“Oh Munkar, Oh Nakir, he is a Muslim but he forgot!” One of the deeply sorrowful phrases Muslims in Andalusia would bury with their loved ones after the Inquisition courts forcibly converted them to Christianity. First and foremost, you will see the oppressor as an unwelcome guest whom you welcomed yourself, then he will overpower you, then he will share your land, then he will propose agreements and treaties, and then you will either accept or reject them. Eventually, he will break the agreements and crush you unregretfully!

Between the Treaty of Granada and the Oslo Accords, the lands of Muslims were lost. The cries of the people of Granada to their brothers in North Africa and the Arab Maghreb were met with secret messages on how to teach Andalusians the ways of Taqiyya to conceal their Islam. This is very similar to the calls from the people of Gaza to their neighbors in Egypt and Jordan and to Muslims worldwide, where these calls fall are met with deaf ears!

In the shadow of the first anniversary of the “Al-Aqsa Flood” battle, and with the escalating crises facing Palestine today, a significant historical comparison unfolds before our eyes between what is happening now in Palestine and what happened in Andalusia five centuries ago. Andalusia, which was the center of Islamic civilization in the West, fell due to internal divisions and the collusion of some of its rulers with the enemy, and of course, the absence of a supporter. Should we allow Palestine to meet the same fate? Or do we draw lessons from the past and change the course of history in our favor?

Since the fall of the last Islamic stronghold in Andalusia in 1492, a series of persecution and displacement began, where Muslims in Andalusia lived through the tragedy of the Inquisition and cultural and religious extermination. The Moriscos were subjected to attempts to erase their identity, which bears a striking resemblance to what is happening in Palestine today, where the same tragedy is repeated. The Israeli occupation practices policies of displacement and settlement and seeks to erase the Palestinian identity by imposing forged historical narratives and changing the demographic reality in its favor.

What distinguishes the fall of Andalusia is not only the strength of the enemy but also the betrayals of some Taifa (factions) princes who chose to ally with the Christian kingdoms in pursuit of power and wealth. They gave up their fortresses and cities and paid tribute to the kings of Spain, forgetting that their fate would be like that of their brothers who fell before them. Today, we witness similar behaviors in the Arab and Islamic world, where some countries rush to normalize relations with the Israeli occupation, in pursuit of temporary economic and political interests that complicate the Palestinian scene and delay the restoration of legitimate rights.

In Andalusia, Muslims were deprived of practicing their religion and rituals, and Arabic books were burned in the squares of Granada, symbolizing the attempt to erase all traces of Islamic civilization. Despite these practices, most Moriscos held on to their identity until they were forced to emigrate or die, while the surviving generations forgot their original Islamic roots. Similarly, in Palestine, the Palestinian people face the same schemes. The occupation does not only confiscate lands and build settlements but also seeks to Judaize Jerusalem and change the cultural and religious identity of the holy sites. The policy of forced displacement practiced on Palestinians since the Nakba continues to this day, where the people of Jerusalem and the residents of the West Bank face constant threats of eviction, not to mention the millions of Palestinian refugees worldwide since 1948.

Conversely, despite all these attempts, there was resistance in Andalusia, just as there is in Palestine today. The Morisco revolts, despite their weakness and dispersion, expressed their refusal to accept cultural and religious extermination, similar to the Palestinian resistance today, which stands as the last line of defense against the Israeli occupation’s attempts to erase the Palestinian existence.

The “Al-Aqsa Flood” battle, which began in 2023, marked a turning point in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, demonstrating that the Palestinian people can confront the Zionist project despite Israeli military and technological superiority. Resistance is not just armed action; it is an expression of the steadfast will to remain and endure in the face of attempts of displacement and extermination. However, this resistance faces the same fate as the resistance in Andalusia, where the Taifa princes deserted and conspired against it, a scenario we see today.

Palestinian resistance suffers from persecution, intimidation, and drying up of resources from its Arab and Islamic surroundings more than it suffers from the occupier itself, responding to the international will opposing Palestinian resistance and refusing to grant the Palestinian people their legitimate rights. This takes us back to the same conspiracy that plagued Andalusia, where the Christian world colluded with the Spanish kings to eliminate the Islamic presence. The popes in Rome blessed these campaigns and helped spread propaganda portraying Muslims as enemies that must be eradicated, prolonging the suffering of Muslims in Andalusia and ultimately leading to the collapse of Islamic civilization there.

Today, we see similar collusion by some international powers with Israel. The United States, in particular, continues its unlimited political and military support and uses its veto power in the Security Council to obstruct any resolution condemning the occupation's practices. These policies make it difficult for Palestinians to achieve any progress in their international struggle and complicate the field situation on the ground.

The significant similarity between the tragedies of Andalusia and Palestine should prompt us to deeply reflect on the future of the Palestinian cause. Just as Andalusia was lost due to betrayals, divisions, and collusion, there is a real danger that Palestine might face the same fate if these challenges are not seriously addressed. The isolation of Gaza and Jerusalem today could repeat the historical tragedy we lived with Andalusia. It is true that Palestine today possesses new tools that were not available in the past: modern communication means, the increasing power of global public opinion, the presence of a front rejecting the Zionist existence in the region, and a general popular awareness more advanced than the rulers. These tools can play a pivotal role in exposing the occupation's practices and gaining international support. The battle is no longer confined to the land alone but is also a battle for awareness and understanding.

Avoiding the repetition of the Andalusian tragedy in Palestine requires Palestinian and Arab unity, rejecting sectarian and side conflicts, and rejecting all forms of normalization with the enemy. It also requires continuing resistance in all its forms and not yielding to international pressures that seek to impose temporary solutions that do not achieve justice.

Palestine today stands at a crossroads: between the choice of resistance and steadfastness and the danger of turning into another Andalusia. History teaches us that peoples who resist and hold on to their identity and culture cannot die no matter the circumstances. Just as the Moriscos in Andalusia endured for centuries, the Palestinian people will continue to resist until they can fully restore their rights. But this resistance requires all of us to be more aware of the challenges facing Palestine and more determined to prevent the repetition of the Andalusia’s tragedy.

Palestine will not become another Andalusia as long as there are people who resist, a nation that awakens, and an undying will.

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Palestinian historian Abdul Qader Yassin, founder of the Arab Front Supporting Palestinian Resistance since 2008, is one of the most prominent voices raising awareness about the Palestinian cause through the narratives of its own people. Over the course of 30 books, and a year since the “Al-Aqsa Flood” battle commenced on October 7, 2023, he has been an advocate for the cause and resistance at numerous supporting events in Cairo.

His books are considered authoritative references on the history of the Palestinian cause, including titles such as “The Struggle of the Palestinian People Until 1948,” “The Palestinian National Movement 1948-1970,” “Misconceptions About the Palestinian Revolution,” “The Crisis of Fatah,” and “Supporting Formations for the Palestinian Resistance in Egypt: A Study of Three Models.”

365 Days that Reintroduced the Palestinian Cause in a Way that Hastens the Demise of the Occupying Entity

In his interview with “Al-Mujtama,” the octogenarian Palestinian thinker asserted that he foresees the strategic end of the Zionist occupation state. He emphasized that liberation comes at a price, commending the steadfastness of the Palestinian people and the successes achieved by the Palestinian resistance and military support fronts, despite the comprehensive Zionist genocide.

A year post “Al-Aqsa Flood,” how do you see the position of the Palestinian cause?

- I believe that the Al-Aqsa Flood operation has reintroduced the Palestinian cause correctly. This reintroduction signifies the beginning of the end for the Zionist entity, especially given the developments we see across all fronts of resistance and confrontation over the past year, which strengthen the proximity of this end.

This ongoing escalation, the Zionist savagery, and the desire to annihilate the Palestinian people will not break the will of the Palestinian people but will increase the ferocity and steadfastness of the resistance fronts.

As Long as There is Occupation, There Will Be Armed Resistance: Zionist Savagery Will Not Break the Palestinians

Some claim that Palestine did not need this battle due to the current savage aggression. What is your opinion?

-Aggression has never stopped since the beginning of the occupation. However, it is now a mad aggression. The Al-Aqsa Flood operation has deeply wounded the usurping entity, thus increasing its aggression against the Palestinian people after stealing their homes and lands.

With over 150,000 martyrs and wounded, was there a lesser price for complete liberation and the right of return?

-No country has ever been liberated throughout history without paying a high price in the blood of its people and leaders, the latest being leader Ismail Haniyeh (Abu al-Obad).

There is no “sweetness without fire,” and the people and resistance will not be weakened by what has happened and will happen. The vision has become clear, and everyone has seen the Zionist entity's determination for genocide. Everyone has pledged to continue the struggle against the usurpers of our homeland until victory.

We Are at the Beginning of a Regional War with the Enemy: The Coming Year Will Be Complex and Requires Deep Reading

The right of return will not be achieved through United Nations resolutions or the good morals of the Zionists. Return will only be possible through the declaration of complete liberation. Thus, it can be said that liberation and return are intertwined, and the “Al-Aqsa Flood” battle can be historically marked as the beginning of complete liberation.

How do you evaluate the expansion of armed resistance fronts supporting Gaza over the past year?

-This is a real beginning of a regional war with the Zionist enemy, in which non-collaborating Arab countries might intervene alongside the Palestinian resistance.

As long as there is occupation, armed resistance, and the resistance line is ascending and expanding, only iron cuts iron.

The Al-Aqsa Flood was an unprecedented military operation in military history and should be included in military science, where the Palestinian resistance achieved astonishing feats, especially considering it was a guerrilla war and a battle by a non-regular army, unlike Egypt's regular army which inscribed another epic with its crossing in the victory of October 6, 1973, but it is linked to its name as a regular army.

No Country Has Ever Been Liberated Without Paying a High Price: No Sweetness Without Fire

How do you see the failure of the forced displacement project for Palestinians over the past year?

-The project did not achieve its goals and failed miserably. I affirm what I said since the start of the battle: Palestinians have an immunity against the issue of displacement. They can be killed on their land, but they will not be displaced. No one will leave Gaza for Egypt or any other place.

History reminds us that fears of forced displacement to Sinai began in June 1953 when the United States proposed a project to relocate Palestinians to an area near the city of Port Fouad over an area of 50,000 acres. This project was thwarted from Gaza by an uprising that lasted from March 1 to 3, 1955, and did not stop until a promise from the late President Gamal Abdel Nasser to reject the project entirely.

Has the Palestinian narrative succeeded in imposing its word over the past year?

-There is a noticeable and significant shift in Western public opinion among free Western peoples in favor of the Palestinian narrative and the truths of our cause. This is important and a strategic gain that we rely on in the long run, apart from most current Western governments that stand with the Zionist entity, right or wrong.

Economic Boycott is Part of the Open Battle on All Fronts

As for the Arab peoples, they are powerless for reasons not hidden from the discerning reader. However, they have managed to express themselves and their certain sympathy, which the Palestinian people know well.

How do you see the impact of the economic boycott of the Zionist entity among Arab peoples?

-The boycott is part of an ongoing battle that must be fought on all fronts. The boycotters are like soldiers on the economic front against the enemy. I have observed some of its effects in Cairo and hope it will expand across all Arab countries. We should not be enveloped in silence.

What is your message to the Palestinian people after a year of remarkable resilience?

-You are a living people, walking the path of struggle, no matter the sacrifices. Day by day, the resistance of your sons escalates, and despite the enormous costs, you are writing the beginning of the end for the Zionist entity.

How do you see the new year of “Al-Aqsa Flood” in light of the current situation in Lebanon and the region?

-The coming year may be more complicated and requires a new in-depth reading, especially after the recent electronic blow dealt to Hezbollah and Lebanon.

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Perhaps the nation followed with great astonishment the legendary steadfastness that the people of Gaza presented over a whole year of pride and honor, and the possibility of an unprecedented barbaric aggression, in which homes were destroyed over the heads of their inhabitants. Hundreds of thousands were displaced to displacement camps, and the bombing continued day and night in all parts of Gaza, even if a little of that is enough to destroy the social structure of any society and dismantle the bonds of cohesion and solidarity between its people, but what we saw in Gaza was completely different!

The spirit of steadfastness and pride still covers the faces and fills the eyes. The expressions of children, women, and elderly people before men still draw from the fountain of language the eyes of words and arrange from its letters the springs of wisdom, and it is appropriate for us to ask about the secret of that wonderful collective steadfastness!

There is no doubt that the state of faith alone is capable of creating this human miracle, and the state of faith is not an emergency or a passing state. Still, rather it is a sustainable line, an accumulated effort, a gathering for good, cooperation in righteousness and piety, the construction of mosques, and a close connection with the wise remembrance.

It was not without reason that when the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, wanted to regulate the relationship between Muslims and the Qur’an, he called it “companionship,” for the Muslim is the companion of the Qur’an, and in the hadith of Abdullah bin Amr: “It will be said to the companion of the Qur’an: Read and ascend and recite as you used to recite in the world, for your place is at the last verse you recite.”

The “Elite Memorizers” Project has included thousands of young people who have memorized the Quran and mastered memorization

On the Day of Judgment, Allah Almighty chooses for His believing servants from among all the stations of obedience, from among prayer, fasting, zakat, Hajj, and jihad, He only chooses the recitation of the Quran. On the Day of Judgment, it will be said: O believing servants of Allah, take your positions and sit in the manners you were accustomed to in this world, and recite the Book of Allah that accompanied you on the journey of life!

The Elite Memorizers

Anyone who looks at the people of Gaza will find that they have an amazing state and status with the Holy Quran! In recent years, we have followed unparalleled social creativity in dealing with the Quran through the “Elite Memorizers” Project, which has included thousands of young people who have memorized the Quran, mastered memorization, and constantly reviewed it. Then they gather in the houses of Allah and recite the Quran from beginning to end in one session.

The number of those who recited the Qur’an in the year before that war reached nearly 1500, and statistics say that the number of Qur’an memorizers in Gaza exceeds 50 thousand, which is an indication of a high state of faith and evidence of a good connection to the Holy Qur’an and a society that has accepted the Book of Allah as a whole.

Perhaps when we look at the Prophet’s biography, we will find a state of steadfastness and amazing initiative in all stages that removes from us the astonishment of what we saw in Gaza, and if we want to set an example, in Gaza “Mu’tah” is what suffices the purpose, as there were 3 thousand whom the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, delegated to leave the peninsula and strike in the depths of the desert and penetrate the land of the Romans and initiate the battle against the Roman army, the strongest army on earth at that time, and most historians say that the number of the Roman army was 200 thousand fighters! And that faithful few came out without any hesitation, and the first battle of the Muslims with the Romans took place, and the Romans were at the height of their victory and glory, and they emerged from their last battle with the Persians, the Battle of Nineveh, with a crushing victory in which they reached the palace of Khosrau! And they took back from him the spoils that the Persians had taken when they entered the Church of the Resurrection in Jerusalem!

The emperor walked from his seat of government in Byzantium (Constantinople) to Jerusalem on foot, surrounded by tens of thousands of Romans, to return the cross of the Church of the Resurrection to its first depositor, and in that atmosphere, the Muslims went to invade the Romans!

The number of reciters of the Holy Quran in Gaza last year was about 1500 and the Quran memorizers exceeded 50 thousand.

The Battle of Mu'tah takes place and the few believers suffer a calamity that only comes from the people of faith. The three-day battle ends with the martyrdom of 13 Muslims, including the three leaders Zaid bin Haritha, Ja'far bin Abi Talib, and Abdullah bin Rawaha. The battle ended with the brilliant leadership of the drawn sword of Allah, Khalid bin Al-Walid, and the Romans were unable to achieve a noteworthy victory over that group of believers!

The believers return victorious from the Roman invasion of their own home as a punishment for the killing of one of their supporters, a Muslim man. They return to their base in Medina safe and sound, and all people hear about what those believers did to the Byzantine Empire!

This line of steadfastness, initiative, and ability to sacrifice extends throughout all the invasions in the time of the Prophet. I almost claim that it extends throughout the great river of Islamic history.

The origin of this legendary state is only through long companionship with the Book of Allah, the Almighty, and the gatherings of the Qur’an and the construction of the houses of Allah with it, as Allah the Almighty said: “(Lit is such a Light) in houses, which Allah hath permitted to be raised to honor; for the celebration, in them, of His name: In them is He glorified in the mornings and the evenings, (again and again) (36) By men whom neither traffic nor merchandise can divert from the Remembrance of Allah, nor regular Prayer, nor from the practice of regular Charity: Their (only) fear is for the Day when hearts and eyes will be transformed (in a world wholly new)(37) (An-Nur).

Let the Quran be the starting point, the center of the Renaissance, the foundation of unity, the provision of the nation, and its leader in the fields of work and jihad.

The post-war phase in Gaza does not only require rebuilding the structure, but it also requires continuing to build the human being. It requires new campaigns from the “Elite of Memorizers” project and a deeper consolidation of the values of faith and connection to the Quran among a people who have presented to all of humanity a lofty moral and ethical model that humanity has rarely seen the like of. This faithful steadfastness has created a remarkable state of awareness in the entire world.

It is necessary to think and plan how to sustain this great good, expand its scope, mobilize the energies of the youth to do the same, and gather Muslim homes in Gaza at the table of the Holy Quran once again.

It is also necessary to say: that Gaza has provided and is providing in this a good example for all Muslim peoples in the East and West of the earth. So let the Holy Quran be the starting point, let it be the center of renaissance and the foundation of unity, let it be the provision of the nation and its leader in the fields of work and jihad, and let the Holy Quran be, as Allah Almighty wanted it, the light of this nation that never goes out, and He, the Almighty, said:  “And thus We have revealed to you an inspiration of Our command. You did not know what the Book or [what is] faith, but We have made it a light by which We guide whom We will of Our servants. And indeed, [O Muhammad], you guide to a straight path.” (Ash-Shura: 12) 52).

Jihad AlQassam Resistance  

People still remember nearly a decade ago when the so-called “Islamic State” appeared, or “ISIS,” as it became known in the media. The world was shaken by those grand events, with the familiar scenes focused on by cameras and broadcast by satellite channels being the beheading, burning of prisoners—such as the incident with the Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kasasbeh—and other painful scenes that were exaggerated and magnified, presented to people as if this was Islamic jihad and these were the morals of Muslims. It was astonishing that this monstrous organization began by stoning a woman dragged by her father—or someone claiming to be her father—with a rope, then presenting her to those ignorant people to stone her while filming!

That distorted image was intended to be ingrained in the minds of people—believers and non-believers alike—so they would be repelled by the word “jihad” and their hearts would tremble whenever they heard it. Some who claim to be affiliated with Islamic knowledge—unfortunately!—rushed to justify those actions, citing some instances from the Prophet's Sirah, taken out of context and presented to people as evidence to justify what those ignorant tyrants did. What a shame!

However, Allah’s way is ongoing, as there are always a group of people who uphold the truth and virtue—at all times—who awaken the Ummah from its slumber and restore the religion's dignity and glory; they refute the distortions of extremists, the fabrications of liars, and the misinterpretations of the ignorant. Among those were the fighting group in the surroundings of Al-Quds, in the mighty Gaza, who displayed heroic acts of bravery and sacrifice in their jihad against the enemies of Allah, which history will record with golden letters. Elders among Muslims will recount these acts to the young as a symbol of bravery, sacrifice, and patience.

Allah granted these mujahideen successes as they treated their Jewish prisoners well and exhibited noble morals and good manners, which led some of those prisoners to testify to this publicly despite the false and biased media. Allah the Almighty said, “As for the foam, it vanishes, [being] cast off; but as for that which benefits the people, it remains on the earth.” (Ar-Ra’d: 17), and “Rather, We dash the truth upon falsehood, and it destroys it, and thereupon it departs.” (Al-Anbiya: 18) They practically revived the sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), who was inherently always merciful to the young and old, believers and disbelievers, the obedient and the sinful, in peace or war, at home or traveling. Allah the Exalted said, “And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds.” (Al-Anbiya: 107)

If our brothers in the “Al-Qassam Brigades” had treated their prisoners harshly, they would have been excused due to the horrors inflicted upon them and their families by the enemy who does not show respect or mercy, sparing neither mosques, hospitals, homes, nor churches; not even sparing the elderly, women, and children who are defenseless and unable to find a way out. It is known that the human soul, in such circumstances, is controlled by feelings of anger and revenge, which might lead to punishing the innocent for the crimes of the guilty. However, they adhered to the ethics of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), who, when he appointed a commander over an army or a squad, advised him to fear Allah and forbade him from killing children and women, betraying the enemy, or mutilating the dead bodies. He would say, “Go out for Jihad in Allah’s name, in the Cause of Allah, and fight those who disbelieve in Allah. Go out for Jihad and do not indulge in Ghulul, or be treacherous or mutilate (dead bodies) or kill a child.” (Sahih Muslim) There was an instance when a woman was found killed during one of the Prophet's battles, and he condemned her killing, saying, “This is not one with whom fighting should have taken place.” (Sunan Abi Dawood)

Similarly, Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) followed his path and advised Yazid bin Abi Sufyan when he sent him to the Levants, saying, “I advise you ten things: Do not kill women or children or an aged, infirm person. Do not cut down fruit-bearing trees. Do not destroy an inhabited place. Do not slaughter sheep or camels except for food. Do not burn bees and do not scatter them. Do not steal from the booty, and do not be cowardly.” (Muwatta Malik)

Here, I will mention some points on the Islamic guidance on how to treat prisoners:

Firstly: Islam commands us to speak kindly to prisoners, give them hope in Allah's mercy, and encourage them to embrace our faith gently and softly, not through coercion. Allah says, “O Prophet, say to whoever is in your hands of the captives, 'If Allah knows [any] good in your hearts, He will give you [something] better than what was taken from you, and He will forgive you; and Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.' But if they intend to betray you - then they have already betrayed Allah before, and He empowered [you] over them. And Allah is Knowing and Wise.” (Al-Anfal: 70-71) These ayahs were revealed regarding the prisoners of Badr who opposed Allah and His Messenger and obstructed His path.

Rashid Rida said: These two ayahs indicate that believers should encourage prisoners to embrace faith and warn them of the consequences of their betrayal if they persist in disbelief and transgression and returned to aggression and oppression.

The captives of “Al-Qassam” did not hear any insults, curses, or offensive language from their captors. Instead, they were spoken to kindly and treated well, adhering to Islamic guidance and teachings.

Secondly: In prisoners exchange deals, Al-Qassam adhered to loyalty, following the example of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), who upheld covenants and did not betray, commanding his military leaders to avoid betrayal and advising them: “Do not be treacherous.” (Sahih Muslim)

Abdullah bin Abbas narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “A people do not betray the pledge but that Allah gives their enemies power over them.” (Narrated by Al-Tabarani, authenticated by Al-Albani). Anas bin Malik narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “He who is not trustworthy has no faith, and he who does not keep his covenant has no religion.” (Narrated by Ahmad, authenticated by Al-Albani)

His enemies acknowledged his loyalty even during their intense enmity. Mukrez told the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), “You were never known for treachery, young or old, but you were known for goodness and loyalty.” When Hiraql asked Abu Sufyan, who was still a disbeliever at that time: “Has Muhammad (ever) violated his covenant?” Abu Sufyan replied: “No.” Hiraql then said: “This is how the Prophets behave.”

Thirdly: It is obligatory to feed the captives among the polytheists until the leader decides their fate, whether it be execution or otherwise. Al-Razi, may Allah have mercy on him, said: If it is asked, how can it be obligatory to feed someone when they must be killed? The answer is that the duty to kill at one time does not prevent the duty to feed at another, nor does it mean that punishing in one way necessitates punishing in another. Hence, it is not appropriate to inflict a lesser punishment on someone who deserves capital punishment.

Fourthly: The consistent guidance in the Prophet’s biography is the good treatment of prisoners and favoring them with kindness to encourage them towards Islam. Our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) on the day of Badr captured seventy polytheists and distributed them among his companions, saying: “Act kindly toward them.” (Al-Tabarani). Despite the fact that these were people who had often tortured him and his companions and tried to force them out of their faith, the companions implemented the Prophet’s advice faithfully, being generous and kind to the captives.

For instance, Abu Aziz ibn Umair, the brother of Musab ibn Umair, said, “I was in a group from Al-Ansar who were returning from Badr. When they served their meals, they would favor me with bread (which was considered the best food) and eat dates, due to the Prophet's (peace be upon him) instruction to treat us kindly. Whenever a piece of bread fell into the hands of one of them, he would offer it to me. I would feel embarrassed and return it to him, but he would return it to me without touching it.” Abu Aziz was the standard-bearer of the polytheists at Badr after Al-Nadr ibn Al-Harith.

The Jewish captives in the hands of “Al-Qassam” testified that they were given the same food their captors ate, were not deprived of anything, and their sick were even provided with medicine. Furthermore, some of the female captives were even allowed to keep their dogs and were released with them when they were freed!

Finally, people should understand that jihad in Islam is a form of worship governed by rules and ethics. It is not a war of extermination nor campaigns of vengeance; rather, it is a moral war to protect the oppressed, repel aggression and spread peace. Allah says, “[They are] those who have been evicted from their homes without right - only because they say, 'Our Lord is Allah.' And were it not that Allah checks the people, some by means of others, there would have been demolished monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques in which the name of Allah is much mentioned. And Allah will surely support those who support Him. Indeed, Allah is Powerful and Exalted in Might.” (Al-Hajj: 40)

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One of the problems of contemporary history is that it is forced to address major events whose dimensions are not yet clear. Therefore, the final vision of events takes time to reveal their details, motives, and outcomes, and to reveal their documents and secrets. These are documents that the parties that made the event try to control and keep for a while, and some countries withhold what they see of their documents for 10, 20, 30 years, and perhaps more.

A huge event

The "Al-Aqsa Flood" was a huge event that shook many established convictions and imposed a new reality whose dimensions are still being revealed. It leaves its effects on the regional and international environments, which prompted researchers to study it through monitoring and analysis without waiting for its results and goals to be revealed.

The people who are most deserving of looking into it and benefiting from it are Muslims in general, Arabs close to the axis of its occurrence in particular, and Islamists who are primarily concerned with advocacy, education, and movement, as its events and echoes represent an enticement to look and study, and even push towards that as they are a bright light in the darkness of the bleak Arab reality, and an energy of hope and pride after decades of frustration and despair, exacerbated by the deterioration of conditions after the results of the “Arab Spring.”

Common Denominators that Unite People

The perspectives on that great event will certainly differ, as history is multifaceted. Historians have various tendencies and different schools, and it is difficult for the visions of Islamists, secularists, and Arab nationalists, or the starting points of revolutionaries and advocates of change, to agree with advocates of normalization and surrender to the bitter reality in assessing the “Al-Aqsa Flood” about a year after its floods.

Perhaps it is more appropriate for us - when we decide to present the major event in education and upbringing - to search for common denominators that unite us. It is of the utmost importance that we liberate ourselves from political domination over educational institutions in our countries, and the imposition of the governing political vision on them, especially in the general issues that unite the nation, and among its priorities are the Palestinian cause and the liberation of “Al-Aqsa”, and that the will to build the psychological structure of the nation and its future generations in a manner consistent with its identity becomes an undisputed educational requirement, for which the goals of education and its governing values are in agreement.

Constructive Values

From the perspective of constructive values, we find abundant contributions from “Al-Aqsa Flood”. It demonstrated the ability of this nation to rise and awaken, no matter how long its negligence, and to arrange its priorities and impose its correctness despite the pile of foam and dung, for how far the state of the broad masses of the nation before the start of the battle is from its state and concerns after it. The certainty has emerged that liberating the land, restoring Al-Aqsa, defeating the enemy, ending the occupation, and eliminating its state... all of this is not an impossible matter - as depicted in the literature of the era of Arab defeat and humiliation - if the complicit fronts and complicit forces open up around it, and the peoples yearning for the honor of liberation and jihad are liberated.

Ideological Education

The role of ideological education in shaping the Muslim person in Palestine and choosing the path of resistance and jihad has become prominent, which is a path of great cost and dangerous consequences, given the rottenness and stagnation of the Arab reality, the spread of the infection of normalization with the enemy, withdrawal into the narrow national self, and the farewell of the major issues of the nation, and the collapse of ambitions, goals and aims that global colonialism has succeeded in occupying us with and marketing to us.

Dazzling the world with eagerness to be martyred

We have seen the convoys of Mujahideen led by the memorizers of the Holy Quran, and the sons of mosques, remembrance circles, and science lessons, so they dazzled the world with their eagerness to be martyred in the way of Allah, despite the weakness of equipment, the small number, severe hunger, and the scarcity of support, and the leaders advanced the ranks of the martyrs, and they offered precious sacrifices of themselves, their children, and their families, so those searching for a role model no longer prolong the period of history to tell them about the heroes of the Companions and the Followers, and Khalid, Amr, Salah al-Din, and Baybars, while they see before them the role models and examples; God Almighty said (Among the believers are men true to what they promised God. Among them is he who has fulfilled his vow, and among them is he who awaits [his chance], and they have not changed [their commitment] in the least) (Al-Ahzab: 23).

Immortal examples of patience

The harvest of education and knowledge was not limited to the leading elite, or the struggling force, but rather the general people of Gaza set tremendous, immortal examples of patience and support for the resistance, and embracing its sons. The popular incubator in Gaza and the West Bank resisted attempts at subjugation and intimidation and obediently presented tens of thousands of martyrs, satisfied, and the slogan of each one of them was "We are all martyrdom projects."

The models of values that our scientific and educational institutes need have continued, at the forefront of which is the value of self-reliance in building civilization. The Mujahideen have amazed the world with their steadfastness with weapons that they manufactured and developed in their tunnels, in the shadow of a stifling siege for decades. Onlookers have seen the “Qassam” missile, the “Jabari” missile, the “Yassin 101” shell, the “Ghoul” rifle, and others, over which the Mujahid recites the words of God Almighty: (So you did not kill them, but it was God who killed them. And you did not throw when you threw, but it was God who threw, that He might test the believers with a good test. Indeed, God is Hearing and Knowing) (Al-Anfal: 17), so they penetrate the “Merkavah.” Armored personnel carriers and bulldozers, and the manufacturing and steadfastness continued for nearly a year now, towering over the Arab weapons stores in the cowardly armies that are eaten away by rust!

Surprising the World

That miracle is no less glorious than the success of the resistance in surprising the enemy with all its technology, weapons and fortifications on October 7th in a strategic surprise that has dazzled the world so far, and this and that is no less than a miraculous success in preventing the enemy throughout the year from reaching its prisoners held by the resistance, outperforming the treachery of the enemy's intelligence services and the world that supports it, with its great powers, and its hordes of forces, which do not leave the skies of Gaza searching for a loophole through which they can penetrate and save their face.

Qualitative superiority

The qualitative superiority achieved by the Islamic resistance extends to harnessing the unfavorable geography for the jihad march, by engineering tunnels, and the amazing patience in digging them, distributing them and obscuring their traces, and using them as starting points for invasion, training centers, and points for command, control and combat management.

The lessons that the “Al-Aqsa Flood” provided that our generations need in their institutes and universities were not limited to the military and societal aspects, but rather the political management of the conflict is one of the most important things that needs contemplation and study. Its leaders were keen to continue communicating with their Arab and Islamic surroundings, despite the ingratitude and sorrow, and the betrayal and inaction they encountered.

They impressively managed their difficult political negotiations, and employed military, political and negotiating work in an integrated system that is still steadfast, in the face of an enemy experienced in obstinacy, hostility, argument and setting traps. The battle of “Al-Aqsa Flood” has not yet reached its end, and its repercussions are still occupying the world and interacting with open possibilities. However, successes have been achieved, with great sacrifices and severe hardship. The issue of liberating the usurped land and the captive mosque has returned to impose itself on the agenda of global politics, and the evils of the occupation and the countries supporting it have been exposed. The cloak of democracy and human rights that the Zionist state and the West have mastered covering up with has been torn apart.

The peoples of the earth have witnessed on television screens the massacres against defenseless civilians, the massacres against children and women, and the transformation of Gaza into rubble and debris, with a despicable global moral bankruptcy. People of conscience in the peoples of Europe and America - who demonstrated anger at the brutality of the occupation and its supporters - have been subjected to all kinds of brutality and aggression against their freedoms. The ideological and civilizational dimension of the conflict has become clear to onlookers, which the West and global Zionism have worked hard to hide throughout the past decades.

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