba'ath regime fell, and the leader began searching for his role, driven by the ambition of faith within him. He went to Rawah, where he–alongside the martyr brother Abu Muhammad al-Lubnani and others–established the first camp for Arab brothers who had migrated.

Then he returned to Fallujah and led the first battle against American armored vehicles. Three brothers were martyred in that battle, while he and another survived miraculously. The man realized what was required of him and began gathering weapons of all kinds.

He then turned to his family, advising them, reminding them, and calling them to God. Their hearts softened toward him, and they pledged allegiance to him in leadership, listening, and obedience–both the elders and the young. I saw his uncle and his cousins, young and old, all saying: "Shaykh Umar came, and Shaykh Umar left." When he sat, they would rise to serve him (though he would refuse), and when he spoke, they would hasten to fulfill his requests. This was among the blessings God bestowed upon him.

Before the man was martyred, he buried his elder brother Abdul-Sattar, his loyal cousin Jasim (a student of Sharia), and others. O family of Hadid, may God reward you! He has honored you in the Hereafter, just as you were honored by your faith in this world.

The first time I saw him, he was wearing a cloak, with a shemagh and agal on his head. He spoke with politeness and smiled with modesty, so I thought he was one of the tribal shaykhs. Poetry was mentioned, and it turned out he knew much of it, but unfortunately, I do not recall any of it now. Perhaps I will gather some of it later. He grew in my esteem–his manners, knowledge, jihad, and dignity. I leaned over to the person next to me and asked, "Who is this shaykh?" He replied, "Don’t you know him? This is Umar Hadid of Fallujah." That was my first encounter with him.

Then the events of the First Battle of Fallujah began. Those events marked a new turning point in the history of his life and the jihadist journey of others, and even in the history of the city itself. It reached the point where if Fallujah was mentioned, Umar was mentioned, and if Umar was mentioned, Fallujah was mentioned. They are two sides of the same honor, each influencing the other. This began with the events at the Security Directorate and the Qaimqamiya (district administration) and ended with the departure of the hero.

But I will begin with the First Battle of Fallujah, where I would like to note what I believe was the reason–and God knows best–for the rise of the man’s status and his elevated standing in this world. I ask God to raise his status in the Hereafter as well. When the Americans first entered Fallujah, most people hid in their homes, and fear began to creep into their limbs. They were afraid for their families, their children, and their wealth.

But Umar feared nothing except God. He went to his home and began urging his family, his cousins, and those with him to take action. Then he picked up his machine gun, and behind him ran his brother Abdul-Sattar, his cousins, and at their head was the young Jasim.

People rushed to them, saying, "What’s wrong with you? Are you crazy? Cover your faces! The Americans (the spies) are here!" But the man cried out at the top of his voice: "Come out, people! Defend your honor! They will not leave you alone. Be sincere with God for just one hour!" The best among the people were those who brought him a shemagh to cover his face or a sip of water to quench his thirst.

By God, I saw the burning passion for faith filling his eyes, the fear for honor filling his heart, and boldness in the command of God as his hallmark. I said: "Glory be to God! Ibn Abbas spoke the truth when he said about Abu Bakr, 'Abu Bakr did not surpass you with much prayer or fasting, but with something that settled in his heart.'" Perhaps what settled in Umar Hadid’s heart was the love of faith and the zeal for its people, which is why he sacrificed himself and his family without hesitation.

But glory be to God, who says: {O Messenger, announce that which has been revealed to you from your Lord, and if you do not, then you have not conveyed His message. And God will protect you from the people. [5:67]} The degree of protection is proportional to the degree of conveying the message, as Shaykh Sayyid Qutb (may God have mercy on him) said.

Despite the fact that many houses in Fallujah were bombed and destroyed, even though they were empty as their inhabitants had fled, Umar’s house–which served as a refuge for the mujahidin, both migrants and locals, and as a place for their food and medicine–was not harmed. In fact, they bombed it multiple times, but it remained unharmed, while everything around it was destroyed. Glory be to God!

The battle began, and Umar, along with Shaykh Abu Anas al-Shami, Abu Azzam, and others, formed the general command of the battle. Umar was tasked with the overall supervision or leadership of the most intense and critical areas of conflict–al-Julan [Golan neighborhood]. The enemy attempted multiple times to enter the city from this direction for several reasons, the most important being:

• The short distance between the enemy’s positions and the al-Julan area.

• The long front line on this side, making it difficult for the mujahidin to defend.

By God, I was on this front, and Umar’s voice in battle was like a thousand horsemen. His presence lifted morale and instilled confidence in the hearts of the fighters.

I remember one time when a group of brothers went to attack one of the American positions, and news reached Shaykh Umar Hadid that the brothers were surrounded. He came like a swift wind, carrying his machine gun–a NATO-type with a metal stock–and began rallying the brothers, roaring at them: "We must save the brothers! Come on, young men!" He advanced personally from one direction while coordinating the others, until God made it easy and the brothers emerged victorious after being surrounded.

Shaykh Umar’s position was always a target for constant and relentless bombardment. They left no ground or house untouched. The last to be hit was the house used as a storage facility for ammunition, and this happened just days before the end of the battle. That ammunition was the last of our supplies. Umar was deeply saddened and complained to Shaykh Abu Anas, who said to him, "God will bring relief, Umar." After that, victory and triumph came, but only after exhausting all earthly means. When the means of the earth were exhausted, the means of heaven descended with a clear and decisive victory.

After the First Battle of Fallujah, Shaykh Umar entered one of the most important phases of his life. He began laying the foundation for an era of goodness and blessings. Along with a group of his brothers, he formed the Mujahidin Shura Council, which he hoped would become the nucleus of Islamic governance for the city of Fallujah. Umar and his brothers began fulfilling the duty of enjoining good and forbidding evil. They removed the shaykhs of blameworthy Sufism, who had fled the city at the start of the American attack, and appointed a group of monotheistic youth in their place.

This made Umar a target for the arrows of these cowards, who began throwing every accusation at him and stripping him of every virtue. However, the honorable people of the city knew him as a sincere advisor to the people, a ruler who judged among them with justice. Whenever a problem was brought to him, he would take the right from the oppressor, no matter their status or influence.

One of Umar’s well-known achievements was when he sensed betrayal and treachery from the Fallujah Brigade of the Pagan Guard [Iraqi National Guard]. He stormed their headquarters, arrested their leaders, executed them,⁴ and seized their facilities, including weapons, equipment, and uniforms. He cleansed the city of their filth. In their grief over losing them, the American invaders erected a massive billboard in front of one of their most important bases, featuring a picture of the commander of the Pagan Guard in Fallujah.

Umar continued to prepare and equip for a potential American invasion, starting with acquiring weapons and sealing gaps in their defenses. Once again, he was entrusted with the leadership of al-Julan.

Then came the events of the Second Battle of Fallujah. As mentioned earlier, his position was in al-Julan. I was in the Nazzal neighborhood with Shaykh Abu Azzam, Abdul-Hadi, Abu Rabi’, and others from the migrants and locals. News from al-Julan began reaching us, and it was anything but good. The most painful news was that Umar Hadid had been killed. Everyone was deeply saddened, and grief took over the scene.

And yet on the morning of a bright day, Umar appeared before us, having been injured in his back and right shoulder, carrying his machine gun–this time it was an American M16. We all shouted takbirat (“Allahu Akbar”) and prostrated to God in gratitude. Then he told us the story of his injury and how he, along with his brothers, managed to break the siege that had been imposed on him. He came to the Nazzal neighborhood, and from this neighborhood, Umar began to play his leadership role. Despite his injury and the difficulty of his movements, whenever a particular area became difficult, we would send him there for an important reason: that when the brothers saw him, they would become motivated.

They became encouraged, and courage was their motto, though some among them felt shy about it. Indeed, Umar was a confidant in this matter, and God knows best about it. The Americans stormed the Nazzal neighborhood and fought valiantly, causing the brothers to scatter into groups. I went with one group, and he went with another. Later, he came with Muhammad Jasim al-Issawi (Abul-Harith) and others, a smile on his face, saying, "God willing, victory is ours. We will defeat them, God willing. We aspire to what God has promised." I knew he meant Paradise. Then, the fighting began to spread throughout the Nazzal neighborhood, and we started moving from house to house.

During those days, the brothers dispersed, and I, along with three others, could not move for various reasons. Umar looked at the house where I was and became frantic because he saw snipers on the roof and was deeply worried for us. He took his M16 rifle and began firing at them. He shot the first one, then the second, and as a result, the cowards fled from the roof, which, by God's will, made it easier for us to leave the house.

Then came the "Call of the Woman," as those who were in the Nazzal neighborhood knew it, an order for every resident of the area to leave the city and move to its outskirts. Everyone knew that death was inevitably approaching and that the cowards would resort to dirty tactics.

Indeed, poisonous and incendiary gases were used, and what has recently been revealed about the use of white phosphorus is just the tip of the iceberg.

Umar began moving from one place to another until he finally settled in a house with more than ten of the brothers. Suddenly, he sensed that the Americans were attempting to storm the house. He climbed to the roof and began engaging with them, but a sniper's bullet from a house across the street struck him in the head. The knight dismounted, and if the expression is true, the knight [again] mounted his steed to gallop and roam in the heights of glory and honor, reveling in the Gardens of Eden under the care of the Almighty Lord. We trust in God, and He is sufficient as a reckoner.

The brothers who came after him faced the same fate, but everyone entrusted their affairs to God, for he had found rest from the troubles of this world. Among the notable things is that the Americans, as is their custom, used every means in this war, including psychological warfare.

The beauty of the story lies in this: often, they would call out through loudspeakers, "Come out, surrender yourselves, you are surrounded, we will annihilate you, your leaders have fled, they have abandoned you, Umar Hadid the coward has run away and left you, he chose life and left you to die..."

Umar would hear this and laugh, and the brothers around him would laugh too, growing even more steadfast and certain in what God had promised. {So it increased them in faith, and they said, “Sufficient for us is God, and He is the best Disposer of affairs.” [3:173]}

I remember once they said, among other things, "We have brought you destructive weapons, we will burn the ground beneath you, and the sky will rain fire upon you. We have a mighty force that no one can withstand." By God, I laughed from the depths of my heart at that moment and said to my brothers, "Be glad, for by God, such words are followed by imminent relief." And indeed, it was not long, praise be to God. In the end, I ask God not to deprive us of Umar and his brothers in Paradise, and to grant me the love of him and those like him, which I aspire to. God is our helper, and upon Him we rely.

1. Abu Muhammad al-Salmani, “The Lions Den of the Ansar in the Land of Two Rivers,” al-Fajr Media Center. I can share the link to this story in private messages.

2. See note 11 in: Nibras Kazimi, ‘“What Was That All About?” Flawed Methodologies in Explaining the Origins of ISIS (2003–2013),’ Bustan: The Middle East Book Review 8, no. 2 (2017). Link: https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5325/bustan.8.2.0151

3. Cf. Truls Hallberg Tønnessen, ‘The Islamic Emirate of Fallujah’, paper presented at the International Studies Association Annual Conference, Montreal, 16–19 March 2011.

4. Hadid personally beheaded Lt. Col. Suleiman Hamad al-Marawi on film. The video was distributed across Fallujah. It is unclear if this video was ever published online.