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= written by Amr Khaled =

 1-1 Ajdaduna - The dessert Lion

The desert lion

I think the title is much weaker than its carrier. Maybe he gained it when he killed a lion in the desert; a lion that used to cut the road off the passengers and impose “taxes” on the merchants. Don't laugh; when weakness and humility get you, even an animal can rule you.

Sedi (master) Omar Al-Mokhtar was in his thirties when it was decided by his Sheikh that he [Omar] would travel to Sudan on a mission as the head of a delegation. They found a commercial convoy getting ready to leave Al-Kafra (where he lived in Libya) to Sudan so they decided to accompany them because merchants had better knowledge and experience with the desert roads. When they reached a certain place in the road, they stopped when one of the convoy merchants pointed out the existence of a wild lion in the only exit through this area.

Convoys generally agreed that all people in the convoy should collect the cost of a weak sheep that they would present to the lion when they meet it. Omar Al-Mokhtar refused the suggestion strongly saying, "Such money that was imposed by the strong on the weak no longer exists, how could we return it to an animal? It's a sign of humility and disrespect, I swear by Allah we'll defend ourselves by our weapons!"  He insisted on his opinion, so the convoy went on. The lion appeared at the end of the road and Omar charged at it with his horse and weapon and severely wounded it. He charged again, in spite of the risk in approaching a wounded lion, and killed it by another shot. Omar Al-Mokhtar insisted to skin the lion and hang it on the road entrance so that all passing convoys can see it. He also refused telling this story in meetings saying, "It wasn't me who threw, but Allah did it”.

But this wasn’t the beginning for Omar Al-Mokhtar…

Omar Al-Mokhtar was raised in an Islamic and religious environment since childhood. He is Omar bin Al-Mokhtar bin Farahat from the family of Gheith, according to him, he was born  sometime between1861 and 1863 CE. His Father, although we don't know a lot about him, was known for his courage and bravery beside his position amongst his people. The father asked the local Sheikh (religious teacher) to bring up his child and teach him Qur’an. Then the father died during his journey for Hajj in 1878 , but the fact that the Sheikh took care of  his children after him, was the first thing to affect Omar's life. Himself being an orphanage installed tenderness in the hero's heart because an orphan is broken hearted and broken hearts feel other people's pains and when its combined with faith and love for Allah, it turns into a delightful heart that refers to Allah the Almighty All powerful in all his decisions and has sympathy for the poor and the weak. The sheikh did his job very well, he sent Omar when he was 16 years old to Zaweyat Al Zaghboub institute with his children, to learn all religious matters in this Senousy institute. He learned Qur’an and its sciences from Al-Sheikh Al-Zerwali Al-Maghraby, and learned from all institute teachers various religious sciences. The institute's method was to teach the students some handcrafts like carpentry. Omar excelled above all of his colleagues in all of these crafts as well as in horse riding, beside his leading character, wise talk, simplicity and modesty. These manners helped expand his social connections and gain love and appreciation of all those who interacted with him during his various missions. In 1886 he decided not to continue his education, because he felt that his country and people needed him.

Days helped develop the manners of Omar Al-Mokhtar in modesty, simplicity together with his wise leading character, which helped him advance within his Senousian movement. Al-Sayed Al-Mahdy Al-Senousy – Sheikh of Al-Senousy – in this time admired him to the extent that he said, "It would have been enough to have ten as Omar Al-Mokhtar". Al-Sayed Al-Mahdy Al-Senousy made him the Sheikh of Zaweyat Al-Kosour in Al-Gabal Al-Akhdar (Green Mountain) where he did the job very well. He taught people religious matters, solved conflicts between tribes, helped them in their welfare and unified their decisions. He had a good character, was loved and envied by the reasonable, and was highly respected by others.

It is note worthy to mention that the choice of this Zaweya on behalf of Al-Mahdy Al-Senousy was because it was in Al-Abeid (slaves) tribe land, which was known by their hot temper and stubbornness. Allah helped him to govern them; he succeeded to tame them by his manners in leadership and wisdom.

Omar Al-Mokhtar is one of those who were true in their promise towards Allah, firm in their beliefs, he preached – May Allah mercy him- to defend truth and its people and defeat falsehood and his followers. Al-Mokhtar never slept till the morning, he never slept for more than two to three hours then he would wake up, get washed, then start reciting Qur’an, finishing it every 7 days. He was designated to preach in Waday, he fought the French occupation that was crawling to the center of Africa; he exerted so much of  his efforts, that his insistence and intelligence grasped attention. He stayed in Waday to invite people to Islam as well as fighting the French and protecting Muslim countries. The territories under Al-Mokhtar’s protection were better protected and more inaccessible than a lion's territory. This reveals his awareness of the Muslims duty towards his religion and nation.  

In 1906 AC, he returned to Al-gabal Al-Akhdar to resume his work in Alkusoor, but this didn’t persist for long before battles started between the Senousian  movement and the British in the regions of Al-Bardi, Mesaed and Al-Salom on the Egyptian –Libyan borders. Then the Fascist reached the Libyan lands, and Al-Mokhtar, as usual, was prepared to answer the call of Jihad, he led a movement that stood in front of the invaders for twenty years, during which he together with his heroic colleagues fought glorious battles.  His enemies before his friends would talk about its strength and greatness.       

In the year 1923, he was became deputy of the Senousian movement and the leader of the resistance in Barqa (governorate in northern east of Libya). In spite of the difficulties that faced the whole country due to the spread of plague and epidemics, the Italians managed to control all the western areas in Libya and cut off the few types of ammunition that used to come from Egypt through Zaweyat Zaghboub. Although the battle areas didn't exceed tens of miles and Al-Mokhtar exceeded his sixties, in spite of all of that, Italy and its generals had to go through a non-stop war for another eight years that were the hardest and longest years in the whole war. It deprived Italy of all it had, thousands of soldiers, canons, tanks, pilots, officers and even leaders that graduated from the modern military institutes that made westerns proud over Muslims. What the Italians didn't understand and Al-Mokhtar did was that measurements in these situations aren’t only materialistic, but strong faith, men's insistence and their devotion to Allah, changes the scales and disgraces the unfair. We can hear Al-Mokhtar words through the years, glowing the courage, insistence and faith that characterized him when he was invited to negotiate with the Italians, "We fought you for eighteen years, and will continue to, so you won't control us by your threats" till he said, "I won't leave the Al-Gabal Al-Akhdar all my life, and the Italians won't rest till my beard is buried".

A nation like this one can't be humiliated except by eradicating it, Muslims now need to understand this example, and learn this lesson.

Italy had no choice except one, which was cutting off the sources for ammunition and volunteering fighters. They also  gathered all of the Libyans into prison camps with their cattle and sheep, then burned every thing to the ground, they extended barbed wire along the Egyptian-Libyan borders. But this didn't weaken the warriors insistence and their wish for martyrdom or victory, and they persisted their in their fight several months until Friday 28th Rabea Ao'al 1351 AH (11 septembre1931 AC). When they were attacked by the Italian troops in south of Saltana Village where most warriors were killed in the battle and Al-Mokhtar’s horse was killed so it throw him on the ground, Al-Mokhtar fought till he finished his ammunition and was captured by some soldiers that recognized him. This was the end of the resistance till Allah fulfils his will.

On the second Wednesday of Gamady Aoal 1351 AH (16 September 1931 AC) and in Al-Soloq city, the captives were brought, with lots of people, to witness the execution, the executer put the rope around Al-Mokhtar's neck, and his soul ascended to his creator. The Sheikh’s execution was preceded by strict orders to punish all who showed sadness or cried for the executed Sheikh.  Garbouh Abdul-Galil was beaten severely because he cried on the execution of Al-Mokhtar.

But the voices of protesters were loud and uncontrolled by the Italian punishments. Fatima Al-Abareia cried for the nations catastrophe when the Sheikh was hanged. The Italians called her "The woman that tore down the wall of silence"…since after her cries were raised from everywhere to vibrate the universe.  I'm not exaggerating if I say that the heavens Angels remembered with Earth's inhabitants, the noble martyr.

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