Omar Mukhtar is a desert lion
Omar Mukhtar is a desert lion
In many Islamic countries, prominent Sufi figures and teachers of spiritual education were the leaders in the struggle against the colonial powers. Najmuddin Kubro, Salahiddin Ayyubi, Imoduddin Zanki, Nuriddin Zanki, Abdulkadir Jazairiy are among them. Umar Mukhtar, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, is one of the manifestations of Sufism.
According to one source, Sheikh Umar Mukhtar was born in 1862, according to another source, in 1858, in Tobruk city, Janzur district, Batnon region in the east of Libya. His father was from Manfa clan of Mukhtar ibn Umar Farhat people. Umar grew up in a respectable family. This family was filled with Muslim bravery, high morals, and beautiful qualities that drank water from the teachings of the Sunusi sect, which is based on the Book of God and the Sunnah of His Messenger, may God's prayers and peace be upon him. His father died on the way to perform Hajj. During his illness, he bequeathed his companion, Ahmed Ghirbani, the brother of the sheikh of the Janzur clan, located in the east of Tobruk city, to hand over his children Umar and Muhammad to his brother Sheikh Husayn Ghirbani. Sheikh Husayn Ghirbani brought up the children in accordance with this will and enrolled them in the Qur'an Karim Madrasah near Khanaqah. Umar Mukhtar later enrolled at Jagbub Institute to join students from other tribes.
Umar Mukhtar, may God have mercy on him, experienced the pain of orphanhood from a young age. This was good for his heart, which was full of love for Allah and His Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace. Because he used to pray to God, who has power and strength in all his affairs. From a young age, great works began to appear in him. The teachers of the Jagbub Institute, which was considered a beacon of knowledge at that time, began to pay attention to him. Mature scholars, writers and trainers were gathered in this institute, they devoted their lives to the education and training of the children of the Islamic community, and paid great attention to their education and training so that this generation would carry the message of Islam in the future and spread knowledge in other parts of the Islamic land.
Umar Mukhtar studied at Jagbub Institute for eight years. Here he learned various sharia knowledge, jurisprudence, hadith and tafsir. He was taught by Sayyid Zarwali al-Maghribi, Allama Falih ibn Muhammad ibn Abdullah az-Zahiri al Madani, Sayyid Javani and other scholars. All of them testified to Umar Mukhtar's bright thoughts, deep mind, beautiful character, and love for da'wah. Along with the requirement of knowledge, he also conducted practice. Being organized and responsible in his work, his friends said that he never left today's work for tomorrow.
Umar Mukhtar became famous for his seriousness, perseverance and patience. From a young age, he won the attention of his teachers and associates with his morals.
He was aware of the environment and conditions in which he lived and had sufficient knowledge about the state of this circle. Also, his knowledge of events and incidents related to the history of tribes, as well as his knowledge of the factors that connect lineages and tribes to each other, was very high. He knew well the customs and traditions of the local people, the ways of suppressing the hostility of the desert people, the ideas and theories that the conditions required. He learned the desert roads well. He knew well the roads from Barqa to Egypt and Sudan on the outside, and the roads to Jagbub and Kafra on the inside. He also mastered the plants growing in the desert and their medicinal properties. He had also learned the special marks of each tribe and the marks they put on their camels, sheep and cows so that their livestock would not be lost. All this means that Umar Mukhtar was smart from a young age.
Physical quality of Omar Mukhtar
Umar Mukhtar was rather tall, not thin, not fat, but average. His voice was rougher and he spoke in a desert dialect. His expressions were clear, and no one was bored with his conversation. When he spoke, he smiled or laughed lightly, depending on the situation. He had a long beard. He had a beard since he was young. He looked proud and serious. Words with intelligence, he showed perseverance. These qualities have been perfected with age.
Umar Mukhtar's recitation of the Qur'an and prayer
Umar Mukhtar was eager to perform prayers on time. He had the task of reciting the Qur'an daily. Imam Muhammad Mahdi al-Sunusi used to finish the Qur'an once every week. Muhammad Tayyib al-Ashhab said that his assignment of the Qur'an was as follows: "Umar Mukhtar came to the place of Imam Muhammad Mahdi, located on the desert road between Kafra and Sudan, and asked his servant Muhammad Hasan al-Baskari for permission to enter. When permission was granted, he entered. The Mushaf standing next to Imam Mahdi took it and gave it to Umar and said, "Do you want anything else? he asked. Umar said: "O Sayyid, you have assigned certain virds to my friends. I am only reciting the usual virds that are recited after prayers. If you give me any task you wish." His Holiness Muhammad Mahdi said to him: "O Umar, your religion is the Qur'an." Umar says:
"I kissed his hand and took his gift (the Qur'an) and left his presence. By the grace of Allah, this Qur'an did not fall from my hand either on the journey or at home. It is always with me. I recited it every day. I made it my daily duty. From Sayyidim Ahmad Ribfi I heard that some of the great saints finished the Qur'an in the following way: first from Fatiha to Maida, then to Surah Yunus, then to Shura, then to Saffot, then to Qaf, then to the end. From that day on, I have been finishing the Qur'an in this way.
Persistence in reciting the Qur'an and praying shows the strength of faith. Because of the great faith with which Omar Mukhtar was decorated, his beautiful qualities shone. He showed the qualities of trust, courage, honesty, fight against oppression, anger and obedience. This faith made him eager to perform prayers on time. He was eager to perform the prayers of God on time and quickly. Allah, the Exalted, says: "Surely, prayer has been prescribed for the believers at the appointed time."
In his free time, he used to pray a lot. Zuho did not miss his prayers and always performed ablution. He says: "I have never met a shaykh without performing ablution since Allah made me enter the Sunusi sect."
This righteous servant used to worry about spiritual food such as daily recitation of the Qur'an and Tahajjud prayer, and he followed it until the day of his martyrdom. Mahmoud Jahmi, one of the Mujahideen who fought under Umar Mukhtar, used to eat and sleep together with Umar Mukhtar. He remembers his teacher like this: "I never saw him sleep until the end of the morning. If he slept a lot, he would sleep for two or three hours. He would always recite the Qur'an. After midnight, he would take off his ablution and perform ablution and recite it again. He was characterized by asceticism and piety. He was well-behaved, with the qualities of great Mujahideen."
Ustaz Muhammad Taiyib al-Ashhab says: "I knew him well. I was always with him. I slept in his tent, next to him. He used to sleep a lot at night. He spent every night reciting the Qur'an, he woke us up early, because the weather was cold. and ordered to perform ablution despite the hardships of the journey.
One of the reasons why Umar Mukhtar, may God bless him and grant him peace, remained steadfast until the end of his life was his constant recitation of the Qur'an. He prayed with the Qur'an and followed its precepts. Because the Holy Qur'an is a source of guidance and stability. After all, in it, the stories about the prophets and their people, the remembrance of the righteous and their consequences, the destruction of the disbelievers and the deniers are covered in different ways. Allah blessed Umar Mukhtar with perseverance and progress. He recited till his last breath.
Omar Mukhtar's passion and courage
This quality was evident from the youth of Omar Mukhtar. In 1894, Omar Mukhtar traveled to Sudan. He was accompanied by several friends. At Kafra, the group encountered a caravan of Zabwa and Mujbira tribes along the way and other traders from Taroblus and Benghazi who were about to travel to Sudan. The group joined this merchant caravan. Because they knew the desert roads well and had more experience. When the caravan reached the middle of the desert near Sudan, some traders said, "We will not pass through here. Let's go back, we will go another way. If we go this way now, there is a lion in front of us who is used to attack the caravans. We will be attacked by him."
Caravans passing through here used to leave one camel for the lion to calm him down. The person speaking said that the value of this camel will be shared equally among all. Omar Mukhtar, may Allah have mercy on him, strongly rejected this: "We no longer have taxes that the weak pay to the strong in vain. How can we pay to an animal?! It is a sign of humiliation. If a lion comes out of our way, we will fight it with our weapons."
One of his companions tried to turn him away. But he refused and said: "I repeat, I am ashamed to say, ``I have given my camel to an animal that strays from my path!'' ".
As the caravan passed a certain place, the lion came out of its hiding place and started coming towards them. Then one of the traders saw this terrible event and his legs trembled and said: "I will give up one of my camels. Don't take it with a lion."
Umar Mukhtar took his Greek rifle and aimed at the lion. The arrow hit the lion. But he didn't die, he ran towards the caravan. Umar Mukhtar shot the lion a second time. Then he skinned it to show it to the caravan. This event was later remembered with admiration in many gatherings. When Master Muhammad Tayyib al-Ashhab asked Umar Mukhtar about this incident in one of the military camps, Umar Mukhtar said: "O son, do you want me to be proud of killing an animal? Once upon a time, he said to his opponent who killed an Arab lion: "Are you proud of me for killing an insect? he said."
Then Umar Mukhtar read the verse of Allah Almighty: "When you shot, you did not shoot, but Allah shot . " The reason why Umar Mukhtar replied with this verse was because he knew well that the people of faith and monotheism get rid of the nafs and attribute all the virtues to Allah Ta'ala. He recited from the Qur'an many times the prayers of God's Prophet Yusuf, peace be upon him: "O my Lord, in truth you gave me property and taught me the interpretation of dreams. O creator of the heavens and the earth! You are my guardian in this world and the hereafter. Let me die as a Muslim and grant the righteous add" .
Umar Mukhtar learned this behavior from Zulqarnayn's example. All leaders must have this thing. After Alexander the Great built the dam, blocked oppression, and helped the weak, he attributed all the virtues to God: "This is a mercy from my Lord . "
Omar Mukhtar's heart always depended on God. Victory could not intoxicate him. His bravery was shown in his jihad against the French in Chad. Later, it appeared in the fight against the Italians in Libya. The Italian side made Sharif Ghirbani a mediator to make peace with Umar Mukhtar and stop the war. Umar Mukhtar's rejection letter to Sharif Ghirbani is etched in history. It said:
"Bismillahir rahmanir rahim. Praise be to God, after salutations to the Messenger of God who said, "Paradise is under the shadow of swords", to our brother, Sayyid Sharif ibn Ahmad Ghirbani Hafizahullah. We inform you that Italy, if it deems it important for us and for us, is with us If he wants to dispute, he should contact Sayyidim Idris ibn Sayyid Muhammad Sunusi. He is the only one who will decide whether to argue with them. You know that Sayyidim Idris's place is in Egypt I and the other mujahids will not disobey his orders. Otherwise, we will end up in a place where we do not want to go. May God save us from the enemies of God and our own We have no choice. If our sayyid and valiynemat order to stop the war, we will stop it. If they don't order it, we will stand by what they order. We are not afraid of enemy planes, cannons, tanks, Italian, Abyssinian and Libyan soldiers. We are not afraid of them poisoning our wells and pastures. We are the army of God. And the armies of Allah are victorious. We don't want what the Christians give you. We have a good suspicion about you. May Allah guide you and us to the right path. May the service of Muslims and the pleasure of our Sayyid be granted. The greetings of Islam are for those who follow Islam.
UMAR MUKHTAR'S STRUGGLE AGAINST INVASIONS
As Umar Mukhtar began to fight against the Italian invaders, he now felt that he had become a mujahideen who defended his country and the religion of God , and who aimed to chase the invaders. Omar Mukhtar, who had a strong experience in desert warfare when he fought against the French in Chad, knew the geography of the desert well. He used these experiences when he fought against the Italians. On the contrary, the Italians did not understand the desert.
Umar Mukhtar and his army quickly attacked the Italian detachments and retreated into the desert. They attacked the military bases located in the desert, cut off the roads leading to them, and stopped the aid. This thing surprised the leaders of the Italian army several times. The Italian state was in a difficult position in front of the public because they could not suppress the rebellion of the Bedouins, who did not have military experience.
The fight against the Italians
In 1911, Italy declared war against the Ottomans. Italy began to land its troops on the shores of the city of Benghazi. This corresponds to the year 1329 Hijri. At that time, Umar Mukhtar was visiting the monks of the Sunusi sect in Kafra, the heart of the desert. On his way back from there, he returned by way of the Jolu oasis. At that time, he heard the news that the Italians had invaded. He immediately came to "Al-Qusur" house. First, he established a special military base in the Kharuba region. He mobilized 1,000 warriors from the "Slaves" tribe, the inhabitants of the land, against the Italians. Then he moved from there to Rajma. There he joined the Ottoman army with his army. Then they went to the city of Banina, south of Benghazi, which is 20 km away from here. Many warriors joined them there. The military camp became a base for them. From there, they attacked the Italians from time to time.
In the Battle of Salavi, Libyan fighters hid in a field. Suddenly the Italians started an attack. There was a pit in the field. The Libyan fighters told Omar Mukhtar to get into that hole to avoid being shot. Umar Mukhtar categorically denied this. But the warriors pushed him into the pit. During the battle, he tried to get out several times, but his fighters forced him and kept him in the pit.
In 1912, the Balkan war began. The Ottomans were forced to make peace with Italy. An armistice was signed in Lausanne in November. As a result, the commander of the Ottoman army, Azizbek Misri, was forced to leave for Istanbul. He took with him 400 Ottoman troops from Barqa. This angered the warriors. They asked the Ottoman army to at least lay down their weapons. This was against the terms of the peace. That's why they didn't get used to it. A war broke out in the middle. People died on both sides. They sent people to Umar Mukhtar to reform the environment. Umar came and persuaded the people not to fight the Ottomans.
On Friday, May 6, 1913, two days of fierce fighting took place. 70 Italians were executed and 400 were wounded. On October 6 of this year, the "Bu Shimol" battle took place in Aini Morra province. In February 1914, the battles of Umm Shahnab, Shulzima and Zuwaytina took place. During his attack on the Italians, Umar Mukhtar moved between the "Al-Qusoor" and Taknis regions. Then these regions passed to the Italians. Umar Mukhtar then moved to the residence on Abiyd mountain . From there he kept in touch with the tribes of the Dafna region. From 1913 to 1915 there was a famine. Because of this, the war went backwards. The Italians occupied the central and northern regions of Barqa in July 1914. Ahmed Sharif Sunusi crossed the border in 1915 when he launched an attack on the British in Egypt. Umar Mukhtar joined him. Later, he returned to Libya and helped Idris Sunusi in his fight against the Italians.
In the summer of 1916, Ahmad Sharif's deputy in Barqa, Idris Sunusi, demanded that Omar Mukhtar, together with Khalid Himari and Ibrahim Misrati, go to Nuri Pasha, the representative of the Ottomans in Barqa, and stop their attack on the British in Egypt. This disturbed Nuri Pasha. In Ajdobi, Idris Sunusi refused to change his decision despite Nuriy Pasha's pleas. Meanwhile, an Italian and English delegation arrived in the city. They met with Idris Sunusi in Zuwaytina. They negotiated with Idris Sunusi asking those who were fighting against the British in Egypt to stop the attack and also to stop the attacks against the Italians in Barqa. Idris Sunusiy agreed to this proposal, became inclined towards peace and signed the Zuvaytina Treaty.
This was reflected in all subsequent battles in Libya. As a result, Nuri Pasha went to Misrota and started fighting again.
In January 1923, after the capital Tarablus fell into the hands of the Italians, Muhammad Idris was also forced to move to Egypt. Umar Mukhtar returned from Egypt as the commander of the fighters in Barqa. He invited the inhabitants of the "Akhzar" mountain to battle, to fight against the Italians, and excited them for war. People from different tribes volunteered to gather around Umar Mukhtar in the fight against the Italians. Umar Mukhtar led a guerrilla war. With him, from 100 to 300 warriors would take part in sudden attacks, and then quickly disappear from sight. These battles led to terrible battles between Umar Mukhtar and the Italians.
TRIP TO EGYPT
In March 1923, Omar Mukhtar traveled to Egypt together with Ali Pasha. The purpose was to report to Amir Idris Sunusi about the results of the work and receive new instructions from him.
Italy contacted Omar Mukhtar through its agents in Egypt, and if he stayed in his house in Benghazi or Marj without fighting, he would be under the attention and affection of Italy, official Rome would recognize Omar Mukhtar as the most influential person in Libya, and if he stayed in Egypt, he would live in a state of disconnection with Idris Sunusi as a fugitive. they said that it was possible, that the Italian government would give him enough salary to live in abundance, and for this, Umar Mukhtar should dissuade the people from opposing Italy. The Italian government made this offer to Umar Mukhtar several times before he left Egypt and arrived in Barqa. But Umar Mukhtar refused the offer every time and said that he would fight with them.
BETWEEN 1923-1928
In 1923, Italian Libya was relatively peaceful. The Italian government has decided to change its policy towards Libya. Now, abandoning the policy of compromise and mutual understanding with the Sunusi movement, he chose the path of war and subjugation by force. Canceled all previous agreements. He started attacking Joppa. Fierce battles took place on "Mount Akhzar". The following year saw even more intense fighting. The years 1924-1925 were full of bloody clashes between the Libyan Mujahideen and the Italian invaders. Libyan Mujahideen carried out most of their actions in the mountainous regions. Commander Umar Mukhtar's name spread everywhere. The children of the desert joined his army. Many tribes helped them with food and weapons. "Baroghis" camp was the main military camp, where Umar Mukhtar lived. Umar Mukhtar was called the deputy chairman. Umar Mukhtar always led the High Council meeting. He included the sheikhs and tribal elders he wanted in the consultation. They were also awarded military titles and awards to honor the soldiers who showed themselves.
The Italian army turned its attention to the city of Barqa. From the time he sent troops to Ajdobiya until 1927, his attempts were aborted. Umar Mukhtar personally organized and managed the ongoing battles. In 1927, the commander of the Italian army in Barca changed. It was in this year that troops led by Rudolph Graziani arrived from western Tarablus. Graziani occupied most of Fizan with the oasis of Jifra. The Italian government spent a lot of money on other occasions than the war. He began to promise the chiefs of the tribe large sums of money to stop the war. This measure worked well. As a result, they captured Jugbub, Marada, Jolu, Avjala.
The occupation of the above places left Umar Mukhtar alone in the Akhzar mountain. But Umar Mukhtar continued to organize attacks in and around Dirna. With this, he forced the Italian army to go to war. They fought fiercely for two days. Omar Mukhtar won. The Italians fled, abandoning several cars, cannons and ammunition.
Umar Mukhtar fought with the Italians for 22 years. This battle ended with his capture and hanging.
Execution of Omar Mukhtar
On Wednesday, September 16, 1931, at nine o'clock in the morning, the Italians hanged Umar Mukhtar, the sheikh of the mujahidin, the lion of the blue mountains, after a long and painful struggle, in the south of the city of Benghazi. The vicious nature of the Italians forced them to do something that the history of nations has not witnessed. They gathered a huge crowd to watch the execution. The people of Benghazi and those on the other side were forced to come to see the executions. According to Graziani, not less than twenty thousand people were gathered. Dr. Anizy says: "The Italians forced the population and the prisoners of war camps and those who came to Benghazi to come to the place where the gallows was built. I was also among them. But I was very sad. I could not bear to see the hero mujahid under the gallows. I fell ill. The Italians were responsible for my illness. they allowed me not to go only after they clearly believed me."
The crowd that was driven to the square was looking after Umar Mukhtar, may God bless him and grant him peace, when he was being brought. He came to the gallows with iron handcuffs, steady steps and a smile on his face. This smile was his last greeting to the sons of the country. The word shahadat did not come out of his mouth. The great sheikh's face was glowing with the pleasure of the prediction of martyrdom and the satisfaction of God's judgment. As soon as they brought him under the gallows, airplanes appeared in the sky and began to fly low and round over the gallows. The goal was to prevent people from hearing what Omar Mukhtar said.
Umar Mukhtar went to the gallows with firmness and calmness. Some people who were close to him said that he called out to the gallows in a low voice. One of the Libyan officials who was close to him said that when the executioner put the rope around his neck, he recited verses 27-28 of Surah Fajr: "O peaceful soul! Return to your Lord as you are from Him and He is pleased with you!" Here the executioner started the rope of oppression. His pure soul went to his Lord in contentment and contentment.
Allah Almighty accepted the prayer of the great Sheikh Umar Mukhtar and made his death in the way of his faith, religion and homeland. Because he always prayed: "O my Lord! Let my death be for the sake of this blessed cause (fatherland, religion and creed)."
May God have mercy on the great sheikh, mujahid, desert lion Umar Mukhtar!
