Biography of Shaheed Shaykh Anwar Sha'ban

[Umm]

Shaykh Anwar Sha’ban from Egypt: Shaykh of the Mujaahiden and military commander. Zepce, Thursday 14 December 1995.

“an-noor mil 'uyooni
wa al-Hoor milku yamini”
The light fills my eyes
And the hoor is on my right-hand side.

Born and brought up in Egypt, he worked hard from the very beginning to uplift the laws of Allah and eradicate evil wherever he was. Oppression was rampant in Egypt at the time and the country was suffering due to the general ignorance of the masses. Anwar entered university and began studying Islam. As the persecution of the Muslims in Egypt reached its peak, Shaykh Anwar was from amongst those few scholars who were openly challenging the regime and speaking out against its unjust practices. He soon had to flee the country after the authorities began to look for him.

After spending some time in other Muslim countries increasing his knowledge of Islam even more, he ended up seeking political asylum in Italy. The 1990’s had just begun and the Muslim community in Italy was just the same as elsewhere in Europe: asleep and busy in the worldly affairs. With the help of a few brothers, Shaykh Anwar opened a mosque in Milan. Well-versed in several languages and one who had memorised the entire hadith collection of Sahih Muslim, over the next few years he worked hard with the Muslim community in Milan, teaching them about Islam and producing literature of benefit: such as books on daily supplications and prayer. The Islamic Centre in Milan became the centre of much activity and it was gaining much popularity amongst the local Muslims.

It was then in the summer of 1992 that was broke out in Bosnia. It was only a matter of months before Shaykh Anwar reached Bosnia with a handful of brothers from Italy. It was something that inevitably had to happen, as Shaykh Anwar was not a text-book scholar. He was a scholar who practiced what he preached and fought oppression at every level, just like the companions and the early generations of Muslims. He joined the small group of brothers who were already there such as Abu Abdul-Aziz and set about teaching his knowledge to the Mujaahideen and the Bosnians alike with books in his hands and military uniform on his body. Not only did he teach, but he fought as well. He participated in the early operations of the Mujaahideen such as the 1st physical operation in which Muhammad Fatih al-Bahraini was killed and others after that. And so, in the footsteps of Shaykh Abdullah Azzam, rahmatullah alaihi, Shaykh Anwar Sha’ban carried the responsibilities of the Mujaahideen regiment in Bosnia over the next three years. Teaching, encouraging and inspiring the fighters: laying the same foundation in Bosnia that Shaykh Abdullah Azzam had laid in Afghanistan.

During this time he went back and forth from Italy encouraging more fighters to come to Bosnia. A large number of Muslims living in Italy responded to his call and made their way to the land of Jihaad. Amongst those who came were Shaykh Anwar’s immediate family: his wife, daughter and five sons. His 12 year old son Aadam participated in the attack groups during the operations, whilst the younger two aged 9 and 10 respectively were in the training camp. Some of the early Mujaahids who came to Bosnia were so firm in their determination that they eventually became the commanders and trainers: the cream of the Mujaahideen. Some of them were martyred whilst others participated in the victorious operations.

The summer of 1995 arrived and Shaykh Anwar played an active role in the planning of three major operations in which some of the best of the Mujaahideen fighters such as Abu Abdullah Libee, Abu Mu’adh al Kuwaiti and Abu Thabit al Muhaajir were killed. He would stay in the bunkers for days on end studying the enemy position and assisting the commanders in preparing the battle plans, then he would come down a few days before the operation and give inspiring speeches to the Mujaahideen before the fighting began to increase their emaan and strengthen their determination to reach Paradise. Here is part of a speech that he gave to the Mujaahideen, just before Operation Miracle in July 1995,
“So I congratulate you with the permission of Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala on a near victory, on a conquest from Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala and we ask Allah to make us from amongst those who hurt our enemies time after time. We love martyrdom in the Way of Allah. Its time is when Allah wishes, but we ask our Lord Subhanahu wa ta'ala that He makes us from those who damage his enemies and from those who make his enemies taste punishment after punishment.”

Then came Operation Badr of Bosnia which sent distress signals not only to the occupying Serbs, but to the rest of the world, who suddenly felt threatened by an insurgence in the heart of Europe. Within days of Operation Badr, all of the world’s leaders began meeting in emergency sessions in their efforts to prevent further victories at the hands of the Mujaahideen. A cease-fire was immediately signed and a long-term agreement which would expel all the foreign fighters from Bosnia was drawn up. Everything was wrapped up in a matter of weeks and the war was ended: on paper, at least. For three years, the world had sat back and allowed the slaughter of the Muslims to continue, but now, as soon as the Muslims began to fight-back and win, they ended the war.

Shaykh Anwar agreed for the Mujaahideen to accept the cease-fire and prepared them to wait patiently and abide by all of the terms of the peace deals - until the time came when fighting would erupt again - at which point the Mujaahideen would be even better prepared to face and finish the occupying Serbs.

Another problem for the world’s nation was that Alija Izetbegovic had refused to expel any foreign fighters from Bosnia, offering Bosnian residence to anyone who fought there. As the world failed in its official attempt to remove the foreign Mujaahideen from Bosnia, they plotted and planned scandalous ways to achieve the same thing. There was a core-group of key commanders within the Mujaahideen, by whose presence the entire world felt threatened as to the success of the peace deal. Amongst this group was Shaykh Anwar Sha’ban, Dr. Abul-Harith Libee and Abu Ziyaad an-Najdee.

Two days after burying Sayyad, Shaykh Anwar gave a lecture to the Mujaahideen after Fajr prayer on the morning of Thursday 14 December 1995, in the Mujaahideen headquarters in Zenica. His words stunned all of the brothers who were present, as they had never before heard him speak the way he did. He spoke about the situation in Bosnia and how the world’s powers were trying to suppress the rise of Islaam from Bosnia with the Dayton Peace accord. He exhorted the brothers to have patience and use this time to better themselves. Many brothers who were there at that speech noticed how his face was shining exceptionally bright that morning. After the speech, he went home and told his wife that he smelt the Paradise. His wife told him that maybe Allah had liked something that he did or said. He asked his wife to remind him to revise his will when he next returned from the frontlines.

Shaykh Anwar returned to the headquarters in preparation of the short drive to the frontlines. As their route passed through Croat territory, it was usual for the Mujaahideen to telephone for a Bosnian army escort whenever their senior brothers were driving from town to town. Strangely enough, when the names of the four commanders were read-out to the Bosnian army officer, he advised that there was no need for an escort and that everything would be okay. The five brothers sat in the Toyota land rover jeep and set off with no more weapons other than their personal Kalashnikov rifles. Abu Hamza from Algeria was the driver. Next to him was Shaykh Anwar and Abu Ziyaad. Dr. Abul-Harith and Abu Hamman took the 2nd row of seats.

The brothers arrived at the 1st Croatian check-point and they were ready to fight at each point - should there be a need to. They were allowed past without any problem. At the 2nd checkpoint which lay at the entrance to Zepce - a Croatian town - they were stopped for a few minutes, during which time they saw a large army truck pass them.

The brothers finally arrived at the 3rd checkpoint at the exit to Zepce later on that afternoon. They saw that same truck that had passed them earlier park beside the checkpoint. This time the Croat soldiers stopped them and ordered them out of the vehicle. Shaykh Anwar immediately radioed a message back to the Ameer Abu Ma’ali,
“They have stopped us,”

These were the last words he said. The canvas was raised from the back of that army truck to uncover a group of Croat soldiers armed with powerful PK machine guns. They unleashed the guns on fully automatic; firing at the jeep. Shaykh Anwar and the driver were killed instantly. Abul-Harith followed soon after. Abu Ziyaad and Abu Hammam managed to leave the vehicle and fought their ambushers, killing two or three of them before they too ran out of bullets and joined their three brothers on the way to Paradise – we ask Allah that it is so.

Shaykh Anwar was buried along with the other four brothers in the graveyard of the martyrs. He had spent his life upholding the religion of Allah to the best of his ability and set an example in the world today, as a righteous scholar should. He followed in the footsteps of the prophets, who suffered persecution at the hands of their enemies. Just like the Messenger Salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam said,
“Al-ulemaa’ warathat ul-Anbiya,” The scholars are the inheritors of the Prophets. Out of the 1000’s of scholars preaching in the world today, Shaykh Anwar was amongst the few who took their knowledge to the frontlines and used it where it was most effective.

Indeed the Messenger Salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam mentioned in Sahih al-Bukhari the disappearance of knowledge as one of the signs before the day of Judgement. It was explained that the disappearance of knowledge did not mean the vanishing of books; rather it meant the death of the righteous scholars. Shaykh Anwar played his role in leading the Muslim Ummah against its enemies seeking the truth wherever he was -until he paid for it with his life. He had carried the Mujaahideen regiment in Bosnia on his shoulders throughout the three years of the war, and now, as it seemed to be drawing to an end, Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala gave him the gift that he long worked hard for.

May Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala grant Shaykh Anwar the highest part of Paradise together with Shaykh Abdullah Azzam rahmatullah alaihi and all the martyrs of Afghanistan, Bosnia and any other part of the world. May Allah make him an inspiration to all of the scholars and students of knowledge in the world that honour in the Hereafter comes through practicing their knowledge in this life - not just preaching it. And finally, we say to the enemies behind the assassination of Shaykh Anwar that for every Mujaahid scholar that you remove, a hundred more youth will be ready to replace him. Shaykh Anwar has left behind him five sons. May Allah have mercy on the soul of Shaykh Anwar Sha’ban.

Taken from “Under the Shade of Swords” by Azzam Publications.

[maulvi]

Mashallah!

[internet_abdullah]

masha'Allah subhanAllah tabaarakAllah! JazaakiAllah khair katheer. That's awesome. Ameen @ the dua.

[Talha2010]

Subhanallah may Allah reward you for sharing this with us.

[C.i.B.]

how do you know he has the status of shaheed though?

i thought the knowledge of a persons status in the Hereafter is with Allah Alone.

probably safer to say 'shaheed InshaAllah'?

[Abul Qa'qa]

how do you know he has the status of shaheed though?

Akhi, read this article inshaa-Allah:

The Permissibility of Saying 'So and so is Shaheed'

[UmmTaymiyyah]

yep not to forget the mashee'ah of Allaah i.e

Shaheed InshaAllaah!