From the Biographies of the Distinguished Martyrs: (35) Abu al-Hassan al-Shar'i, the Martyred Groom

A jihadist groom-to-be in Baghdad

The thirty-fifth “distinguished martyr” is Abu al-Hassan al-Shar’i, an Iraqi jihadist and close confidant of Abu Ismail al-Muhajir. He was a relatively latecomer to Al Qaida in Iraq (AQI), joining during the Second Battle of Fallujah. He initially signed up as one of the fighters in the Abu Ghraib operation in early 2005, but he was excluded from it due to his theological background. He soon rose through AQI’s ranks. He became an itinerant ideologue, recruiting jihadist preachers across many villages and keeping constant contact with local imams to keep them aligned to AQI. Similarly, he rigorously vetted and trained any local groups that sought to join AQI, ensuring that they adhered to the network’s fervent Salafi Jihadist ideology. Abu al-Hassan was also closely involved in managing AQI’s relations with the Sunni tribes and mediating tribal disputes, granting him significant authority. His last set of promotions were becoming the jurist (then emir) of the Aisha Library in Baghdad, then the jurist of the southern Baghdad belts, and finally the emir of Baghdad and belts area in general. He achieved all of this despite his youth (twenty-five years old). Abu Ismail also reports that Abu al-Hassan filmed an attack on a Counter-Terrorism Center, but it is unclear on which date this took place. The rest of the biography is devoted to Abu al-Hassan’s character and combat experience.

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The Martyred Groom

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

My dear and noble Shaykh, may God protect and watch over you, and guide your steps on the paths of goodness. The most beautiful thing in this world is meeting you, and the hardest is parting from you. Blessed is the one who meets you, for I await you:

O our Shaykh, if you were to visit us, you would find us
The guests, and you the master of the house

O our Shaykh, how beautiful is the world with you
Do not call the world ugly as long as you are in it

And if you ask who the beloved ones are,
Know that our answer is: You

Your younger brother: Abu al-Hassan

So wrote Abu al-Hassan in his last message to me.

This was the note I hastily gathered when I heard the roar of aircraft in the near horizon. One of the brothers rushed in, filled with anxiety, saying, "Apaches, Black Hawks, hornets," are approaching us. I went out with him and saw a landing somewhat far from us. I told my companion as I hurried back, gathering a piece of paper I had just torn, "Just don’t cry for Abu al-Hassan today." He said, "God willing, it won’t be him." I replied, "The aircraft are in his area. God knows best. O brothers, pray for your brothers and ask God for safety."

Then the aircraft approached our house, circling it in a strange and noticeable manner. I split the brothers into two groups to fight if any harm occurred, but betrayal was our lot that day. I couldn’t hide my fear that the landing was at the house of my beloved, the light of my eyes–Abu al-Hassan. I sent someone to scout, and schoolboys reported that a house was being bombed. The heat of calamity burned in my heart, for I believed only my brothers were in that area–along with some looting gangs, whom the occupiers had no need to eliminate. In fact, they needed them to tarnish the image of the mujahidin.

Then the bearer of bad news came, striking my heart like lightning. The landing and bombing were at Abu al-Hassan’s house. The news shattered me, and tears froze in my eyes–or so I made it seem before my brothers. I asked about the other brothers–were they with him in the house? They said, "Most likely, yes."

I rose from my place, wanting to be alone, but my legs could not hold me. I staggered to my room like a drunk or one possessed. By God, the loss of Abu al-Hassan is heavy, so heavy. "O God, comfort me in my grief and replace it with something better."

Who was the beloved?

He was the divinely guided preacher, the heroic mujahid, the compassionate and advising brother, the noble and resolute leader, the one who proclaimed and upheld the truth, the one tested in the path of God. He is the martyred brother Abu al-Hassan al-Shar’i (Ali…).

We believe, and God is his reckoner, that the martyr stepped forward during the Second Battle of Fallujah, leaving behind those who chase after worldly knowledge and profit from it, heedless of cheap invitations they offered him, whether to work in charitable organizations or lead some opportunistic institutions. Instead, he relied on God and the divine knowledge bestowed upon him, ignoring the doubts spread by the hesitant, the alarmists, and the passive who say, "Let us acquire more knowledge, then join the ranks." But as every scholar knows, the more one learns, the more one realizes their ignorance–there is no end to learning, and Satan beautifies their thoughts, leading them to ruin.

But Abu al-Hassan recognized Satan’s deceit and that of his allies. He rolled up his sleeves, sought God’s help, and marched on, unbothered by the discouragers. How could he not? He knew these alarmists well–he used to invite them to Jaddah and oversee their affairs in their preaching camps. He knew their intense craving for status and power, the power of knowledge. He once told me, "I called one of them, and he demanded that I book his flight and those with him. Then he insisted on being received by a luxury car of a certain type. Another demanded that the mosque attendance exceed a certain number. Yet another stipulated that the food be from a specific place and that they arrange a yacht trip for him–and so on with these disgraceful demands." The man said, "Do these people truly want to acquire more knowledge before joining the ranks of jihad, or is this Satan’s deception whispered to them to discourage the youth from joining jihad?"

As soon as he arrived, he registered his name in the list of martyrdom-seekers, wrote his will, and joined the brothers preparing for the blessed Abu Ghraib operation. When the brother in charge learned that this man was a scholar of Islamic law and a hafiz of the Book of God, skilled in it, he reluctantly excluded him from the martyrdom operation.

The martyr then took on his role as a preacher among his brothers, traveling through the villages of the region, proclaiming the truth, advising, and reminding. Yet he never abandoned guard duty and patrols, moving with his brothers, easing their pains, and bringing smiles to their faces. He was keen on earning his brothers’ love–no area he left was without a preacher. Whenever a group wanted to join the blessed caravan of Al Qaida, Abu al-Hassan was tasked with giving them a religious course and then assessing their suitability. He maintained constant communication with the mosque imams in the area, urging them to do good and reminding them of their duty ordained by God–to speak the Truth, teach it to the people, and fear none but God.

Yet he was also a fierce mujahid. I remember when the enemy raided the area where he was stationed, turning it into a camp. He didn’t leave but formed a group with some brothers, terrifying the Americans and lying in wait for them, as God said, "At every ambush." They stalked them, planting explosives behind them until God granted them victory in a short time. Within a month, they killed nearly a hundred apostates and infidels, sowing terror in their hearts so they never again approached the path of death. Every day, he would go out under the banner of the frontier. I would ask, "Where are you going?" He would reply, "To the Americans," with a smile on his face. I would say, "Take care of yourself and your brothers," and he would always respond, "God is the Protector."

The beloved participated in the storming of the Counter-Terrorism Center and filmed some of its events with a camera he carried. His bravery, composure, and excellent planning were evident when the American enemy once raided the Sadr al-Yusufiyah area. The news reached him and his brothers, and he rushed to the scene, organizing the brothers and arranging their positions–one group near the regulator, another in the orchards, and so on–until he had tightly encircled the Americans. Then he shouted "Allahu Akbar" and ordered the attack. The enemy was caught off guard as the mujahidin’s fire rained on them from all sides, their blood flowing abundantly. Abu al-Hassan laughed at the strange sight: Abu Radwan aiming his rifle at a Humvee mounted on a pickup truck. The scene was bizarre–a Kia facing a Humvee, both firing until Abu Radwan turned the Humvee into a tub of blood.

Then Abu al-Hassan began rotating the groups, replacing them with fresh ones. When asked why, he said, "First, it’s a chance for the brothers to train on American blood. Second, the old groups can rest. Third, their ammunition is nearly exhausted. Fourth, the morale of the new groups is at its peak." He continued directing the battle until the enemy suffered heavy losses, retreating in defeat, leaving behind bloodstains and dragging ten corpses with them.

Abu al-Hassan was known for his remarkable ability to persuade, especially with tribal elders. He would visit them to resolve issues between the mujahidin and them, even their tribal disputes. His name spread throughout the region like a beacon–delighting friends and enraging hypocrites. He was appointed the jurist of the Umm al-Mu’minin Aisha Library and deputy to its emir, then the jurist for the southern belt of Baghdad, and finally, days before his martyrdom, the emir of the Umm al-Mu’minin Aisha Library in Baghdad–though he never assumed the role.

One day, the martyr asked me to arrange a marriage for him. I said, "I will strive to find you a righteous woman, God willing." And so it was–I married him to a pious woman from a righteous family. She agreed immediately when she learned he was a hafiz of the Quran, a mujahid, and a seeker of Islamic knowledge. She said, "Praise God, this is what I wanted–a man to teach me my religion and help me uphold it." The bride was brought to him, and the couple reunited in a house near me. After two days, I sent him a message to check on him and see if the woman was as I had hoped–for Abu al-Hassan had married her without seeing her, seeking only religious compatibility on my advice. "Seek religion, and all else will follow," provided the intention is sincere. He replied, thanking God and me for the gift, saying, "Praise God, I have been granted what pleases the eye and comforts the heart." Then he joked, "Now it’s time to write the book: 'The Permissible in Beautiful Nights.'" He began recounting some chapters in witty humor and refined manners, and I knew then that his spirits were high and that the woman had found a perfect place in his heart. I praised and thanked God for this success.

About five days later, he visited me at my house and asked me to come to his house. I promised to go the next day. Then he told me a story that delighted me–and I think it would delight every Muslim. He said, "Brother, the martyrdom-seekers are at my house (seven of them), and the bride is serving them–cooking and washing their clothes. Can you imagine? A noblewoman, in the first days of her marriage, cooking and serving the mujahidin, her eyes filled with joy and seeking reward." He continued, "News came that the Americans were going to search the area. I told my wife, 'Go to the neighbors’ house. If they come, we will engage them, as there’s no way out.' She said, 'By God, I will not leave. Give me your explosive belt, I will wear it. If they come, I will do what pleases God.' So I gave it to her, and she laughed, going back to washing and cooking as if nothing had happened." The next day, I couldn’t go, and on the third day, he sent me the aforementioned letter that began this account of the man. But I sought God’s guidance and didn’t go due to work-related reasons.

The CIA aircraft came, acting on information from a spy or a traitor who sold his faith for a few coins–God is our sufficiency and the best disposer of affairs. Before landing, the brothers rushed to engage, but the enemy of God showered them with missiles, grenades, and 30mm BAKTAR rounds, reducing the house to rubble. The crime was revealed–the martyrdom of the newlyweds and ten brothers: seven martyrdom-seekers and three visiting Ansar brothers.

There remain some highlights in Abu al-Hassan’s life that I wish to mention:

First: The martyred groom was blessed by God with his brothers’ love due to his excellent manners, refined etiquette, rare humility, and extraordinary courage. His gentle character and eloquent speech captivated every migrant and supporter who met him.

I testify before God that, to my knowledge, I have never loved anyone as I loved Abu al-Hassan–and I doubt anyone loved me as he did. A day before his death, he jokingly told me, "By God, if you were to split my heart, you would find (so-and-so)–meaning this humble servant–carved into it." I hope God grants me goodness and righteousness for his love for me, and may my Lord not disappoint his expectations–may He join me with him in righteousness and martyrdom in His path.

Yet this love God blessed him with was not his goal with everyone. The martyred preacher was a sword against every hypocrite and heretic, harsh and bitter with every opportunist trading in jihad and its people. His name soared across the region, striking fear into the hearts of those who obstruct the path to God and the people. They hated him deeply and began plotting to rid themselves of him–some even swore openly that they would not rest until they killed Abu al-Hassan. This hostility was carried by hypocrites claiming affiliation with jihad–those who only knew jihad as a means for wealth and status, of which Iraq has many, if not most.

I came to this land early, six months before the fall [of Baghdad], and I know some of these individuals by name–once barefoot and starving, they now ride the finest cars, wear the best clothes, and own land and businesses, some openly in the name of jihad profits, but in their accounts, if they die, it goes to their heirs by law–and this has happened often.

I say: These obstructors began stirring up trouble around Abu al-Hassan specifically and the migrants in general. The martyr suffered greatly from this–his heart filled with sorrow, his eyes with tears. In his last days, he would say, "If I die, I will die with sorrow and pain in my heart."

Perhaps this turmoil and tribulation were reasons for the purity of his soul and a divine preparation to meet the Most Merciful. Abu al-Hassan’s state was vividly clear in his emotional and pained words after the Apache helicopter was downed in Yusufiyah.

The third highlight: Abu al-Hassan was a trusted figure among the emirs of the organization–in fact, he held the greatest share of that trust. Once, the Lion of the Two Rivers told me, "I wish to bring Abu al-Hassan to stay with me, to assist and consult me, so that if anything happens to so-and-so, he can succeed him." He was appointed the emir of Baghdad in his final days, trusted as the right man in the right place–to reform Baghdad with the knowledge God had granted him, combining religious, military, and administrative expertise and the people’s love. I often swore to the Lion of the Two Rivers, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi (may God have mercy on him), that the most deserving of the Baghdad sector and its belts was Abu al-Hassan. His only flaw was his young age–only twenty-five–but precedence is a matter of merit, not age or time.

May God’s peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his companions.

Written by:
Abu Ismail al-Muhajir