“Think not of those who are slain in Allah's way as dead. Nay, they live, finding their sustenance in the presence of their Lord” (translated meaning of verse 169 in Sura “Family of Omran”)

“A message to those that love Allah and His Messenger, to those who love the path of truth and Palestine, I give you my body and sell myself to Allah the Lord of Pride, the High in his His Highness, whose Names are Sacred.”

Your son and brother Ashraf El-Sayyed, Abu Hamza.

With these words, Ashraf El-Sayyed ended another story of heroism. He was not the first and will not be the last hero on the Qassam road. Palestine is blessed by martyrs and is rich with their jihad and sacrifice. The love story between the dark earth and the red blood is the end of a dream in the hearts of youth longing for freedom. It is a jihad to achieve that dream or to die for its sake.

Ashraf El-Sayyed, is a name that can be translated into “Noble Master.” And our martyr possessed a good share of that name. He was born on 8 May 1978. In the heart of Nablus, Ashraf grew up in the warmth of a Muslim family and was educated in Mazoz Mosque. Ashraf was a man whose face always had a warm and welcoming smile. When he spoke with others, he was polite and eloquent. He radiated steadfastness, strength and determination. Everyone that knew him during his life time loved him. And with his martyrdom, those that didn’t know him loved him as well. 

Ashraf joined the jihad journey at a young age, participating in demonstrations and other popular activities during his teens, as a member of Hamas youth movement. His dream of victory or martyrdom was not far off. The enemy was occupying the land and killing its inhabitants. He prepared well for a wish that he truly wanted to achieve.

Jamal Mansour, Jamal Salem, Fahim Dawabsha, Othman Qatnani, Omar Mansour, Mohammad Beshawi, and the two children Ashraf and Bilal Abu Khader were murdered in an Apache strike on 31 July 2001. To Ashraf, this signaled the close fulfillment of his dream. The blood bath perpetrated by the occupation forces gave life to many dead souls and enraged the desire for freedom among the complacent. Al-Qassam Brigades promised to avenge the massacre; and Ashraf was determined to be the first bullet.

On 8 August 2001, Ashraf drove a car loaded with explosives towards the “Hamra” military checkpoint manned by the troops of the Zionist occupation army. The checkpoint was a witness to the suffering of civilians moving along the roads of the West Bank. A short distance before the checkpoint, Ashraf parked the car on the side of the road and got out. Was it a moment of hesitation? Or did he change his mind?

Ashraf prayed two “Raka’a” to have his last act in this world an act of worship to Allah. He got back to the car, repeating the verse (meaning), “I have hastened to you my Lord to gain your acceptance.” This was the same saying prophet Moussa (Moses, Moshe) when he went to the appointed place to receive the revelations from Allah.

Ashraf reached the checkpoint and found the soldiers in their regular acts of occupation and humiliation of the land and its people. He got close to the soldiers and detonated the car.

The Zionists kept a low profile about the operation and didn’t announce its results. They knew that the reply to their massacre of 31 July 2001 was coming; and that Ashraf was the first drop in the storm.

Ashraf’s body was withheld by the Zionist occupation authorities before it was finally delivered to Nablus. The Noble Master was buried in the land he loved after he died defending it.