Izz al-Din al-Qassam
Sheikh Izz al-Din al-Qassam was born in the village of Jableh in Latakia, Syria. He was one of the leaders and pioneers of the unity of the Islamic nation against the enemies, especially the Zionist enemy. His father, Sheikh Abd al-Qadir Mustafa al-Qassam, was one of the employees of the Islamic Sharia sciences department, and his mother, Halima Qassab, was raised in an educated and religious family. Al-Qassam's father taught the villagers the Quran, Arabic, calligraphy, and mathematics at the village school and by teaching religious songs, he ignited the spirit of jihad and heroism among the villagers. He was also a special prosecutor for the court for a while. Izz al-Din al-Qassam was one of the most popular leaders of the freedom of Muslims. He called the people to awaken, be aware of the evil plots of colonialism and Zionism, and be united and cohesive. Also, by blowing the spirit of jihad in them, he encouraged them all to follow the experiences of the past.
| Sheikh Izz al-Din al-Qassam | |
|---|---|
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| name | Izz al-Din al-Qassam |
| Personal details | |
| brith year | 1883 AD - 1261 SH - 1299 HA |
| birth place | Latakia, Syria |
| death year | 1935 AD - 1313 SH - 1353 HA |
| religion | Islam |
| faith | Sunni |
Childhood and Education
Izz al-Din al-Qassam learned to read, write, and recite the Quran at the village school and excelled among all his peers in these fields. Al-Qassam went to Al-Azhar University in Egypt at the age of 14 to pursue religious studies and stayed there for eight years and learned from the professors of that university, including Sheikh Muhammad Abduh. In 1906, Izz al-Din al-Qassam returned to Jableh after ten years of education and scholarship at Al-Azhar and obtained a degree from this university, and then traveled to Turkey to familiarize himself with the teaching methods in Turkish universities. After returning from Turkey, he taught at the Sultan ibn Adham Qutb al-Din Mosque like his father. He taught the children of Jableh village to read, write, and memorize the Quran and the sciences of hadith and led the Friday prayer at the Al-Mansouri Mosque located in the center of this village. Al-Qassam and his companions, during their residence in Haifa, which was a refuge for poor farmers whose homes had been destroyed in the villages as a result of the invaders' attack and had become the homeland of Jewish immigrants, made a lot of efforts to improve the living conditions of the farmers. He fought illiteracy by setting up night classes. It was not long before the farmers living in the northern region and the workers respected Sheikh and became fascinated by his pious morals and character.
Religious and Social Activities
Later, Al-Qassam was chosen by the Supreme Islamic Council as the imam of the Istiqlal Mosque in Haifa, which was one of the main hubs of Zionist activity in those days, and with his high oratory skills, he called the people to jihad against the Zionists and along with that, he fought against the deviant sects such as Qadianism and Bahaism, which had made that area their domain of influence with the backing of the British. Al-Qassam, besides being the imam of the Istiqlal Mosque, was assigned as the "legal officer of marriage and divorce" affairs. later, Al-Qassam became the leader of the "Muslim Youth Association", which was founded in 1927. His political and social activities were always a sanctuary for the Palestinian national movement. Later, he was appointed by the Supreme Islamic Council as the imam of the Istiqlal Mosque in Haifa and the "legal officer of marriage and divorce" affairs. The duties and matters that were entrusted to al-Qassam in Haifa gave him the chance to have closer contact with the masses of people, especially the committed and enlightened groups. At that time, Haifa was regarded as one of the main centers of Zionism. Al-Qassam later became the head of the "Muslim Youth Association", which was established in 1927. He was able to have more connection with the people in this way and achieve what he expected, which was the formation of a group that became the "revolutionary core" against colonialism and Zionism.
Formation of the Qassam Resistance Group
al-Qassam achieved his wish after a few years of living in Haifa and formed an underground group. The two principles of this group were that each member had to provide his weapon and that he had to contribute financially to the group as much as possible. The sparks of al-Qassam's struggle against colonialism, along with his pursuit of knowledge, also paid special attention to the freedom movements and because of his mastery of Islamic sciences and his independent and anti-colonial views, he gained a high reputation and credibility among the people of Syria, Egypt, Lebanon and Palestine and had extraordinary power and influence among the people of the Middle East. For this reason, France and England, which were the colonial powers of that days and had divided the countries of the Middle East among themselves by a treaty, regarded him as their enemy. In Egypt, al-Qassam became acquainted with the British colonization and its authority over the nation and the national resources of the country, and at the same time, he was thinking about the necessity of fighting against the colonial forces. Organizing the Qassamites and the tasks and affairs, that he was in charge of in Haifa, gave him the opportunity to have more contact with the masses of people, especially the committed and enlightened groups. and in 1925 AD, he achieved his goal, which was to form an underground group or the "revolutionary core " with the motive of fighting against colonialism and Zionism. While he was working as a lawyer in Haifa, he visited the villages of Palestine and in his contacts with the farmers in the villages and the worshipers, he was able to attract some of the revolutionary forces and organize them in secret groups. Al-Qassam carried out all his activities, which was fighting against the formation of a Jewish state, in complete secrecy and only those who had been tested by him for years and had proven their integrity and secrecy were aware of his activities and organization.
Qassam's supporters
Qassam's supporters were mostly from the working class, farmers, and merchants who also attended his lectures and Qassam acquainted them with the necessity of jihad and preparing for armed struggle at the time of popular uprising. The candidates for membership were under control and training for a while. Anyone who wanted to join the Qassamites swore an oath with God to commit to honesty and integrity, to observe all the Islamic laws, and to be the guardian of the Islamic ideology. After accepting the membership of the people in the organization, in addition to military training, religious training was also important. Each member was obliged to memorize as many verses and hadiths of jihad in the way of God as possible. The members also learned lessons about the wars of early Islam. Qassam formed small groups consisting of a leader and five members.
The members of each group only knew each other and Qassam and had no knowledge of the members of other groups. Along with these groups, he formed leadership cadres, mostly from prominent people of the organization. These included the military training cadre, the money and facilities collection cadre, the public and political relations cadre, the weapons procurement cadre, and the information gathering cadre, gathering information about the situation of England and Zionism. One of the most important cadres that Qassam formed was the revolution promotion cadre. The task of this group was to persuade the people not to cooperate and trust the United Kingdom and to advise that the only way to achieve the goals was jihad in the way of God, and to ignore the plots of Zionism and the United Kingdom who tried to undermine the unity of the people. All the members of Qassam's underground organization were unknown to the people and only after the martyrdom of Qassam, the names of some of these members were known. Qassam founded 12 jihadist groups composed of Al-Abd Qasim, Muhammad Zarura, Muhumad Saleh Muhammad, and Khalil Muhammad Isa known as Abu Ibrahim al-Kabir in 1928 AD. The operations of the Qassam fighters, the martyr Izz al-Din Qassam branch of the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas, which chose this name for itself by the auspicious name of Sheikh Qassam and adherence to the principles that he adhered to until the glorious moment of martyrdom, considers resistance as the only way to liberate the occupied land of Palestine from the yoke of the Zionist enemies.
The operations of the Qassam fighters were not limited to attacking the Zionist settlements but also included pursuing and torturing those who cooperated with the Zionist regime and spied for British intelligence or sold land to the Jews and brokered for them. Fighting the army and police patrols, blocking roads and attacking army bases and police centers, attacking the guards of the Jewish settlements, and bombing, were among the other actions of the Qassam fighters. Qassam's operations blew a fresh spirit into the body of the Palestinians and drove them to struggle. The British government announced that anyone who provides information about the perpetrators of these operations will receive a good reward. These operations actually instilled fear and terror in the hearts and souls of the Jews. It was the first time that the Jews saw military operations against themselves. The British and Jewish governments, out of fear of these operations, stationed their spies in different areas and arrested anyone with the slightest suspicion. In this way, the movements and activities of the Qassam group faced many problems. The British police were able to gather information about the military force and equipment and the location of the group's operations. In 1931 AD, the first operation against the Zionist settlement (Elyajur) near Haifa took place, in which three Zionists were killed.
These operations against the Zionist settlements continued constantly. The events of 1933 and 1934, which resulted in the acceleration of the migration of Zionists to Israel, the tendency of Zionists to form terrorist groups with the help of Israel, and also the expansion of Israeli lands, forced Qassam to start military operations before the availability of facilities and forces. The massive migration of Jews was accompanied by terrorist acts by Jewish groups against the Muslim and Arab populations of Palestine. The goal of the Zionists was to drive away the Palestinian Arabs and replace them with new Jewish immigrants. By Qassam's order, a chain of military operations against the Zionist areas and the patrols of the British army and police took place. These operations were carried out in a guerrilla and surprise manner and the form of hit and run. These revolutionary actions caused a lot of damage to the agricultural lands and assets of Zionists and several British and Zionist forces were killed in these operations. The armed operations and terror of the enemies increased day by day, but it did not take long for Qassam and his comrades to decide to reveal their movement, which in 1935 came in the form of an armed and bloody struggle against the British colonizers and Jewish terrorists. Izz al-Din Qassam's uprising against the French colonization, along with the formation of the Islamic uprising of the Shiites of Iraq against the British colonial forces in 1919, launched a movement in northern Syria along with Sheikh Saleh Ali, one of the militant scholars of Syria, against the French colonial forces. In this one-year uprising, led by Izz al-Din and the late Omar Baytar, inflicted considerable casualties on the French occupiers.
The French tried to deter Sheikh Qassam from continuing the struggle by offering tempting proposals such as giving high positions and ranks, but he rejected all these proposals. Qassam's insistence on resistance led the French military court in Latakia to issue a death sentence for him and some of his companions. Then Sheikh Qassam went to Damascus and from there to Palestine to escape the pursuit of the French. Sheikh Izz al-Din Qassam was an attractive, friendly, and eloquent person. He was appointed as the legal officer of marriage and divorce affairs in 1929 and also visited the villages and participated in the wedding ceremonies. This was how he communicated with the people and was also informed of the situation and news of his society. His friends have reported that he discussed with the intellectuals and supporters of peaceful methods of struggle. He lectured in the mosque and carefully watched the worshipers and whoever he saw ready and prepared for the struggle, he attracted and invited him to the struggle for the liberation of Palestine. Qassam carried out all his activities, which was fighting against the formation of a Jewish national state, in complete secrecy and only those who had been tested by him for years and had proven their integrity and secrecy were aware of his activities and organization. He called on the people to awaken and be aware of the evil plans of colonialism and Zionism. He asked them to unite and be cohesive, and by blowing the spirit of jihad in them, he encouraged them all to follow the experiences of the past.
Qassam's supporters, who were mostly from the working class, farmers, and merchants who also attended his lectures, were introduced by Qassam to the necessity of jihad and preparing for armed struggle at the time of popular uprising. As time passed, the revolution core formed rapidly around Qassam. He also led new people into his organization with amazing ability. He formed small groups, consisting of a leader and five members. The members of each of these groups only knew each other and the leader (Qassam) and had no knowledge of the members of other groups. He formed leadership cadres, mostly from prominent people of the organization.
These included the military training cadre, the money and facilities collection cadre, the public and political relations cadre, the weapons procurement cadre, and the information gathering cadre about the situation of England and Zionism. One of the most important cadres that Qassam formed was the revolution promotion cadre. The task of this group was to persuade the people not to cooperate and trust the United Kingdom and to advise them that the only way to achieve the goals was jihad in the way of God, and to ignore the plots of Zionism and England who tried to undermine the unity of the people. All the members of Qassam's underground organization were unknown to the people and only after the martyrdom of Qassam, the names of some of these members were known.
Qassam's Brigades and Military Organizations
Qassam had established an underground armed organization in some of the villages of the northern province. The duty of this group was to engage with the British forces and help the mujahideen when they fought with the Zionists and the British forces. Later, when the activities of Qassam's underground organization became public, many of these patriotic youths joined it.
Qassam had planned the stages of the revolution as follows:
- Self-confidence and promotion of the spirit of the armed uprising;
- Formation of underground groups;
- Formation of leadership committees to collect donations for weapons;
- Armed revolution.
Qassam, along with his other colleagues, tried to attract more people and train them during the implementation of this plan so that after completing the necessary forces and reaching the appropriate time, the general revolution of Palestine would begin. However, the events of 1933 and 1934 forced him to start military operations before providing the facilities and forces. The main factors of this change of plan were:
- The horrifying migration of Zionists to Palestine;
- The tendency of Zionists to form terrorist groups with the help of England;
- The expansion of Zionist lands and the intense activity of landlords, traitors, and spies for the benefit of the enemy.
When Qassam issued the order for armed operations against the enemy, none of the people, the British or the Zionists knew anything about his organization. Because he was busy doing his daily works in Haifa and everyone saw him. Qassam's revolution organization had only two hundred fighters and eight hundred supporters. By Qassam's order, a chain of military operations against the Zionist areas and the patrols of the British army and police took place. These operations were carried out in a guerrilla and surprise manner and the form of hit and run. These revolutionary actions caused a lot of damage to the agricultural lands and assets of Zionism and killed several British and Zionist forces. The armed operations and terrors of the enemies increased day by day, but it did not take long for Qassam and his comrades to decide to reveal their movement. Their goal of this decision was to express their divine goals, raise the spirit of militancy among the people, and neutralize the enemy's propaganda that tried to tarnish the goals and nature of the Qassam's group and claimed that the attackers' goal was to loot properties and disrupt the people's comfort. Finally, increasing the number of Jewish immigrants to Palestine and the arming of the Zionists in 1935 had made the situation so critical that it was no longer possible to keep the movement secret. Therefore, it was decided that the operations would start from the mountainous areas of northern Palestine.
Clash with the occupiers and martyrdom
The British forces, considering the possibility of starting operations from the Yabad area in Haifa, tried extensively to arrest Qassam, whom they did not know whether he was in Haifa or Yabad. After failing in the first step, while the reconnaissance planes were patrolling over the Yabad, they attacked Yabad, the headquarters of the Qassam forces. After five days of fighting, when the occupying forces were sure of Qassam's presence among the mujahideen, they launched a hard attack on the Qassam's group, which was defeated by the bravery and perseverance of the revolutionaries. After this defeat, the British tried to surrender him by sending some Arab policemen and Qassam's friends, but Qassam and his comrades rejected surrender and compromise and chose to fight until martyrdom. The enemy's attack and Qassam's martyrdom The government forces attacked again and with various armored vehicles, tanks, and planes, launched a widespread and heavy attack on the Qassam's forces. The revolutionaries, after being informed of this heavy attack, suggested to Qassam to leave the battlefield with his guards, but he did not accept this suggestion and became ready for war and martyrdom. On December 20, 1935, a fierce clash between the revolutionaries and the government forces took place, in which many of the enemy forces were killed some of the revolutionaries were martyred and others were wounded. In the afternoon of the same day, another clash began and during that Sheikh Izz al-Din Qassam was martyred and some of his comrades were wounded. After the martyrdom of Qassam, his comrades broke the siege and fled to northern Palestine and brought the body of their martyred commander to the city of Haifa. To attend the funeral of Qassam, many of the leaders and elders of Palestine went to Haifa and the city was full of people who had come from all over Palestine.