Zainab Mughniyeh to Al-Ahed: We Would Suddenly Find Him beside Us, and Then He Would Leave Again

By Fatima Deeb Hamze

Imad Mughniyeh’s relationship with Sayyed Nasrallah, martyr Soleimani and his family

Beirut - It is impressive how every time something is written about Hajj Imad, the words captivate the readers’ eyes and hearts. There is no need for a structural or anecdotal display in the writing. It is only enough to read the name "Imad Mughniyeh" several times, carefully and with passion. Perhaps that beautiful mystery is the reason, or perhaps his abilities, personality, history and jihad are the cause. But the inevitable is that Hajj Radwan was the magic of the resistance and its secret. He was that distant unknown innovator, who was only near once he was martyred.

Twelve years have passed since his martyrdom. But the news comes knocking as if it just happened now. The man who fought his enemy harshly had departed. This skillful planner also planned for his parting the way he desired – a martyr killed by the fire of his enemy. Twelve years have passed, yet tales of his faith, jihad, successes, heroics, relationships and some aspects of his private life are still being told. All aspects of his life were attractive, striking and rare. But the most beautiful were those aspects revealed to Al-Ahed news website by the person Hajj Imad shared a home and blood with – his sister, Zainab Mughniyeh.

Imad, the son of the wilaya  

All those who knew martyred leader Hajj Imad say that he was not an ordinary person and that all the details of his life had meaning, dimension or a scientific, ideological, or philosophical interpretation. It was precisely what martyr Hajj Qassem Soleimani said – Hajj Imad’s relationship with this world was unique. It was a relationship in which there was no attachment or arrogance.

And because Hajj’s personality was like that, his relationship to the idea of the wilaya [or the guardianship of the jurist] and its approach was remarkable. Zainab Mughniyeh tells Al-Ahed website that “the martyred Hajj adhered to the principle of guardianship. He believed in it and based his jihad on it to the point that he insisted on meeting with Imam Khomeini at the start of his jihad against the ‘Israeli’ enemy.”

"Hajj Imad considered Imam Khomeini as a father, and he considered himself his son and soldier, who followed his teachings, worked on his path and believed in his thoughts, in order to achieve the supreme goal, which was providing the Islamic nation with power," Mughniyeh adds.

Al-Quds was the destination of Imad’s jihad

In his jihad, Hajj Radwan adopted the models of smart wars – the war of minds – with a sophisticated enemy that possessed all kinds of capabilities. But Hajj Imad knew what he wanted from this enemy. Perhaps, here, lied his threat to the occupiers of al-Quds and the usurpers of its land. Hajj Imad wanted Palestine with al-Quds as its capital, and everything else was a means to an end.

That is why Zainab Mughniyeh tells our website that "Al-Quds was the ultimate destination of Hajj Imad’s jihad, even if it was part of a gradual resistance program. But it was the basis, no doubt."

The sister of the great jihadi martyr stresses on the centrality of the Palestinian cause in his jihad.

"He did not accept excuses from us not to attend the annual International Quds Day. He reminded us and alerted us to the importance of participating in the event and being physically and spiritually present."

Hajj Radwan believed that Palestine will be liberated, no doubt. It was just a matter of time. And it depended on “the people of Palestine and the Mujahideen fighters, who he pinned high hopes for the completion of the jihad march until the liberation of the land and the holy sites. From here, his jihad was focused primarily on the sons of Palestine and the resistance factions as well as his efforts to transfer experience and weapons and to remain prepared for all options of confrontation with the Zionist enemy.”

Regarding the Palestinian cause Hajj Imad’s sister concludes by saying, "It was in his mind."

Imad, the friend and companion

Who among us does not notice how the tone of His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah changes when he talks about Hajj Radwan at the personal level? This picture is not ordinary, nor is it merely changes in the features of a person who is saddened by the loss of his friend or companion. It is more than that. The little that’s been revealed leaves plenty of room for imagination in deciphering the sort of relationship these two men had.

Zainab Mughniyeh describes their relationship as "brotherly and very close to the point that they were one soul in two bodies. They looked after each other. Both looked after the other’s family."

However, the talk about their relationship is not related only to how close they were at the personal level or the compatibility of their nature. What is more important is that "Hajj Imad saw Sayyed Nasrallah as the secret to the victory of the resistance, who must be obeyed," says his sister.

What about his relationship with Major General Qassem Soleimani, the martyr of the axis of resistance, who made sure that the link between him and Hajj remained with blood strewn on the battlefield?

Zainab Mughniyeh is perplexed about describing the relationship. She hesitates to pick her words, "What can I say! It is deeper than a friendship, work, jihad or even a brotherly relation."

Then Mughniyeh finds the correct description of what is in her mind, “The relationship between Hajj Imad and Major General Soleimani was that they were soldiers in the march of the wilaya and under the cloak of the wali in order to champion the causes of the nation.”

Zainab Mughniyeh reveals that they - as a family - did not meet martyr Soleimani before the martyrdom of Hajj Imad. However, after his martyrdom, “martyr Soleimani intensified his visits to us, reassuring us, following up on us and consoling us. He insisted on showing his strong love for Hajj and the impact his departure had on him. He kept the black jacket Hajj was wearing the day he was martyred in the Damascus bombing. He put it in a glass box with the pictures of martyrs and leaders.”

The charming resistance fighter

When martyr Qassem Soleimani wanted to describe his comrade-in-arms, Hajj Imad, he would do so in a few words, "He was the man of surprises that broke the image of the enemy."

Hajj Imad’s life was full of surprises, even the news of his martyrdom was one of the most difficult surprises. But the most beautiful surprise his sister tells us is “when we used to sneak a peek at him when we met him during events hosted by the resistance or during its marches. We’d try to take a long glance at him because he was always absent. We’d look away whenever he turned to us in order not to cause confusion. But even here, he would surprise us with his reaction. We would suddenly find him beside us smiling and joking. Then, he would leave again.”