Beirut — Friday, September 27, 2024, will be recorded in the history of the Islamic Ummah as a bitter day — the day the Islamic world was plunged into grief by the loss of a rare figure: Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
Much has been said about his political and jihadist legacy. Far less has been said about his scholarly and religious identity — that of a fully qualified cleric who never abandoned the seminary despite the burdens of leadership.
From Karantina to Amal: Childhood and Youth
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah was born on August 31, 1960, in the impoverished Karantina neighborhood in eastern Beirut. His father, Sayyed Abdul Karim, was from the village of Bazouriyeh in the Tyre district of southern Lebanon and had migrated to Beirut, where he ran a fruit shop.
His childhood and adolescence were spent in Beirut's southern suburbs. He attended al-Najah School in eastern Beirut for his primary education and part of his secondary schooling at al-Tarbawiya High School in the Christian neighborhood of Sin al-Fil.
During those years, he helped at his father's shop — a shop whose wall bore a portrait of Imam Musa al-Sadr, the leader of Lebanon's Shia. Young Sayyed Hassan was captivated by Imam Musa al-Sadr and dreamed of becoming like him.
Unlike other children in the neighborhood, he did not spend his time playing football or swimming in the sea. Instead, he went to the Karantina mosque for congregational prayers. Though no one in his family was a cleric, he was deeply devoted to religious observance — a devotion that went far beyond the routine performance of prayer and fasting.
As a teenager influenced by Imam Musa al-Sadr's conduct and words, he would go to the Burj area in central Beirut and what is now Martyrs' Square to buy second-hand books from street vendors. He bought Islamic and political books, and when he came across a particularly challenging intellectual work he could not yet understand, he would set it aside to read when he grew older.
With the outbreak of Lebanon's civil war, the 15-year-old Sayyed Hassan moved with his family to Bazouriyeh, his father's ancestral village in southern Lebanon, and continued his high school education in Tyre. In Bazouriyeh, he joined the ranks of the Amal Movement — a decision driven by his heart, for like all the people of southern Lebanon, he was deeply attached to Imam Musa al-Sadr, the founder of Amal.
In those days, Bazouriyeh — like other parts of Lebanon — was a battleground for leftist intellectuals, particularly supporters of the Lebanese Communist Party and Palestinian factions. Yet before long, Sayyed Hassan and his brother Sayyed Hussein, though young, took on responsibility for the Amal Movement in Bazouriyeh.
The Call of the Seminary: From Baalbek to Najaf and Back
The longing to study religious sciences never left the young Sayyed Hassan. Deeply influenced by Imam Musa al-Sadr's thought, he was drawn to the clergy and decided to pursue seminary studies like his idol — to guide people morally and introduce them to God's religion.
He entered the Imam Ali Seminary in Baalbek, where he studied the preliminary religious sciences under its teachers. The seminary was founded by Imam Musa al-Sadr and was then administered by the martyred Sayyed Abbas al-Musawi.
During his time in southern Lebanon, he met Sayyed Muhammad al-Gharawi, the Friday prayer leader of the Shia city of Tyre, who encouraged him to study at the seminary in Najaf. Sayyed Hassan ultimately set off for Najaf.
Recalling that period, he said: "I met Sayyed Abbas al-Musawi on December 16 or 17, 1976. When I arrived in Najaf, I was 16 years old and it was my first time traveling outside Lebanon. After we went to Abbas al-Musawi's home, I met Ayatollah Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr. He asked me a series of questions about Lebanon and my studies, and asked Sayyed Abbas al-Musawi to arrange all my housing, living, and educational affairs, and gave me some money."
"Sayyed Abbas al-Musawi was very intelligent, sharp, and serious in his work and studies. It was our destiny to go to the home of the martyred Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr at a time when he was not receiving students. This showed Sayyed Abbas al-Musawi's standing with Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr. Moments later we went to his office — a simple, humble office — and it was the first time I saw him. We greeted him and sat down. I was truly flustered, but he was very humble and smiled at us, and after a few moments the atmosphere became normal for me. He asked me about Imam Musa al-Sadr. The meeting was supposed to last no more than five minutes, but we spoke for half an hour. He looked at Sayyed Abbas and said: 'You are my representative; arrange his educational affairs.'"
"Sayyed Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr was a jurist, a thinker, and the greatest teacher of the seminary. He asked me if I had money with me, and I was not embarrassed — I said my money had run out. He gave money to Sayyed Abbas and said: 'This is for his turban, cloak, and educational expenses.'"
After returning to Lebanon, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah was above all eager to continue his seminary studies. Before long, Sayyed Abbas al-Musawi, in cooperation with a number of Lebanese religious scholars, founded the Imam al-Muntazar (may God hasten his reappearance) Seminary in Baalbek. It was considered a model center and played a highly effective propagation role in the Beqaa region and other areas, including Beirut and southern Lebanon. At this seminary, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah both studied at higher levels and taught new students.
Meeting Imam Khomeini: Authorization for Religious Funds and Continued Studies in Qom
On the morning of October 28, 1981, companions from the Amal Movement, including Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, came to Jamaran to meet Imam Khomeini. That same day, at the age of 21, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah received from the Imam a decree authorizing him to collect religious funds.
This was a rare distinction. Sheikh Subhi al-Tufayli, a resistance leader, received a similar authorization seven years later (November 4, 1988), and the martyred Sayyed Abbas al-Musawi, Hezbollah's first secretary-general, received authorization to handle religious and canonical affairs on February 9, 1988.
The decree from Imam Khomeini read:
"In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds, and blessings and peace be upon Muhammad and his pure family, and God's curse be upon all their enemies. And thereafter: His Eminence Hojatoleslam Hajj Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah is authorized on my behalf to handle canonical affairs, collect religious funds, and disburse alms, zakat, and expiations for their prescribed religious purposes. Regarding the two blessed shares, he is also authorized to collect and spend them on his own expenses economically, and regarding any surplus beyond expenses, he is authorized to spend half of it outside the noble Sadat and for the promotion of the sacred Sharia, and to send the other half. And I advise him — may God assist him with what He advised the righteous predecessors — to adhere to piety, avoid whims, and hold fast to the rope of caution in matters of religion and worldly life. And let him not forget me in his righteous prayers. Peace be upon him and upon our believing brothers, and God's mercy and blessings. — Ruhollah al-Musawi al-Khomeini"
Recalling his last meeting with Imam Khomeini, the martyred Nasrallah said: "I entered with the same group of five or six people. Sometimes when I came to Iran alone, I would ask Imam for time. Even though in the last years of Imam's life meetings were difficult, he would receive me, and I would raise our issues and get answers. The last meeting I had with Imam was a few months before his death. I presented a report on the situation in Lebanon and explained the issues. I described the latest achievements of the Islamic Resistance Movement in southern Lebanon. I think I met him in the month of Sha'ban, and Imam passed away some time after the holy month of Ramadan. In that meeting, despite his physical condition and circumstances, he listened attentively and patiently."
In the years after Imam Khomeini's passing, he managed to come to Iran and resume his seminary studies. Sayyed Hassan said: "Despite the responsibilities I had in the party, which occupied almost all my time, I decided to continue my studies. Although following Israel's massive invasion and all-out aggression I was forced to temporarily set aside my studies, seven years later in 1989 conditions became suitable again for continuing my education. With the party's agreement, I went to Qom to finish my studies. Naturally, even in those circumstances, rumor-mongers did not stop their work and, as usual, spread false claims, saying Nasrallah had left Lebanon because of disagreements and conflicts with the party's leadership."
'I Am Influenced by Four Figures'
The martyred Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah considered himself a follower of Imam Musa al-Sadr and simultaneously influenced by figures such as Imam Khomeini and Ayatollah Khamenei. He said:
"I must admit that I am deeply influenced by Imam Musa al-Sadr. To be more precise, I am influenced by four great figures: Imam Khomeini, Imam Musa al-Sadr, the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, and the great martyr Sayyed Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr. Not only me — all the young mujahideen and revolutionaries of Lebanon are influenced by these four great and noble figures."
"I can claim that I am fully familiar with Imam Khomeini's and Ayatollah Khamenei's thinking and outlook on various issues. On the other hand, I have conducted extensive research on Imam Musa al-Sadr's thoughts and works. In my belief, there is no fundamental difference or disagreement between the thinking and views of Imam Khomeini and Imam Musa al-Sadr."
Your Comment