Our beloved uncle and grandfather, Khaled Nabhan, was no ordinary man or martyr. His life and very recent martyrdom has become an empowering example that has entered homes all over the world. [1]
Earlier in 2024, he captivated hearts with words that chronicled one of Gaza’s most heart-rending stories of strength amid loss and tribulation — in a video where he poetically described his martyred granddaughter, Reem, as the “soul of my soul”, in November last year. [2]
On Monday, Shaykh Khaled finally joined Reem.
Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla) says,
وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَٱتَّبَعَتْهُمْ ذُرِّيَّتُهُم بِإِيمَـٰنٍ أَلْحَقْنَا بِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ وَمَآ أَلَتْنَـٰهُم مِّنْ عَمَلِهِم مِّن شَىْءٍۢ ۚ كُلُّ ٱمْرِئٍۭ بِمَا كَسَبَ رَهِينٌۭ
“And those who believed and whose descendants followed them in faith — We will join with them their descendants, and We will not deprive them of anything of their deeds. Every person, for what he earned, is retained.” [3]
Draped in a white shroud, his beaming face, silvered hair, and kempt beard radiated the same awe and presence after his martyrdom as they did throughout his life.
It seems to us, while Allah is the ultimate Judge, that he has been beautifully received into the home of the Hereafter.
He departed this world with the same smile he displayed in life.
In the words of Ibn al-Qayyim,
“Man dies upon the way they lived, and he is resurrected upon the way he died.”
For our uncle and grandfather, it was clear that martyrdom was his enduring, ever-present reality.
In Arabic, a martyr is a shahīd, meaning exactly the same as it does in its English etymology — a witness.
The Truth and cause for the martyr are so vivid that he witnesses to it, as if he sees it and, indeed, will see it at the blissful moment of death.
Zionist killing of three-year-old Reem
In November last year, a deeply emotional moment went viral when Khaled cradled the body of his granddaughter.
Following a Zionist airstrike, he had pulled Reem from the rubble, struggling to believe that her life had been taken away.
She lay in his arms, her small, delicate frame wrapped in the crimson hue of blood — reminiscent of Gaza’s crimson roses.
He held her tight, inhaling the scent of her hair, kissing her and longing for the impossible: a burst of childish laughter to reassure him that it was just an illusion.
As he told the broadcaster CNN at the time,
“I used to kiss her on her cheeks, on her nose, and she would giggle. I kissed her but she wouldn’t wake up.” [2]
They shared the same date of birth
Both grandfather and granddaughter were born on the 23rd of December, Khaled in 1969 and Reem in 2019. And despite a half-century age gap, ultimately, each departed in consecutive years. [4]
Reem was killed just days shy of her fourth birthday, parting before Khaled could commemorate the occasion.
In the months that followed, our late uncle and grandfather found some solace in the birth of another granddaughter, whom he named Rojad — meaning “time for Fajr”.
Rojad tells of the moment light emerges from darkness. Her name speaks of Khaled’s firm certainty that dawn will break after the passing of this brief murk of Zionism, even if this new life enters a world where every living thing is its target.
We can take from his strength of character
After Reem’s passing, Shaykh Khaled remained patient.
He was known for his remarkable ability to comfort children and ease their pain, his words imbued with īmān and acceptance of Allah’s Wisdom and Ordainment.
Khaled’s instinctive īmān unconsciously drew many towards the Truth, recognising that such patience is not his, but from the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth. [5]
In a hadīth reported by Abu Mūsa al-Ash’ari (radiy Allahu ‘anhu), the Messenger ﷺ said,
“When a man’s child dies, Allah, the Exalted, asks His angels, ‘Have you taken out the life of the child of My slave?’ and they reply in the affirmative.
“He (subḥānahu wa ta’āla) then asks, ‘Have you taken the fruit of his heart?’ and they reply in the affirmative.
“Thereupon, He asks, ‘What did my slave say?’
“They say: ‘He praised You and said: Innā lillāhi wa innā ilayhī rāji’ūn.’
“Allah says: ‘Build a house for my slave in Jannah and name it Bayt al-Hamd [the House of Praise].”‘ [6]
In his martyrdom, Khaled Nabhan has softened the hardest of hearts and offered comfort to those experiencing sorrow all over the world.
He retells that God is on the side of Palestine and that the fight for Truth and Justice is destined to vanquish evil, however long the fleeting, fascist entity manages to endure.
Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla) says,
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ كَانَتْ لَهُمْ جَنَّـٰتُ ٱلْفِرْدَوْسِ نُزُلًا
“Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds — they will have the Gardens of Paradise as a lodging,” [7]
And He (subḥānahu wa ta’āla) also says,
مِّنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ رِجَالٌۭ صَدَقُوا۟ مَا عَـٰهَدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ عَلَيْهِ ۖ فَمِنْهُم مَّن قَضَىٰ نَحْبَهُۥ وَمِنْهُم مَّن يَنتَظِرُ ۖ وَمَا بَدَّلُوا۟ تَبْدِيلًۭا
“Among the believers are men true to what they promised Allah.
“Among them is he who has fulfilled his vow [to the death], and among them is he who awaits [his chance].
“And they did not alter [the terms of their commitment] by any alteration —” [8]
A reunion beyond the horizon
Reem and Shaykh Khaled’s examples are just two among tens of thousands in Gaza; these are a microcosm of countless similar accounts.
Endless stories of iconic resistance, patience, and fortitude are being created in Gaza.
No genocide can extinguish this resilience; instead, they will continue to curse its perpetrators, enablers, and advocates.
In an Instagram post during his final days, Khaled shared a message to his grandchildren:
“Will we meet? The distance has torn my heart apart.
“Will we reunite after this burning longing? Truly, life has halted; in the dark of your absence, no dawn emerges.” [9]
May Allah grant Khaled Nabhan al-Firdaws
Khaled Nabhan’s martyrdom is a prime example of the generational struggle and resistance in Palestine.
His legacy is part of a collective that includes infants killed before they were weaned, children who grew up living and breathing resilience and sacrifice, and elders who carried Gaza’s pain until their final breath.
We pray to the Almighty that Shaykh Khaled’s journey has truly begun in the realm of eternal bliss, in the highest level of Paradise, al-Firdaws!
With the prophets and martyrs — and where he is reunited with his soul of souls — may Allah allow us to follow in his footsteps and be united with the souls of our souls, on the path of struggle and martyrdom, āmīn.
Source: Islam21c
This article was based on an Al Jazeera piece available here.
Notes
[2] https://edition.cnn.com/2024/12/16/middleeast/khaled-nabhan-gaza-grandfather-killed-intl/index.html
[3] al-Qur’ān, 52:21
[4] https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/11/30/715554/Humans-of-Gaza-Palestinian-child-Reem
[5] https://www.facebook.com/reel/2579765575555216
[6] al-Tirmidhi; https://sunnah.com/riyadussalihin:922
[7] al-Qur’ān, 18:107
[8] al-Qur’ān, 33:23
Beautiful. Very hard not to weep when we see or hear about or see this pure soul but tears of relief and hope and resilience.
Alhamdulillah. I read the full article. Thanks to ISLAM21C
Allah Says (what means): “And those who, when tyranny strikes them, they defend themselves. And the retribution for an evil act is an evil one like it, but whoever pardons and makes reconciliation – his reward is [due] from Allah. Indeed, He does not like wrongdoers. And whoever avenges himself after having been wronged – those have not upon them any cause [for blame]. The cause is only against the ones who wrong the people and tyrannise upon the earth without right. Those will have a painful punishment. And whoever is patient and forgives – indeed, that is of the matters [requiring] determination [i.e. on the part of those seeking the reward of Allah].” [Quran 42: 39-43]
Theses verses include two matters:
First: Taking revenging from the oppressor.
Second: Forgiveness on the part of the oppressed.
Beautiful. Very hard not to weep when we see or hear about or see this pure soul but tears of relief and hope and resilience.