A year has passed since the martyrdom of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah and the iconic leader of the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon.

On September 26, 2024, the Zionist entity carried out its long-coveted assassination of the man it regarded as its greatest foe. But if Tel Aviv believed that by silencing him it would weaken the Resistance, it was gravely mistaken. Sayyed Hassan has only grown larger in martyrdom, immortalized as a symbol of dignity, faith, and defiance.

Today, in Beirut’s southern suburbs, in the mountains of Lebanon, in the camps of Palestine, and across the Islamic world, his portrait adorns walls and banners. His voice—steady, calm, and unwavering—still echoes in speeches replayed on radios, televisions, and gatherings of the faithful. His absence is deeply felt, yet his presence is everywhere.

Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah was born in August 1960 in Borj Hammoud, Beirut, into a humble Shia family of modest means. His father, Abdul Karim, ran a small produce shop, while his mother instilled in him discipline, faith, and compassion. Unlike the children of privilege, Nasrallah’s life was marked from the beginning by poverty, simplicity, and a profound spirituality.

Even as a child, he was different. Relatives recall that he would often stand before a mirror, wrapping a shawl around himself, imitating a cleric delivering sermons. By the age of four, he had begun memorizing Qur’anic verses with the help of his aunt. By ten, he was already known among peers for his seriousness, piety, and ability to lead.

At school, his teachers noticed not just academic brilliance but a maturity and solemnity rare for his age. He listened avidly to the sermons of Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah, who would later become one of Lebanon’s leading clerics. The path of faith and struggle was set early in his life.

The Lebanese Civil War and repeated Zionist shelling forced his family to relocate southward, where the Shia population lived under severe marginalization. In these years, young Hassan witnessed first-hand the dual oppression of his people: neglected by the Lebanese state and brutalized by the Zionist entity.

For the Shia youth, secular leftist movements and Palestinian factions offered some outlet for their anger. But it was the arrival of Imam Musa al-Sadr, the Iranian-born cleric, that transformed this anger into organized political consciousness. Imam Musa’s Amal Movement gave the neglected Shia not just a voice, but dignity. Nasrallah, still a teenager, joined Amal with zeal.

Eager for knowledge, he traveled to Najaf, Iraq, to study in the great seminary, where he came under the tutelage of Sayyed Abbas al-Moussawi, the man who would later become his mentor, comrade, and martyr. His stay was cut short by Saddam Hussein’s Baathist regime, which expelled many Lebanese seminarians. Returning to Lebanon, Nasrallah continued his religious studies in Baalbek, combining Islamic scholarship with grassroots organization.

The 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon was a turning point. The occupation radicalized the Shia population, and Amal fractured. A group of committed clerics, militants, and students formed the nucleus of what would become Hezbollah. Guided by the teachings of Imam Khomeini in Iran and Imam Musa al-Sadr’s legacy in Lebanon, this new force declared its mission: to resist Israeli occupation, defend Lebanon’s sovereignty, and build an Islamic society rooted in justice.

Nasrallah quickly rose through the ranks. Known for his discipline, humility, and sharp intellect, he was entrusted with organizing Hezbollah’s activities in Beirut, then in the south. He built schools, social networks, and training camps. To the poor, he was not just a fighter but a community leader.

In 1992, when Sayyed Abbas al-Moussawi was martyred by an Israeli airstrike, Hezbollah’s leadership chose the young Nasrallah—only 32 years old—as Secretary-General. It was a bold choice that proved prophetic.

Nasrallah’s leadership transformed Hezbollah from a fledgling militia into a formidable resistance force. His first decade saw relentless guerrilla operations that bled the Zionist occupier in southern Lebanon. In May 2000, the impossible happened: Israel, humiliated and exhausted, withdrew unilaterally from most of southern Lebanon.

For the first time in modern Arab history, Israel had been forced out not through negotiations or foreign pressure, but through armed resistance. This victory electrified the Arab and Muslim world. Palestine’s children painted Nasrallah’s image on walls. Across the globe, the oppressed found hope.

If 2000 was the proof of Hezbollah’s strength, 2006 was the sealing of Nasrallah’s legend. That summer, Israel launched a massive war after Hezbollah captured two of its soldiers. What followed was 33 days of bombardment, yet Hezbollah not only withstood the onslaught but rained rockets deep into occupied Palestine.

Nasrallah, speaking calmly from secret bunkers, reassured his people while mocking Israeli propaganda. When Israel bombed Beirut’s southern suburbs, he warned: “You wanted open war? You will get open war.” His words became prophecy as Hezbollah fighters destroyed Israeli Merkava tanks and struck Israeli warships.

The war ended with Israel failing to achieve its objectives. The myth of its invincibility was shattered forever. For millions, Nasrallah became not just a Lebanese leader, but a hero of the entire Ummah.

Despite being a Shia cleric, Nasrallah transcended sectarian lines. He was respected by Christians, Sunnis, and Druze alike. Even those who disagreed with his politics admired his honesty, humility, and incorruptibility. Unlike many Lebanese politicians, he lived simply, without wealth or luxury.

Christian leaders such as Michel Aoun praised him as a defender of Lebanon against Israeli aggression. Sunni voices admired his steadfastness for Palestine. Within Hezbollah, fighters referred to him not as a distant leader but as a father figure.

On September 26, 2024, Israel finally assassinated Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. Tel Aviv rejoiced, but their joy was hollow. As millions poured into the streets of Beirut, Baghdad, Tehran, and Gaza to mourn him, it was clear: his martyrdom was not the end of the Resistance but a renewal.

He had long anticipated this moment. In his speeches, he hinted at his readiness: “Our path is one of blood and sacrifice. If I fall, thousands will rise in my place.” His death, like Imam Hussein’s at Karbala, became a rallying cry for generations to come.

World leaders, intellectuals, and activists paid tribute. In Iran, three days of mourning were declared. In Iraq, massive processions filled the streets. In Palestine, resistance factions vowed to continue his mission. Even critics acknowledged that his martyrdom cemented his place among history’s great revolutionaries.

Norman Finkelstein, the Jewish-American scholar, compared him to Che Guevara, but greater, because Nasrallah’s struggle was not just political—it was spiritual, rooted in Qur’anic faith and resistance to oppression.

Nasrallah’s legacy is not merely military. He built institutions—schools, hospitals, charities—that served Lebanon’s poor. He revived the dignity of the Shia community while binding Lebanon’s destiny to that of Palestine. He taught that resistance is not an option but an obligation, that victory comes through patience, faith, and unity.

Today, his speeches remain manuals of strategy and morality. His life is a reminder that leadership is not about titles or wealth but sacrifice. He embodied the Qur’anic verse: “Indeed, those who have believed and migrated and fought in the cause of Allah with their wealth and their lives are greater in rank in the sight of Allah.” (Qur’an 9:20).

A year on, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah is gone, yet more present than ever. He lives in the chants of Palestinian children, in the resolve of Hezbollah fighters, in the prayers of mothers across the Ummah.

Like Imam Hussein, his blood has nourished the tree of resistance. Like Imam Ali, his words remain immortal. And like the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), he left a legacy of dignity, justice, and unshakable faith.

Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has joined the martyrs, but his light will never fade. For every Hassan that falls, a thousand rise. The Resistance continues, stronger, firmer, and closer than ever to victory. Palestine will be free. (ILKHA)