From the Biographies of the Distinguished Martyrs: (27) Abu al-Mardiya al-Yemeni

A Yemeni jihadist in Fallujah

The twenty-seventh “distinguished martyr” is Abu al-Mardiya al-Yemeni, a Yemeni jihadist and younger brother to Abu Tariq al-Yemeni, whom we have met before. Most of the biography discusses his battlefield experience, but the key detail (in conjunction with those from other biographies) is the presence of foreigners like Abu al-Mardiya in especially key fronts in the Battles of Fallujah.

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Abu al-Mardiya al-Yemeni

He is the Lion of God, the valiant commander, the righteous warrior–the bravest of Yemen’s youth I have ever seen, the sweetest in voice, the truest in loyalty, and the most steadfast in the cause of God. He fears no blame in the path of God, nor the reproach of any critic. He comes from pure origins and righteous lineage.

My dear ones, do you remember the heroic commander previously mentioned, Abu Tariq al-Yemeni? He was the elder brother of Abu al-Mardiya and preceded him in jihad and martyrdom for the sake of God.

I will never forget the day Abu Tariq was released from prison and learned that his brother had become a mujahid in the Land of the Two Rivers. This was after the First Battle of Fallujah, in which Abu al-Mardiya was one of its leaders and knights, and where he was wounded.

He came walking on crutches, dragging his leg between them. I stood at a distance, watching the reunion of the two brothers–the meeting of two beloved souls in the land of jihad after a long absence. I saw how Abu Tariq rushed toward his brother, how tears streamed down their cheeks, and how the kisses on their heads and foreheads spoke volumes. One had been tested with captivity, the other with injury. Words failed them, and silence became the truest expression, the most eloquent testimony of their bond.

Abu Tariq answered the call of his Lord and preceded his brother to martyrdom, as mentioned earlier. But God preserved his brother for us, leaving remarkable imprints on the land of jihad, summed up in the words: "Let the eyes of the cowards never sleep."

Abu al-Mardiya arrived in Iraq shortly before the events of the First Battle of Fallujah. The orders came for the Lions of Monotheism to descend upon the city and guard its entrances. The situation escalated as the enemy intensified its rhetoric–threatening, raging, and vowing destruction. But they faced heroes who feared not death, who loved freedom, who would never accept servitude to anyone but God. Their banner was La ilaha illa Allah, and their role model was Muhammad, the Messenger of God. I bear witness that Abu al-Mardiya was among them–no, he was one of their leaders.

Abu al-Mardiya settled in the Officers' District and Nazzal. At that time, no one paid him much attention–he was a man of few words, often silent. Eyes dismissed him due to his short stature and thin frame. Even Shaykh Abu Anas al-Shami (may God have mercy on him) once said of him, "You could almost carry him in your palm."

You see a frail man and underestimate him,
Yet within his clothes lies a roaring lion.

If trials are what reveal men, forge leaders, dispel lies, and cement truths, then Abu al-Mardiya proved himself in the First Battle of Fallujah. He stepped into the arena of honor, donned the cloak of glory, and crowned himself with pride. And why not? Even lions took cover behind him, and heroes hesitated to advance where he led.

One day, an enemy tank emerged from a side street. Abu al-Mardiya confronted it with an RPG launcher, standing just twenty meters away. He took aim while the cowardly enemy froze in place–until his projectile struck true, embedding itself in the heart of the target. The scene awed everyone, instilling courage and boldness against the enemies of God. How desperately the mujahidin needed someone like Abu al-Mardiya in their first real battle against the American cowboys!

After that, he set aside the RPG and took up a sniper rifle, lying in wait for his foes. And why not? Yemeni youth are renowned for their precision and marksmanship, growing up familiar with weapons. I ask God to elevate him against their enemy–the enemy of God, Salih al-Yemeni [Ali Abdullah Saleh].

Abu al-Mardiya continued like this until God granted him many victories, filling hearts with joy through his remarkable combat. Most importantly, he instilled confidence in his brothers. The whole world saw him in an interview by LBC with some of Fallujah’s mujahidin. Everyone remembers this short, slender young man surrounded by his brothers, saying:

"We will avenge our brothers killed in Chechnya, Afghanistan, and Palestine. We will never forget this. By God, besides whom there is no god, as long as we live on this earth, we will pursue them–even if they leave Iraq, even if they flee Palestine. We will hunt them down and cut off their roots by God’s power, not ours. And you will see this, God willing."

I bear witness that he fulfilled his oath and proved true to what he promised God and His Messenger. He never abandoned his weapon until he died embracing it, answering the Call of his Lord.

Let me add that Abu al-Mardiya was struck by a sniper’s bullet in the final stages of the battle, which left him unable to fight. But God healed him after the First Fallujah. Later, he was entrusted with guarding the city’s entrance from the Naimiyah side, then all the southern entrances. He was truly the right man for this difficult task, constantly inspecting the checkpoints–assessing strengths, weaknesses, and preparations for the looming battle.

The drums of war beat violently as the bombardment intensified, lasting nearly a month without pause. The enemy waged a war of attrition for two months, testing every point on the front–especially the checkpoints, which saw fierce battles, particularly at the Martyrs' Checkpoint and Naimiyah, where Abu al-Mardiya was in charge.

When the Second Battle of Fallujah began, Abu al-Mardiya’s position was among the most dangerous and brutal–at the first entrance of Nazzal, near the Industrial Sector, specifically atop the building opposite the al-Khulafa Mosque. The Americans advanced toward them from the Officers' District and elsewhere. Fierce battles erupted at Abu al-Mardiya’s position, claiming many young lives. The bombardment on the front lines was relentless.

I went to that spot and found the situation dire. I tried my best to fill the gaps and boost morale, arranging a meeting point with Abu al-Mardiya if he needed me. He never stopped moving among his soldiers and brothers, showing no fatigue or boredom despite his old injury, which still caused a slight limp.

Snipers spread on the opposite side, forcing the brothers to abandon the building facing them. When Abu al-Mardiya saw this, he was furious and insisted on going back alone. His brothers pleaded, warning him of the sniper-controlled street, but he refused to leave the gap open. As he neared his target, a sniper shot him in the leg–in the same spot as his old wound. He fell face-first but crawled back to his brothers, saying:

"Now I have excused myself before God."

He never groaned or complained. Instead, he lifted his brothers' spirits just as he bandaged his own wound. Eventually, the enemy stormed Nazzal, and Abu al-Mardiya and I moved together, shifting from house to house, wall to wall. I doubt you, my brother, can imagine the pain the wounded endured during such movements.

Finally, we settled in a house with a group of wounded. As we were there, bulldozers began leveling the houses, reaching the one in front of us. I rushed to help the wounded cross to a safer house, and we succeeded with all but one–just as the bulldozers began demolishing the house on top of us. But God saved us at the last moment.

Abu al-Mardiya stayed with another group, and the chase continued. As some brothers crossed from one house, an F-16 struck the remaining men in the targeted house–among them the heroic commander and martyr, Abu al-Mardiya.

By God, I never saw him wince or complain–only patience, resilience, and an astonishing steadfastness. Smiles and laughter still filled his face, and his sweet voice occasionally rose in nasheeds for his brothers. Why not? He had one of the most beautiful voices among the mujahideen, and he often recited the audio tape "Riyah al-Nasr" (Winds of Victory).

Forgive me, brother–I forgot to mention two important things in this man’s eventful life of noble stances:

1. When he first came to Iraq via Syria, he was imprisoned there for a long time before being released on the condition that he leave the country. But he did not claim that he was “excused before God.” Instead, he outwitted surveillance, and God granted him success in entering Iraq.

2. The joyous event in Abu al-Mardiya’s life was that he married the daughter of a mujahid shortly before the battle (who was later martyred). God blessed him with a son after his death–a boy who resembles his father. May God compensate us with his goodness and make him a worthy successor to a noble predecessor.

Written by:
Abu Ismail al-Muhajir