ʿAbd Allāh Yūsuf al-Laddāwī, "The Seeds of Hamas: A Report on Promoting the Values and Morals of Islam in Palestinian Society" (2025) [Part Four]
On Hamas' Membership Process and Educational Curriculum — Part Four of a Multi-Part Translation Project by Mujamma Haraket
Ustādh ʿAbd Allāh Yūsuf al-Laddāwī (Author), The Seeds of Hamas: A Report on Promoting the Values and Morals of Islam in Palestinian Society (The Al-Aqsa Flood as a Case Study), 2025.
Part Four
Translator’s Note:
This book, Seeds of Hamas (Gharas Ḥamās) was authored by al-Qāʾid al-Qassāmī al-Shahīd, ʿAbd Allāh Yūsuf al-Laddāwī (Abu ʿUbayda). The honorific, “al-Qāʾid al-Qassāmī al-Shahīd,” specifies that al-Laddāwī was a commander in the Izz al-Dīn al-Qassam Brigades, martyred in battle against the zionist occupation. His text was authored between battles, when Commander al-Laddāwī found time to write. This book traces the Islamic Resistance Movement’s (Hamas’) evolution from its inauguration to the ‘Al-Aqsa Flood.’ It was originally published in Arabic in early November 2025. This ongoing translation effort aims to render al-Laddāwī’s text accessible for a wider audience of readers and scholars.
This section elaborates on how Hamas nominates prospective members from the most morally forthright and erudite students within the usra (viz., “family”) system of the various religious institutions/schools associated with mosques in Gaza. As the text specifies, “Hamas” views membership as an acquirable right for every Palestinian Muslim who believes in the principles, goals, and general policies of the movement. The text specifies the three kinds of membership that the resistance movement countenances (viz., “supporter,” “introductory member,” and “active member”). It also specifies the three conditions for membership:
1. The individual must obtain security clearance and demonstrate the absence of any affiliation or sympathy with any other party or ideology.
2. Clear religiosity.
3. The individual must undergo a six-month activation [i.e., probationary] period period during which the applicability of the above criteria to him is assessed, and he is prepared to join the organization.
To my knowledge, this text is the first work within the extant literature (both primary and secondary) to illuminate this process. It is, in turn, one of the most important (if not the most important) sections of any published book on this subject and is particularly valuable for scholars and researchers interested in the movement’s operative schema.
The subsequent sections of this part of the book then elaborate on the Hamas movement’s educational curriculum.
For readers who have not yet read Part One, click to access the hyperlink.
For readers who have not yet read Part Two, click to access the hyperlink.
For readers who have not yet read Part Three, click to access the hyperlink.
For Part Five, which comes after this section, see this hyperlink.
For Part Six, see this hyperlink.
See Part Seven, via this hyperlink.
Disclaimer: This translation is provided solely for purposes of independent academic research, analysis, and education within the field of political science. The original text is treated as a primary historical and political source and is presented to facilitate scholarly examination, critical interpretation, and contextual understanding.
PART FOUR
The Fourth Planting: Da’wah Education
Chapter 1: Educational Incubators
Chapter 2: Members and Membership
Chapter 3: The Educational Cell (al-Usra) in Hamas Thought
Chapter 4: Educational Methods in Hamas
Chapter 5: The Da‘wah Educational Institute
Chapter 1: Educational Incubators
•The importance of da’wah education
•The objectives of da’wah education
• The Transformational Methodology of Hamas
• Da’wah education incubators
• The University of Yusuf (peace be upon him)
Founding leaders Sheikh Salah al-Din Mustafa Shehadeh (1952–2002)
• Founder of the first military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), known as the Palestinian Mujahideen and later as the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, and commander-in-chief of the brigades at the time. His family fled to the Gaza Strip from Jaffa after the latter was occupied in 1948 and settled in the Shati refugee camp.
• He was born in the Shati camp on February 24, 1952, the youngest of six daughters. His family fled to the Gaza Strip from Jaffa after it was occupied by Zionist gangs in 1948, settling in the Shati refugee camp. He enrolled in the Higher Institute of Social Work in Alexandria and earned a brown belt in judo while studying there.
• He worked as a social researcher in the city of Al-Arish in the Sinai desert and was later appointed inspector of social affairs in Al-Arish.
• After Egypt regained the city of Al-Arish from the Zionists in 1979, he moved to Beit Hanoun and took up the position of inspector of social affairs for the Gaza Strip in Gaza.
• At the beginning of 1982, he resigned from his job in social affairs and moved to work in the Department of Student Affairs at the Islamic University in Gaza City.
• The occupation authorities arrested him in 1984 because he was involved in anti-occupation activities called the “Muslim Brotherhood Military Committee.” The occupation forces seized dozens of pieces of ammunition in his possession, but he did not confess to anything, and the Zionists were unable to prove any charges against him. They issued an indictment against him under the Emergency Law of 1949, and he spent two years in detention.
• He remained in solitary confinement and under investigation from the beginning of his arrest until May 1989. After the investigators from the Zionist intelligence apparatus failed to extract any information from him, they decided to end the investigation. However, he was returned to the interrogation cells shortly thereafter following a widespread campaign of arrests among the ranks of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in May 1989, after a large-scale shooting operation on the occupation army in the Jabalia camp carried out by the “Palestinian Mujahidun.” The new round of interrogations lasted until November 1989, six months later, and the Sheikh was prevented from receiving family visits.
• He was released from Israeli prisons in 2000 after 12 years of detention.
• He was classified by the Israeli security and intelligence services and the Israeli army as wanted No. “1” from 2001 to 2002.
• Sheikh Shehadeh, commander-in-chief of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, was martyred on July 22, 2002 in an air strike when an Israeli F-16 fighter jet dropped a one-ton bomb on a building in a crowded neighborhood in Gaza City. This led to the martyrdom of 18 Palestinians, including eight children
The importance of da’wah education
Sheikh Abdullah Azzam says in his book, The Rules and Principles upon Which the Prophet (peace be upon him) Educated His Companions: “Any Islamic movemental gathering must have leadership and principles that confront the jahili order in both its theoretical and practical dimensions. The Islamic movemental gathering must precede the jihad movement, and any jihad or jihad movement that is not preceded by an Islamic movemental gathering is doomed to failure, its fruits reaped by the enemies of Islam.” Therefore, from this intellectual perspective, the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) has paid great attention to da‘wah-oriented education, starting with the individual and extending to society, which it considers the foundation of the liberation project. It has devoted a section of its charter to education, emphasizing “the necessity of educating Islamic generations in a manner based on the performance of religious duties, the study of the Book of Allah, the Sunnah of the Prophet, and learning about history and Islamic heritage from reliable sources, the guidance of specialists and scholars, and the adoption of curricula that form within the Muslim a sound conception in thought and belief, along with the need to consciously study the enemy, its material and human capabilities, to become acquainted with ongoing events, to keep abreast of developments, to study analyses and commentaries on them, with the necessity of planning for the present and the future, and to study every phenomenon, so that the Muslim mujahid lives in his time with awareness of his aim, his objective, and the manner of what unfolds around him.”
[Hamas in their Eyes:
Sheikh Sayyid al-Afani
“If the first intifada had yielded nothing but the birth of Hamas, that would have been enough to be proud of. But its fruits are many, and they bear fruit at all times, by the permission of God.”]
Hamas benefited from previous historical experiences, such as that of Imam Hasan al-Banna, to whose school it is intellectually affiliated, and drew inspiration from the educational experience of Izz al-Din al-Qassam, which relied on carefully selecting cadres, educating them in the foundational principles of Islam, and grouping them into small study circles capable of carrying the burden of jihad. It also drew on many contemporary Islamic experiences, such as that of Abd al-Hamid Ben Badis in Algeria, Omar al-Mukhtar in Libya, and Islamic movements in India, Pakistan, Egypt, and elsewhere. The movement realized early on the importance of an educational vision aimed at achieving a supportive popular constituency, as no progress can be achieved without a supportive mass base. The Palestinian society needed to mature educationally, so from the beginning of its organizational work, the movement has strived to build a solid base capable of withstanding the difficulties of the path. The liberation project requires, first and foremost, the creation of an educational community environment that represents the values of the jihadist project and supplies it with the conditions for endurance.
The notable figure Muhammad Ahmad al-Rashid (1938–2024) Abd al-Mun‘im Salih al-‘Ali al-‘Izzi, known as Muhammad Ahmad al-Rashid, was an Iraqi Islamic preacher, lawyer, and journalist, and one of the most prominent leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood in Iraq. He is considered one of the leading theorists of the Islamic movement and has written many books that combine the movement’s advocacy with scholarly, spiritual, and literary aspects, with a focus on Islamic ethics and values. Many of his books have been translated into foreign languages. He developed a systematic intellectual methodology in the field of faith-based education, which is evident in his books addressing da‘wah-related pedagogical issues and proposing remedies for them. He had a keen interest in literature and read the works of the great Arab writers from the Abbasid era to the present day, such as Mustafa Sadiq al-Rafi‘i, Mahmud Muhammad Shakir, and Abd al-Wahhab Azzam, the latter of whom had the greatest influence on him after al-Rafi‘i. Al-Rashid was also influenced by the thought of Muhammad Mahmud al-Sawwaf and by the poems of the da‘wah poet Walid al-A‘zami. He read dozens of poetry collections and literary journals, in addition to the works of classical jurists, which are distinguished by the strength of their diction and the solidity of their style. Among his most important books, which were taught in Hamas educational incubators, are: Al-Muntalaq, Al-Awa‘iq, Al-Raqa’iq, Sina‘at al-Hayat, and Al-Masar. Muhammad Ahmad al-Rashid died in a hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on the morning of Tuesday, 23 Safar 1446 AH, corresponding to August 27, 2024 AD.
[Hamas Memory: 1968
The Regional Office, or Palestine Office, was established with the aim of coordinating the work of the Muslim Brotherhood in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and Jordan.]
The objectives of da’wah education
In a study analyzing the educational content derived from Ahmad Yassin’s press interviews, researcher Dr. Fu’ad al-Ajiz found that Hamas’s da‘wah-oriented educational goals are: 1. Preparing the Muslim to face the demands of life. 2. The comprehensive development of the Muslim personality (physically, spiritually, mentally, socially, volitional, and aesthetically) in light of the teachings of Islam. 3. Building a virtuous nation through the development of the individual and society, in order to build human civilization. Hamas never revealed its goals for the da‘wah-oriented education it conducts with its members through its printed literature, especially at the beginning of its organizational work, but these goals were clearly evident in the behavior of its members, its leaders, and its educational supervisors, and were also evident in the public statements it issued from time to time.
In an unpublished internal document of Hamas, it was stated that the most important goals of da‘wah-oriented education are as follows: 1. Deep faith formation to achieve a close connection with Allah. 2. Acquiring an adequate amount of Islamic religious sciences to enable one to call people to Allah with insight and guidance. 3. Deepening the concepts of da’wah and activism in the souls and behavior of individuals, and learning about the role of groups and movements working in the field of da’wah to God, in order to strengthen belonging, gain experience, and benefit from the experiences of others. 4. Developing scientific and practical skills to build the ability to practice and employ them in the service of the individual and society.
Dr. Mushir al-Masri, in an educational lesson for students of a Qur’an memorization circle.
The Transformational Methodology of Hamas
Hamas adopted a transformational methodology that is compatible with the Palestinian reality and consistent with the message of Islam, deriving its literature from the intellectual output of the leaders and symbols of the Muslim Brotherhood, and rested on three axes, namely: The educational approach: This aims to educate people about the truths of religion, eliminate ignorance about it, and introduce them to Islamic law. It is based on: Spiritual education: This consists of asceticism, voluntary fasting, night prayers, regular recitation of the Qur’an, especially after dawn prayers, regular observance of the daily portion of transmitted supplications, encouragement of the rewards of the hereafter, and preparation for jihad. One of the interesting stories in this regard is that Sheikh Ahmad Yassin, may God have mercy on him, said to one of his companions in prison, “You say you are ‘Hamas,’ and the language of the situation says that you do not pray at night, you do not voluntarily fast on Mondays and Thursdays, and you claim that you are ‘Hamas,’ and in addition to that, you smoke.” Social education: After reforming the individual, the movement turned toward educating society and establishing the principles of brotherhood, cooperation, respect for others, solidarity, and compassion. It considers this to be one of the fundamentals of human society, as humans are social by nature and cannot live alone, but are members of families and individuals in groups.
The organizational methodology: It is the first incubator and introduction to more comprehensive change, that body which represents the elite capable of confrontation and bearing the consequences of the path, and which possesses experience in management, planning, and leadership represented in the secret movement organization that deepens Islamic values represented in commitment to rituals and worship, supererogatory fasting, commitment to congregational prayers, supplication to God, and the revival of Laylat al-Qadr, in order to be qualified to carry that trust and that covenant, and to be Islam’s instrument of change. Sheikh Khalil al-Qawqa said in an interview with Al-Islah: “A generation built on a foundation of solid faith will naturally grow and rise up, from the obligation of ablution to the obligation of presence on the Palestinian scene, surprising the enemies of Islam with all their security apparatus.”
The jihadist methodology: based on the necessity of taking the requirements of the stage in da‘wah and changing wrongdoing; it began by establishing the creed, fostering love of jihad and encouragement toward martyrdom, and gathering the strong, sincere, and devoted, to form the nucleus of jihadist activity in the early 1980s, such as Dr. Ibrahim al-Maqadma, Dr. Ahmad al-Malih, Sheikh Salah Shehadeh, Dr. Abd al-Aziz al-Rantisi, and many others.
When the exiles returned from Marj al-Zuhur two years after their expulsion from Palestine to southern Lebanon, and among them Dr. Abd al-Aziz al-Rantisi, and he the official spokesperson for the exiles, he was received at the Zumariyya checkpoint by the commander of the northern region at the time, Gabi Ashkenazi, and he asked him: “Why did you return?” The doctor replied: “I returned to destroy Oslo.”
[Hamas Memory: 1968
The beginning of Dr. Ibrahim al-Maqadma’s affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood.]
The elements of the transformational approach in Sheikh Ahmad Yassin’s thinking:
Sheikh Ahmad Yassin’s approach to change was characterized by clarity and integrity in its content and components, which gave the movement a prominent position due to the comprehensive revolution it brought about in the lives of the Palestinian people and their jihadist struggle. The Islamic movement adhered to these components, which were as follows:
Doctrinal structure:
Based on the correct Islamic creed, which includes belief in the three fundamentals:
a) Belief in God Himself, His attributes, His names, and His actions, which is referred to by scholars as “theology.”
b) Belief in God’s prophets, messengers, and the books revealed to them, which is referred to by scholars as “prophethood.”
c) Belief in angels and what surrounds them, their world and their duties, and what is related to their actions, and belief in other invisible creatures such as jinn, which is called “the unseen.” A structure that seeks to create a human being who is free from earthly considerations, from the authority of tyrants and despots who exploit humans for their own interests, free from all material temptations that degrade humans and diminish their values and ideals.
Identifying the recipient:
Referring to the fundamentals of religion represented in the Holy Quran and the Sunnah, which are the driving force behind people’s thoughts and behavior, and the community, Imam Sheikh Ahmad Yassin made this principle the basis of the educational aspect of his call, ordering the memorization of parts of the Holy Quran and the learning of the interpretation of some verses and hadiths, especially those related to worship, the unseen, jihad, and martyrdom in the way of Allah.
Reception for implementation:
By combining theory and practice, the Islamic methodology does not want knowledge to be cold and address the human mind, without affecting the observed reality and without leading to the desired changes in the areas of life for the individual and society. It calls for the practical application of all the teachings of Islam and warns those who say but do not do, as Allah says: “O you who believe, why do you say what you do not do?”
Removing the cloak of ignorance:
Imam Ahmad Yassin called for combating alien cultures, urging liberation from them and finding an Islamic alternative represented by Islamic identity, so that people establish their lives on an Islamic basis, guided by the thought of Sayyid Qutb, may God have mercy on him, when he said: The individual who is qualified for change must rid himself of the pressure of ignorance and cultures that are far from the Islamic conception, so that people can build their lives on the basis of Islamic society, and so that the generation of change can fulfill its duty.
Notable figures of the methodology:
Sayyid Sabiq (1915–2000)
Sayyid Sabiq, author of the famous book, Fiqh al-Sunnah, and one of the scholars of Al-Azhar, graduated from the Faculty of Sharia, contacted Imam Hasan al-Banna, and became a member of the Muslim Brotherhood since he was a student. The Sheikh moved to Umm al-Qura University in Mecca, happy to be close to the Holy House, and in 1414 AH, he received the King Faisal International Prize in Islamic Studies, shared with Yusuf al-Qaradawi. He died on Sunday, 23 Dhu al-Qa’dah 1420 AH, corresponding to February 27, 2000, at the age of 85, and was buried in his family’s cemetery in the village of Istanha, his birthplace. The Sheikh adopted an approach based on rejecting sectarianism and not being disparaging, relying on evidence from the Qur’an, Sunnah, and consensus, simplifying the language for the reader by avoiding complex terminology and deep explanations, tending to make things easy and accessible for people, and granting them permission in matters where permission is acceptable, so that people would love religion and accept it. He was keen to explain the wisdom behind religious obligations, following the example of the Qur’an in explaining its rulings.
Da’wah education incubators
“I benefited greatly in this chapter from a published master’s study by Professor Rajab al-Baba.”
The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) has established numerous educational institutions, the most important of which are:
Mosques: Hamas gave mosques great importance, as reflected in the movement’s leadership’s interest in disseminating Islamic thought and refining the Muslim personality through several means, including: seminars, diverse intellectual lectures, and holding purposeful celebrations to revive religious and national occasions, thus mosques contributed to stirring the religious conscience of the Palestinian citizen, and pushed him toward compliance with their calls and their religious fatwas, and they acquired status and symbolism in the hearts of people. In addition, the mosque performed other educational roles, such as holding remedial lessons for students, eradicating illiteracy, opening libraries within it to learn the religious sciences, reconciliation among people, honoring top students and pilgrims, and convening Qur’an circles in it, alongside many activities that made the mosque like a beehive that contributed to building the individual and the Muslim family, reaching the Muslim society capable of bearing hardships for the sake of its cause and homeland.
Islamic institutions: The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) was keen to build Islamic institutions; it began building them from the early 1970s of the last century, such as: Mujamma al-Islami, al-Jamʿiyya al-Islāmiyya, and the Islamic University, and it set among the priorities of its objectives:
1. Spreading Islamic thought and awareness.
2. Contributing to highlighting the Islamic identity of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
3. Raising the young in a sound upbringing, caring for youth, and safeguarding them from deviation.
4. Absorbing youth into the movement’s institutions and filling their free time with beneficial works.
5. Spreading Islamic dress.
6. Deepening national belonging.
These institutions directed their activities toward many aspects, among them the spiritual-educational and the educational, where they worked to prepare the Muslim spiritually through worship and intellectually through knowledge, so a house for memorizing the Qur’an was established, and in every mosque a center affiliated with it was designated. Thousands of students joined them and it graduated memorizers of the Qur’an. Kindergartens were established, and in 1978 Mujamma al-Islami adopted tolerant Islamic education as a means for raising children so that they grow up loving their religion and their homeland; in them the young students learn the Qur’an, the principles of the Prophetic Sunnah, and his noble biography, which contributed to accustoming children to Islamic manners and morals from the softness of their nails. This instill in their souls love of virtue. Numerous branches of those kindergartens were opened to accommodate the large numbers that wish to enroll in them.
[Hamas Memory: 1969
There were approximately fifty members of the Brotherhood in the Gaza Strip.]
Student blocs: The Islamic blocs affiliated with the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) were keen to build a complete Islamic personality spiritually through faith and creed, intellectually through knowledge and culture, and physically through training and sport. By way of example, the Islamic Bloc of female students at the Islamic University clarified in its general program a set of objectives it aspired to achieve, which were represented in:
1. Preserving the Islamic character of the university so that it lives Islam in name and reality, achieving its civilizational depth, and so that it assumes its pioneering role in the process of sincerity and liberation.
2. Achieving cohesion and integration among sectors of society in service of the Islamic vision.
3. Within the framework of its specialized program, the Preaching and Guidance Committee set a set of objectives to achieve, represented in: working toward realizing the Palestinian Islamic personality through:
a. Issuing Islamic bulletins.
b. Holding seminars, meetings, lectures, and competitions.
c. Providing Islamic publications.
d. Raising the spiritual, moral, and behavioral level of female students.
e. Encouraging female students to adhere to Islamic dress, and holding exhibitions for the sale of Islamic dress.
Women’s organizations: The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) gave great importance to women and their role in the struggle for liberation, which is no less than the role of men; they are the makers of men and the rearers of generations. Therefore, there was care for educational curricula that attend to the Muslim girl, so that she becomes a صالح Muslim mother aware of her role; thus the movement turned to establishing Islamic women’s associations, and Jam‘iyyat al-Shābbāt al-Muslimāt, which was founded in the Gaza Strip in 1981, and a headquarters was established for it in every area, which women frequent, and in which lectures and seminars are delivered, and various courses are held such as sewing, wool weaving, flower arranging, or literacy, in addition to its role in managing mosque activities for women, and caring for Qur’an memorization centers, and managing kindergartens, and other functions.
Within the framework of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas)’s concern with the necessity of women remaining influential in the struggle for liberation, it paid attention to them across the stages of its da‘wa life, and this became evident through:
A- From the establishment of Mujamma al-Islami, the movement set about activating the women’s work department, and strove to teach women the affairs of their religion and its fundamentals, as a base for setting out toward a broader horizon in Islamic work.
B- With the establishment of Islamic University in Gaza in 1978 and the opening of the shar‘i colleges, it sought to generalize a new culture and terms (such as the jilbab and legal dress), and that became part of religion and creed, and the university’s female graduates, who are the mothers of the future, were able to carry this message to society, and legal dress spread.
C- Fighting institutions that called for unveiling, and warning the public against them, and against their objectives.
It is worth mentioning here what some historical studies reported about the role of women in the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas): that the first contact between Ahmad Yasin and women began when three secondary-school students from the Shuja‘iyya neighborhood, one of whom was a student named Rajāʾ al-Halabī, approached him and asked him to provide them with weapons to resist the occupation. The sheikh conducted with them a dialogue about Palestine, its status, and the necessity of preparing for resistance, and gave them the book al‑Shabāb wa‑l‑Taghyīr by the Islamic preacher Fathi Yakan, and set with them an appointment to discuss the book. Then the girls’ regular visits to the sheikh recurred in 1979, then after not a very long period he took from them the pledge, and that was the first organizational cell among the sisters.
The three students set out to work in the mosques of Shuja‘iyya, and organized numerous seminars and Qur’an memorization circles, and Ahmad Yasin remained the one who followed the group organizationally and educationally, and the three girls’ exposure to the Islamic books available in the library of Masjid al‑Islah in the Shuja‘iyya neighborhood increased. The sister Rajāʾ al-Halabī became thereafter among the earliest female da‘wa and movement leaders at the level of the Gaza Strip, and had a major role in founding the women’s organization of Hamas.
The University of Yusuf (peace be upon him)
In light of the escalating Palestinian uprising and in parallel with Israeli repression and widespread arrests among Palestinians, the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) made the best use of the periods of detention. Prison was an important stage of education for the movement’s members and supporters, a living experience in the life of da’wah, and even considered a gift and a leap forward. Hamas took advantage of the period of imprisonment to bring about an intellectual coup and an educational revolution, using that period of the Hamas detainee’s life to prepare him for the outside world, preparing intensive programs and holding courses and lectures. Credit goes to the martyred thinker Dr. Ibrahim al-Muqadama for bringing about a qualitative shift in the Negev prison—the largest prison in terms of prisoner capacity—which consisted of:
A. Studying the reality of prison life.
B. Preparing an educational program that lasted up to a year at some levels.
C. Holding a number of educational and intellectual sessions, up to five meetings per day.
This brought about an educational revolution. In light of this activity, detainee Nasser Barhoum suggested to Dr. Ibrahim al-Muqadama that certificates be issued to detainees after they took exams in the courses they were studying, and that the Negev detention center be named Yusuf University. This was well received among the detainees, and everyone was eager to pass the exams.
The certificates awarded by Yusuf University were given to the movement’s detainees, who were proud of them and sent them to their families, who proudly mounted them in their homes. This endowed the certificates with psychological value as they served as a means for encouraging the cultural movement. Yusuf University’s programs and courses were adopted by some local universities and colleges. The detainees were keen to write and summarize the lectures in anticipation of questions and examinations, resulting in a sound youth cadre that contributed to spreading Islamic awareness and leading the Palestinian uprising. The idea for the Holy Quran and Sunnah House emerged from prison after specialized courses were held there. Dr. Ibrahim al-Muqadama cited an example from a prisoner’s diary, saying:
I spent eight and a half years in prison as if I were in the exam month at university. Life in its initial stage was spent in Ashkelon Prison educating myself. After dawn prayer, I would sit and read fifty pages of Quran exegesis every day, then exercise with the young people, and then hold three sessions, each lasting three hours. In prison I read Tafsīr al-Qurṭubī, Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Tārīkh al-Bidāya wa-l-Nihāya, and everything related to the ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood and the Palestinian cause. I also wrote poems, and I do not regret a single day I spent in prison.
Dr. Ibrahim was a leading example, in addition to many others who contributed to enriching educational thought and deepening the Islamic identity of Palestinian society. The freed prisoner and mujahid Majdī Ḥammād, may God have mercy on him, told me after his release from Israeli occupation prisons in the Wafāʾ al-Aḥrār deal deal that he could list a thousand titles of books he had read in prison.
Notable Figures from the Movement
Counselor Hassan al-Hudaybi (1891–1973) was the second Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood. The Brotherhood describes him as “the tested Guide” because he led the group during the confrontation between the Brotherhood and the men of the July 23 Revolution, headed by Gamal Abdel Nasser, after the 1954 Manshiyya incident, in which a member of the Brotherhood was accused of attempting to assassinate Abdel Nasser in the Manshiyya neighborhood of Alexandria, despite the group’s denial of this. As a result, the group was dissolved, its activities were banned, its members and supporters were arrested, and its funds and property were nationalized for the second time in its history. Al-Hudaybi was sentenced to death by hanging on December 4, 1954.
Judge Hassan al-Hudaybi was born in Arab al-Sawalha, Shibin al-Qanater, in 1309 AH, corresponding to December 1891 AD. He resigned from the judiciary after being chosen as the general guide of the Brotherhood in 1951. He was arrested for the first time with his brothers on January 13, 1953, and released in March of the same year, when senior officers of the revolution visited him to apologize. He was arrested for the second time in late 1954, when he was tried and issued.
He was sentenced to death, but the sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. After a year in prison, he was transferred to house arrest due to his angina and advanced age. His house arrest was lifted in 1961. He was re-arrested on August 23, 1965, in Alexandria and tried for reviving the organization. He was sentenced to three years in prison, even though he was over 70 years old. He was released for 15 days to go to the hospital, then to his home, and then returned to complete his prison term. His prison term was extended beyond its original length until October 15, 1971, when he was released. He died at 7:00 a.m. on Thursday, 14 Shawwal 1393 AH, corresponding to November 11, 1973. Among his most important books, which were taught in Hamas educational incubators, are: Preachers, Not Judges.
Chapter 2: Members and Membership
•From “supporter” to “brother”
•The Naqib and the council of Naqibs
•The Raqib and the council of Raqibs
•Monthly subscription
•The relationship between leadership and the rank and file
From “supporter” to “brother”
The Islamic Resistance Movement “Hamas” views membership as an acquirable right for every Palestinian Muslim who believes in the principles, goals, and general policies of the movement, and the movement divides membership within it into three types:
Supporter: A supporter of the movement who is not formally affiliated with it.
Introductory member: someone who is committed to an introductory (activating) family with the aim of joining the movement.
Active member: the member who has been committed within the ranks of the organization by giving a pledge to listening and obeying the leadership of the organization; this member is subject in the early years to a process of education on the principles, ideas, goals, and means of work of the organization; and participates after completion of the educational process in the various organizational activities, especially bearing responsibilities.
The conditions for membership can be defined by three basic conditions:
1. The individual must obtain security clearance and demonstrate the absence of any affiliation or sympathy with any other party or ideology.
2. Clear religiosity.
3. The individual must undergo a six-month activation [i.e., probationary] period during which the applicability of the above criteria to him is assessed, and he is prepared to join the organization.
[Hamas in their eyes: Sheikh Ahmed Yassin
“There is no solution to the Palestinian issue other than the path of jihad or for the Arab state to abandon its foundations as a state, and the Jews live as citizens in Palestine as they did before under Arab Islamic rule.”]
Historically:
Active family sessions continue once a week; in these sessions, the members close study a curriculum that includes memorizing the ʿAmma part of the Quran, the Forty Nawawi Hadith, and the book What Does My Belonging to Islam Mean? by Islamic preacher Fathi Yakan. The aim of studying this curriculum is to root the concepts of faith, consolidate and strengthen the beliefs in the hearts and minds of the supporter, and instill in him the qualities of faith, morality, and Brotherhood. After that, the book Islamic Da’wah is a Legal Obligation and a Human Necessity by Dr. Sadiq Amin is studied. This book establishes the necessity of a movement working to support Islam. When the supporter expresses conviction in the Brotherhood and a desire to join it, he is warned of the horrors and dangers of belonging to the Brotherhood. If the supporter insists on joining, he is tasked by the person responsible for recruiting him with studying Hassan al-Banna’s “Letter of Teachings.” The Letter of Teachings contains the pillars of allegiance to the Muslim Brotherhood, which is a summary of the Brotherhood’s vision as determined by its founder, the martyr Hassan al-Banna, in the form of pillars of allegiance that the individual pledges to abide by.
After discussing these pillars, the individual pledges allegiance to the group, on hearing and obedience with the agreed-upon text inherited from the founder, Hasan al-Banna. The individual then becomes an active member of the Muslim Brotherhood, bearing the title of “brother,” committing to one of the organizational families, and pledging to pay the financial contribution he volunteers to the movement.
Text of the pledge: “I pledge allegiance to you by the covenant of God and His pact to be a loyal soldier in the Muslim Brotherhood, and to hear and obey in times of hardship and ease, in eagerness and compulsion, except in disobedience to God, and to show preference over myself, and not to dispute with those in authority, and to exert my efforts, my wealth, and my blood in the way of God as much as I am able, and God is trustee to what I say (al-Ghars)”
Allah says: “Those who pledge allegiance to you, in truth, pledge allegiance to Allah. The hand of Allah is above their hands. So whoever breaks his pledge, breaks it only against himself. And whoever fulfills his covenant with Allah, He will give him a great reward. (Al-Fath: Verse 10)
Trust, sacrifice, obedience to our Lord, steadfastness, our fervent anthem, understanding, sincerity, pure work, then jihad, brotherhood, and detachment. These, my brother, are the pillars of our pledge, as proclaimed by the Imam al-Murshid.
[Hamas Memory: 1969
The first meeting between Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and Ibrahim al-Maqadmeh took place at the Sheikh’s home in the beach camp.]
Duties of the brother:
■ Full commitment to the pledge of allegiance and implementation of decisions issued by the movement’s regulatory bodies.
■ Commitment to the movement’s internal regulations, programs, rules, and policies.
■ Contribution to the movement’s organizational and public activities, support for the movement, and adherence to its positions.
■ Promoting a spirit of tolerance and rejecting discord, refraining from slandering members, leaders, and organizational bodies, respecting dissenting opinions, and acknowledging error.
■ Pay monthly dues of at least 2.5% of monthly income. Those with limited income are exempt from dues by decision of the local administrative body.
■ Be an active contributor in attracting followers and supporters to the movement.
■ Spread the movement’s ideas, beliefs, and policies, and work to achieve the goals and objectives for which it was created.
■ Attend meetings of the organizational body to which he belongs.
■ Inform the movement of any move or travel outside the area.
Rights of active member (brother):
■ The right to ideological and missionary training, political and organizational education, and Islamic character development.
■ Development of various skills and abilities.
■ Practice of the internal system within the organizational family, and access to the movement’s policies, publications, and internal regulations.
■ The right to vote for organizational bodies in accordance with the conditions stipulated in the electoral regulations.
■ The right to promotion or appointment to organizational bodies in accordance with the system.
■ The right to participate in decisions issued by the organizational body to which he belongs within the scope of its powers.
■ The right to appeal and plead before the competent judicial committee.
■ The right to care, solidarity, and self-help as much as possible.
■ Documentation of his membership in the movement.
Notable figures of the methodology:
Sheikh Saeed Hawwa (1935–1989) was a prominent Syrian Hanafi scholar and a prominent member and theorist of the Muslim Brotherhood in Syria. He authored numerous books on the principles and proper organizational structures of Islamic organizations, the proper spiritual and practical training of Muslim activists, and issues of interpretation, jurisprudence, and doctrine in Islam. As a high-ranking member of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood, he participated in the escalating unrest against the Baathist regime throughout the 1960s and 1970s and played a key role from exile in the latter part of the Islamic uprising in Syria (1976–1982). From 1976 to 1982, Saeed Hawwa was distinguished by his high understanding, which combined Islamic da’wah with moderate political action and Sunni Sufism adhering to the Qur’an and Sunnah, with an understanding of reality and prioritization. The Sheikh was also concerned with calling for the unification of the Islamic ummah and the establishment of a “global Islamic state,” as well as the proper formulation of the Islamic personality.
Said Hawwa was close to the people and very popular, captivating them with his speech and drawing them in with his precise logic and high culture. He was also tender-hearted and sensitive, often moved to tears when he heard of painful humanitarian issues, especially those related to Islamic peoples. After a long struggle with illness, Saeed Hawwa died in the Islamic Hospital in Amman in 1989. Among his most important books, which were taught in Hamas educational incubators, are: Our Spiritual Education, Extracts on Self-Improvement, Horizons of Teachings, Introduction to the Muslim Brotherhood, Jund Allah: Culture and Morals, Jund Allah: Planning, Jund Allah: Organization.
The Naqib and the Council of Nuqaba
The Naqib1: is a member who has passed the initial formative stage and is now capable of training and educating other individuals, having practiced organizational work for a period of no less than two years and then passed a special qualification course. After that, he takes responsibility for a family of three members, and the naqib is added to a council called the Council of Nuqaba, which is headed by a person called the raqib. The Council of Nuqaba: This is a council comprising a group of nuqaba (3–5 nuqaba), headed by a person with the rank of raqib, who supervises educational and organizational activities and general activities, and organizes new members within the framework of the members belonging to that council.
The organizational cell (i.e., family, or usra) of Jund al-Maʿālī, two-thirds of whose members were martyred in the Battle of Ṭūfān al-Aqṣā.
Duties and responsibilities of the Naqib:
▪ Working to spread the Islamic call and the movement’s positions and policies through organizational cell members.2
▪ Maintaining weekly organizational meetings and implementing educational programs and decisions issued by the movement’s higher bodies.
▪ Participating in various activity committees in the region.
▪ Meeting with members of the organizational cell and educating them spiritually, morally, and culturally.
▪ Elevating the members of the recruitment cells affiliated with his organizational cell and working to win them over to the [Hamas] movement.3
▪ Solving the problems faced by members of his organizational cell.
▪ Submitting a periodic report on the organizational cell to the Council of Naqibs.
▪ Maintaining constant communication between members and leadership.
Rights of the Naqib:
▪ The right to vote in the movement’s bodies in accordance with the electoral bylaw.
▪ Participating in the meetings of the Council of Naqibs.
▪ Participating in the activities of the region’s committees and submit proposals to the Council of Naqibs.
Raqib and Council of Raqibs
Raqib:
This is the next rank after Naqib, and it allows the holder to progress in organizational responsibilities through election or appointment. This entails being entrusted with leadership of the movement, and the Raqib is responsible for a group of Naqibs, which is called the “Council of Raqibs.” This council oversees the affairs of the Naqibs and the educational activities of the members, in addition to the general activities carried out by regular members under the framework of that council.
Duties and tasks of the Raqib:
▪ Chairing the Council of Naqibs, convening the council, and managing meetings.
▪ Following up on the implementation by Naqibs and organizational cells of decisions issued by the Council of Raqibs and the higher bodies of the movement.
▪ Promoting Naqibs and members of the Ikhwani and recruitment units.
▪ Following up on the implementation of educational programs, various activities, and organizational cells.
▪ Solving problems faced by council members and organizational organizational cells.
▪ Submitting a periodic report on the organizational cells affiliated with the council to the Council of Raqibs.
▪ Managing the financial affairs of the Council of Naqibs, or assign someone from among the Naqibs to do so and follow up on it.
▪ Maintaining constant communication between the leadership, Naqibs, and members.
[Hamas Memory: 1 April 1970
Sheikh Ahmad Yassin delivered the Friday sermon at al-‘Abbas Mosque, in which he attacked the occupation, ignited the people’s enthusiasm, and called on them to stage a demonstration toward the Red Cross. The enemy sent military reinforcements, pursued the people, and dispersed the demonstration by beating them. Based on this incident, the enemy suspended the sheikh from preaching at al-‘Abbas Mosque for 7 months.]
Rights of the Raqib:
▪ The right to vote and run for office in the bodies of the organization in accordance with the electoral bylaw.
▪ Participation in Council of Raqibs meetings.
▪ Participation in regional committees and submitting proposals to the Council of Raqibs.
Council of Raqibs4:
This council consists of a group of Raqibs (whose number are generally between three and five), chaired by the senior or most competent Raqib. They oversee educational, organizational, and other general activities within the framework of its members.
A group of mosque youth meeting with Dr. Suhayl al-Hindi, member of the Political Bureau of Hamas
Monthly Subscription [i.e., Organizational Dues]:
Before pledging allegiance to the movement, the supporter undertakes to pay 2.5% of his monthly income in what is organizationally called the “monthly subscription.” It is worth mentioning here that one of the conditions for promotion from one rank to another in the Hamas leadership ladder is the extent to which the candidate for promotion has committed to paying his monthly subscription over the last three years. The importance of paying the monthly subscription to the movement’s leadership in the region stems from several educational and organizational objectives, including:
1. Achieving social solidarity among the brothers and a sense of mutual support by directing some of what they pay to support poor brothers’ families.
2. Educating the brothers to sacrifice money and not to begrudge the movement the most precious of what they possess.
3. Contributing to the costs of da’wah activities in mosques and areas in general.
Regarding solidarity, Imam Hasan al-Banna says:
It is the third pillar; so practice solidarity, and let some of you bear the burden of others. That is explicit faith and the very core of brotherhood. So let some of you look after others—through inquiry and benevolence—and let him hasten to assist him whenever he finds a way to do so. And contemplate the saying of the Messenger of God, God’s blessings and peace be upon him:
‘For me to walk with a brother in order to assist him is more beloved to me than to make ‘Itikaf in this Masjid (Masjid al-Madeenah) for a month.’
Perhaps one of the most important reasons why the movement relies on funding its activities through the wealthy of the movement and the monthly subscriptions of the members is to distance itself from attempts to contain it and influence its decisions. It has been clear since its inception that Hamas’ decisions come from its leaders.
Notable Figures of the methodology:
Sheikh Abdullah Yusuf Azzam (1941–1989) was a Palestinian preacher and mujahid, one of the leaders of the Arab mujahideen in Afghanistan against the Soviet Union. He was described as a pioneer of the Afghan jihad and one of the figures of the Muslim Brotherhood. He was born in al-Sila al-Harithiya in Palestine and enrolled in the Faculty of Sharia at the University of Damascus, where he obtained a licence degree in Sharia with a grade of “very good.” He joined the Muslim Brotherhood at an early age. In 1970, decided to enroll at Al-Azhar University in Egypt, where he obtained a master’s degree in the principles of jurisprudence. He was then appointed as a lecturer at the Faculty of Sharia at the University of Jordan in Amman in 1391 AH, corresponding to 1971 AD. He was then sent to Cairo to obtain his doctorate, which he obtained in the principles of jurisprudence with first class honors in 1393 AH, corresponding to 1973 AD. He then worked as a teacher at the University of Jordan (Faculty of Sharia) until 1400 AH, corresponding to 1980 AD. Afterwards, he moved to work at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, and later worked at the International Islamic World University in Islamabad, Pakistan. He then submitted his resignation and devoted himself to jihad in Afghanistan and inciting the nation to jihad.
Abdullah Azzam continued his activities until he was killed with his sons Muhammad and Ibrahim in Pakistan while on his way to the Sabʿ al-Layl Mosque, which the Kuwaiti Red Crescent Society had designated for Arab mujahideen, as sermons in Afghan mosques were delivered in Urdu. He planned to deliver his sermon on Friday, 25 Rabi’ al-Thani 1410 AH, corresponding to November 24, 1989 AD, when his car, which had been booby-trapped by his enemies—whose identities remain unknown to this day—was detonated. He was buried on the day of his death in Pakistan, and the door of condolences was opened for him in the town of Qum north of Irbid in Jordan. Among his most important books, which were taught in Hamas educational incubators, are: Islamic Da’wah: A Legal Obligation and a Human Necessity, and Faith and Its Impact on Building the Generation.
The relationship between leadership and the base:
Members of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) speak of the intimacy of internal relations between individuals and between the base and leadership. They attribute this to strict adherence to principles and values, especially since one of the pillars of their allegiance is brotherhood, which requires them to adhere to the etiquette of brotherly interaction as instituted by the noble prophetic hadiths and as inherited from their righteous predecessors, which they saw in the historical leadership of Hamas, and how they interact with each other, and what they read and discuss in their educational curricula.
The solidarity and brotherly cohesion among the sons of Hamas is a result of the educational thought that stems from the goals of the educational family, which considers acquaintance, understanding, and solidarity to be among the most important goals of the family. The sheikh of the family (its amir) seeks to strengthen the bonds of brotherhood among the members of his family, and a family is named as such, as Imam Hasan al-Banna said, only to take strength, cohesion, and solidarity from the blood family. Thus, the relationship between the amir of the family and its members is like that of a father with his sons.
Thousands of sons of the movement have preserved stories and anecdotes with their sheikhs and leaders. Indeed, none of them would entertain marriage without first consulting their sheikh about the idea of marriage, the family they wanted to propose to, their choice of university major, the university they would attend, and the career they intended to embark upon to earn daily sustenance for their family. Only then would they proceed.
I remember that when the martyr Khaled Abu ʿAskar wanted to get married, he spoke with the commander of the Northern Brigade, the martyr Abu Anas al-Ghandūr, to take his permission for marriage, and he obtained a promise from him that the marriage would not prevent him from going out in the first martyrdom operation of the Al-Qassam Brigades. He received the promise, got married, and was martyred two weeks after his marriage in the Al-Furqan War in 2009.5
This brotherhood in faith has manifested in many situations. For example, many of the sons of Hamas endured severe torture and mistreatment in the prisons of the Zionist enemy, and later in the prisons of the Palestinian Authority, without confessions ever producing a confession against their brothers or mentioning their names, thereby preventing their arrest. Another example is the widespread phenomenon of gifting photographs to each other with words expressing love and longing. I have examined dozens of letters sent by Sheikh Muhammad Abu Tir or sent to him by his brothers, which he collected in his memoirs entitled “Sidi Omar.” These letters are considered a model of the brotherhood phenomenon we are talking about.
Mosque trips are a means of strengthening the relationship between the leadership and the rank and file.
Chapter Three: The Educational Family in Hamas’ Thinking
•The organizational family: its definition and movement concept
•Features of the family system
•Faith-based education in the family
•Key materials in the cultural curriculum
•Educational committees
The organizational family: its definition and movement concept
The word “family” in Arabic has many meanings, including: a protective shield, a man’s people and clan, a group bound together by a common matter, my clan and my family, and a man’s family is his clan, because they give him strength.
Through these linguistic definitions, we can say that the group was guided from early on in its history to have this gathering within the family carry all the meanings mentioned in its linguistic definition. The family is a protective shield for each of its members, and it is like a people or clan to them, especially when we consider that the group has made the pillars of this family to be: acquaintance, understanding, and mutual support. The family is also a group bound together by a common matter: work, upbringing, and preparation for Islam. The family strengthens each of its members, and it also imposes certain financial obligations on them, as each family has a fund, which is fed by the contributions of its members and spent for the benefit of the family, the group, and the cause. With all these meanings, this was the group’s understanding of the family. Imam Hasan al-Banna said about the family: “Islam is keen to form families from among its people, guiding them to the highest ideals, strengthening their bonds, and raising their brotherhood from the level of words and theories to the level of actions and practices. So, my brother, be keen to be a good brick in this building Islam.” The family is the first building block in the construction and formation of the group, as well as the basis for the formation of individuals, through which the individual’s personality is shaped so that he becomes capable of working within the group.
[Hamas in their eyes:
Lamā Khāṭir:
Hamas has proven itself by breaking through barriers of helplessness at various stages and creating a new reality that was impossible to predict. It has overcome difficulties that seemed insurmountable and created real hope and tangible glad tidings amid the clouds of darkness and oppression that have enveloped our homelands.]
In light of the above, we can say—in the words of Shaykh ʿAbd al-Ḥalīm Maḥmūd—that the family system:
1. An Islamic system that guides individuals toward the highest ideals.
2. Strengthens the bonds between individuals, especially when we mention that its pillars are: acquaintance, understanding, and mutual support among them.
3. Raises the brotherhood of individuals from the level of speech and theory to the level of action and application.
4. A means of facilitating communication with those individuals who have devoted themselves to the call through this bond.
5. A means of forming capital for the brothers, representing an emerging economic capacity.
6. Joining this system is an obligation for everyone who belongs to the group.
7. This system represents the backbone of the group individually, socially, and financially.
Notable Figures of the methodology:
Sheikh ʿAlī al-Ṭanṭāwī (1909–1999)
Muhammad Ali bin Mustafa al-Ṭanṭāwī, known as ʿAlī al-Ṭanṭāwī, was a Syrian jurist, man of letters, and judge who is considered one of the leading figures of Islamic daʿwa and Arabic literature in the 20th century. Sheikh al-Ṭanṭāwī was born in Damascus, Syria, on June 12, 1909, to a family known for its scholarship. His father, Sheikh Muṣṭafā al-Ṭanṭāwī, was one of the leading scholars in the Levant and the responsibility for issuing fatwā in Damascus ended with him. He was active in journalism and literary writing, publishing in many magazines and newspapers in more than one Arab country, and traveled between more than one Arab country as a student and teacher. ʿ
ʿAlī al-Ṭanṭāwī was one of the earliest teachers and journalists of the 20th century, and he was also one of the earliest broadcasters, as his radio and television programs attracted millions of listeners and viewers over the years, who were attached to them regardless of their different inclinations, ages, types, and nationalities. This was not surprising, as ʿAlī al-Ṭanṭāwī was one of the earliest broadcasters in the Arab world, and perhaps one of the earliest in the world. He began broadcasting from Near East Radio in Jaffa in the early 1930s, then from Radio Baghdad in 1937, and from Radio Damascus in 1942 for more than two consecutive decades. Finally, he broadcasted from the Radio of the Kingdom and its Television for nearly a quarter of a century. He died after dinner on Friday, June 18, 1999, in the intensive care unit at King Fahd Hospital in Jeddah at the age of 90. He was buried in the cemetery of Mecca al-Mukarrama the following day after prayers were said for him at the Grand Mosque. Among his most important books, which were taught in Hamas educational institutions, was General Introduction to the Religion of Islam.
Features of the family system:
The family is a group of Brotherhood members led by a person who is qualified pedagogically and organizationally. The leader of the family is called the naqīb/captain, and the family meets once a week at the home of one of the members or at the naqīb’s home. The Brotherhood believes that the family system strengthens the bonds between members, produces an intimate relationship between individuals, and elevates brotherhood from the level of speech and theory to the level of action and practice. The family is considered a means of communicating with individuals, conveying orders and instructions to them, and listening to their problems and suggestions. Joining a family is considered a duty for every affiliate of the group.
The family is the most important educational tool for Hamas
The family is considered to be the place where an individual’s personality is formed in a comprehensive manner that meets the requirements of religion and worldly life as seen by the Muslim Brotherhood. The family reinforces the sense of belonging to the group and commitment to its goals, as the primary goal of the family is: to work on forming a well-rounded Islamic personality in the individual, and to nurture and develop it in accordance with Islamic etiquette and values. The most important aspects of this personality are: the doctrinal aspect, the worship aspect, the moral aspect, and the cultural aspect. Within the family, work is done to solve individuals’ problems and train them to face the challenges of social life, where each member presents their problems, and the others participate in studying solutions. There is no doubt that this strengthens the bond between members, leading to mutual understanding, frankness, and emotional sharing, which is the basis for building cohesion between individuals on a sound foundation. Every member of the family had to adhere to social courtesies, including cooperation with the families of the brothers. Within the family, members were taught to communicate with their peers on the basis of affection and compassion, and to be humble and selfless when dealing with those below them in the organization. When communicating with those above them in rank, they were to be like a soldier, based on obedience and cooperation.
[Hamas Memory: 1968-1970
The establishment of what is known as “Sheikhs’ Camps” in the Jordan Valley: four military bases supervised by a number of leaders of the daʿwa in Jordan, Syria, Yemen, and Sudan. This took place between 1968 and 1970. One of the most famous operations carried out by the Brotherhood was the Battle of the Green Belt, led by ʿAbdallah ʿAzzām.]
Notable Figures of the methodology:
Dr. Fathī Yakan (1933–2009)
Fathī Muḥammad ʿInāya, known as Fathī Yakan after his paternal grandfather, with “Yakan” meaning “son of the sultan’s sister,” was a former member of the Lebanese Parliament, a Lebanese Sunni politician and religious scholar, head of the Islamic Action Front in Lebanon, and former secretary-general of the Islamic Group in Lebanon. He was born in Tripoli, Lebanon, and his family’s origins are from Turkey. His father, Muḥammad ʿInāya, holds a doctorate in Islamic studies and Arabic. He became involved in Islamic work in Lebanon in the 1950s and was one of the first founders of the Islamic movement in Lebanon, which emerged in the 1950s under the influence of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood, led by Sheikh Muṣṭafā al-Sibāʿī. Between 1962 and 1992, he was secretary-general of the Islamic Group, the Lebanese branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1992 and founded the Islamic Action Front while maintaining his membership in the Islamic Group.
He took the political initiative to resolve the crisis between the Lebanese government alongside its allies and the opposition, leading the worshippers and delivering Friday sermons at the largest opposition rally on Friday, December 8, 2006, in Riyad al-Solh Square in Beirut. Among his most important books, which were taught in Hamas educational incubators, are: What Does My Belonging to Islam Mean, Those Who Fall Away on the Path of Da’wah, The ABCs of the Movement’s Concept of Islamic Work, and How We Call to Islam
Faith-based education in the family
Hamas works based on its understanding of the educational approach adopted by the mother group of the Brotherhood in Egypt, which stems from the founding imam’s understanding of Islam as a means by which to educate its members with a strong faith. This faith would enable members to endure the hardships and difficulties they would encounter on the path of da’wah and jihad, and to be among the successful and victorious on the Day of Judgment. Sheikh Muḥammad Aḥmad al-Rāshid, may God have mercy on him, said:
Preachers must advise each other to return to the mosques and make them the starting points for action and reform, rather than party headquarters. We are in a crisis, and we are managing it from the mosques with sermons, jurisprudence, discussion of legitimate politics, knowledge of the self and its conditions, the diseases of the heart and their causes, discernment of the levels of faith, knowledge of what is lawful and unlawful, the etiquette of dignity and superiority, the stories of the first generations and the virtuous centuries, the courage of the predecessors, the legacy of honor and heritage, and the virtues of the fathers. From the mihrab, our journey begins, our advance and our remedy, and our policy begins, inevitably and decisively, without room for satanic whisperings and American terrorism, but rather on the basis of the original purity and the ways of ancient loyalty. These are the general features of the plan for remedial reform.
To this end, the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) has adopted a set of means and methods for educating its members in matters of faith, in which members of the same family cooperate. Among these means and methods are:
1. Cooperating in fasting on Mondays and Thursdays and breaking the fast together, each time at the home of one of the family members.
2. Visiting cemeteries, giving a short sermon about death and the grave, and some young people would go down into some of the new graves prepared for burial as a form of sermon and to frighten themselves.
3. Once a week, staying in the mosque after dawn prayer until the time of the mid-morning prayer. The young people would spend the time between dawn and sunrise reading the Qur’an, eating a light breakfast, and doing some morning sports activities.
4. Performing night prayers collectively, either in mosques or in some of the brothers’ homes, after the weekly family meeting. Many families maintained this practice and considered it an opportunity to pray one night a week.
5. Encouraging family members to perform closed i’tikaf in mosques during the last ten days of Ramadan. The movement’s leadership in the regions would compile statistics and stir up competition between mosques to see which one had the most young people performing i’tikaf.
6. Encouraging family members to fast during the first ten days of Dhu al-Hijjah and hold group iftars in mosques or in the homes of wealthy family members.
7. Encouraging family members to read spiritual tracts, as mosque families held meetings to discuss the book Tahdhib Madarij al-Salikeen by Ibn al-Qayyim.
8. Distribution of monthly accountability questionnaire, so that family members become accustomed to holding themselves accountable on a monthly basis. These questionnaire were submitted to the amir of the family at the beginning of the month, to be processed accordingly. After that, the matter was left to the brother himself to hold himself accountable and question himself after he had become accustomed to complying with what was in them for several months: congregational prayers, the Sunnah prayers before and after, reading a daily portion of the Holy Qur’an, the Duha prayer, morning and evening supplications, night prayers, visiting a brother in God, visiting the cemetery, reading a book, etc.
[Hamas Memory: 1973
Construction of the Jawrat al-Shams Complex, later al-Mujammaʿ al-Islāmī]
Among the papers circulating in Hamas educational incubators was a collection of the counsels of Dr. Abdullah Azzam, entitled “Counsels to the Sons of Hamas and the Islamic Awakening,” which read as follows:
1. You must be sincere in your intentions and honest in your actions, and avoid hypocrisy.
2. You must recite a portion of the Qur’an every day.
3. Memorize at least one verse from the Qur’an every day.
4. Recite the morning and evening prayers.
5. Continue to recite the daily and nightly prayers (al-Ma’thurat), the prayers for food, clothing, going out, the mosque, and sleep.
6. Keep a small commentary such as Al-Jalalayn or Mukhtasar Al-Tabari, and the book Riyad al-Salihin.
7. Read the book Al-Manhaj al-Haraki li al-Sira al-Nabawiyya by Munir al-Ghadban.
8. Read Hayat al-Sahaba by Muhammad Yusuf al-Kandahlawi.
9. Read the book Fiqh al-Sunnah by Sayyid Sabiq.
10. Read the book al-Iman - Arkanuhu - Nawaqiduhu by Dr. Muhammad Na‘im Yasin.
11. You must adhere to the book al-Tarikh al-Islami, by Ahmad Shakir.
12. Guard your tongue and weep over your sins.
13. Do not waste your time in vain; read Islamic books, especially the writings of Al-Banna, Aal Qutb, Sa‘id Hawwa, Mustafa Mashhur, al-Qaradawi, Fathi Yakan, al-Mawdudi, Muhammad Abu Faris, Ahmad Nawfal, Muhammad Ahmad al-Rashid, and Jasim Muhalhil.
14. Protect your limbs from sin, and God will preserve them for you, active and strong.
15. Associate only with believers, and let only the pious eat your food.
16. Stay away from forbidden things, especially those related to women (for I have left behind no temptation more harmful to men than women).
17. Go to sleep early and get up early, and do not sleep after dawn.
18. You must perform the night vigil.
19. Set your intention on jihad, prepare for it, and acquire the proper equipment for it.
[Hamas Memory: 1975
Sheikh Ahmad Yasin obtained the rank of captain and his superior was Sheikh Isma‘il al-Khalidi.]
Most prominent materials of the Cultural Curriculum
The head of the Hamas General Shura Council said in his introduction to the series of books of the cultural curriculum:
Since its emergence, humanity has never known a greater educator than the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and history has not preserved for us the biography of an educator, as it has preserved for us the biography of this great educator, Muhammad ibn Abdullah, who was — the most complete in character and religion — and a model for the people in his words and deeds, in his courage and chivalry. The educational approach he followed was comprehensive, moderate, and balanced, bringing forth a unique generation whose like is rare upon the face of the earth. We in the movement of the Muslim Brotherhood follow the same path, God willing. The martyred Imam Hasan al-Banna drew inspiration for the best approaches for this blessed movement, combining the essence of the Salafi school of thought with the moderate prophetic approach, following in the footsteps of his father, Sheikh ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Bannā, and his teacher, Muḥammad Rashīd Riḍā, promulgating the Sufi path and its nourishment for the soul and cultivation of the self, the modernist Enlightenment school with its contemporary knowledge, and the realist school that deals with life in a practical way that is close to people’s lives and experiences. We find this clear in his message, ‘Are we practical people?’
The martyred Imam made the group a beacon and a banner for the Umma in national political participation and in jihad, foremost among which is the sacred cause of Palestine and resisting the occupiers wherever they are found. He also made it a model for community service and renewed service in all aspects of social and economic life. He made it a political body that seeks to reform the government, the state, and society based on the moderate approach of Islam. The Brotherhood’s educational institutions produced great figures in the Umma in all fields of Islamic law and various sciences of life. Wherever the Brotherhood is found today, they are at the forefront of society and include many of its finest sons. Your brothers in the movement have followed the same path in building the movement’s educational approach in all its aspects, drawing inspiration from the approach of the group we have mentioned, so that, God willing, our schools will produce preachers, mujahideen, role models, educators, leaders, and politicians who will lead society and the state in fighting the occupiers and defending their nation and homeland.
In the various stages of the curriculum, our beloved brothers will find everything they need in terms of jurisprudence, da’wah, thought, politics, jihad, state jurisprudence, and the sciences of faith. I ask Allah, the Almighty, to make this blessed effort beneficial, to help us achieve the goals set by the movement, and to unify its thinking on the path of the Prophethood, with its maturity, moderation, wisdom, and leadership, leading to the liberation of the prisoners and the oppressed, and our blessed and sacred land, Palestine.
So I am among the best of Muslim people, firm and of mettle, and on this basis they ascribed me to Hamas.
From the beginning of the Muslim Brotherhood’s organizational work in Gaza in 1967 until approximately the year 2010 CE, the educational methodology of the Islamic Resistance Movement “Hamas” relied on books of brothers — writers and thinkers from outside the Gaza Strip, and often it relied on the curriculum of the group of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. The methodology in this period consisted of the following books, according to the different organizational categories:
In 2015, the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) worked with its educational department, which oversees the educational process within its ranks, and developed its own educational curricula in a curated manner through committees formed by experts in the fields of Islamic law, education, history, the Palestinian cause, and jihad. Each organizational category had its own curriculum appropriate to the nature of its activities. The educational curriculum was divided as follows:
The curriculum book has been divided in an integrated way, so that the family member begins by studying the basics and essentials of religion, learning what is critical for a Muslim to know in a simplified, easy, and accessible manner. Then they begin to delve deeper into each subject of the curriculum. The curriculum book has been divided into sessions, with each book part containing approximately 25 sessions, each session consisting of 5 sections. Each section is allotted with 20-30 minutes for explication per family meeting. The sections are as follows:
Section One: The Noble Qur’an and exegesis.
Section Two: The Noble Hadith.
Section Three: Islamic jurisprudence.
Section Four: The Prophetic biography.
Section Five: Islamic creed.
[Hamas Memory: 1967-1975
This period was known as the “mosque-building phase,” during which many mosques were erected.]
Member of the Political Bureau, Mr. Yasser Musa, discussing the groundwork for development during a study day
When these sections are completed, the brother moves to study other sections from the Minhaj book.6 The expansive scope is such that one cannot study all of them at once. Rather, one proceeds section by section, studying, for example, as Islamic history, then da’wah and movement, then Islamic economics, then home and family, and so on.
The educational curricula prescribed for the Muslim Brotherhood in the Gaza Strip are roughly aligned to the level of knowledge possessed by the target audience. The lessons are formed so as to integrate various individuals with each other, including groups as diverse as students and workers. Merely relying on the study of certain books within the family structure cannot achieve the desired educational goals or build the required Islamic personality. Therefore, it was necessary for the educator brother, the Naqib, to become familiar with a set of activities that accompanies or parallels the family curriculum. This refer to the concept of “continuous education” and self-education, embodied in the brothers’ approach to erudition. The most prominent of these activities can be summarized as follows:
1. Cultural competition inside the group.
2. Watching a meaningful/purposeful lecture or television program.
3. Going on a trip with members of the family.
4. Fasting and breaking the fast together with members of the family.
5. Carrying out a ritual or devotional act together.
6. Reading an educational guidance sheet and engaging in discussion about its content.
7. Directing the brothers to attend religious classes in the mosques.
8. Listening to a news bulletin and commenting on it during the meeting.
9. Visiting graveyards after the Fajr prayer.
10. Read and discuss a book outside the curriculum each month.
11. Summarize a book or chapter from a book.
12. Visit public libraries and mosque libraries.
13. Walking a long distance.
14. A monthly individual meeting with each brother from the family members to document brotherhood and give appropriate guidance and advice.
15. Visit daʿwah figures in the area.
16. Practicing exercise for ten minutes.
17. Assign a brother to give lessons at the mosque once every two weeks.
18. Private worship, done by each brother from the family members individually, includes the following:
a. Individual fasting.
b. Iʿtikāf between Maghrib and ʿIshāʾ.
c. Remaining in the mosque after Fajr prayer until sunrise and two rakʿahs. sd. Seclusion before Maghrib prayer for dhikr and reading the maʾthūrāt.
Educational committees
There has been a marked increase in the number of organizers joining the ranks of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and, consequently, in the number of educational families and Ikhwani councils. This matter requires close and focused follow-up. The more the organization grows, the more the number of bodies and committees emanating from it grows. This involves close inspection, curation, and management of its affairs. Hamas turned to forming the “Educational Department,” a central department subordinate to the head of the general administrative body—who is in fact the head of the political bureau. This central department has subsidiary sections in major areas that lead, implement, and supervise educational work. This educational department in each major region has educational committees in each local administrative body, up to there being an educational official in every mosque. We can say that the number of brothers working in the educational department and its subsidiaries in the Gaza Strip is approximately two thousand.
[Hamas Memory: 1976
The first Shura Council was formed, with the Rafah area represented by Mahmoud Mohsen, Sayed Abu Masam, Hussein al-Masri, Ibrahim Alwan, and Ibrahim Abu Mar. Khan Yunis was represented by Hajj Muhammad al-Najjar, and the central area by Abd al-Fattah Dakhan, Muhammad Taha, and Hammad al-Hasanat. Gaza City was represented by: Ahmad Yasin, Muhammad Hassan Shamaa, Ibrahim al-Yazouri, Ahmed Al-Malh, Daoud Abu Khater, and Ismail Abu Shanab. The Northern Gaza Strip was represented by ʿAbd al-Rahman Tamraz, who was appointed by the movement’s leadership. At the end of the 1970s, members were selected by election.]
Al-Ustadh ʿAbd al-Fattah Dakhan is considered the first to chair the committee for drafting educational curricula for the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas). He chairmanship was then succeeded by noble brothers who led the educational work in a distinguished manner.
The author [al-Laddāwī, pictured on the right] visits Sheikh Abd al-Fattah Dakhan, one of the six founders of Hamas.
Structure of the education sector in the Gaza Strip:
· Head of the Education Department
· Regional Division
· Department of Educational Curricula
· Regulatory Compliance Department
· Training and Development Department
· Planning and Follow-up Department
General objectives of the Education Department in the Gaza Strip:
1. Strengthening the educational planning and “follow-up” system and strengthening educational values in operational plans.
2. Strengthening educational measurement, evaluation, developing appropriate tools and methods.
3. Follow-up of the implementation of educational plans, projects, and activities.
4. Designing standardized and updated training programs and courses that meet the needs of the organizational rank.
5. Updating and developing the capabilities of a specialized team of lecturers in all training axes.
6. Maintaining organizational discipline and ensuring that members meet the required standards for recruitment and advancement..
7. Regulation of organizational absorption in accordance with standards and operational needs [i.e., controlling or managing how many new members the organization takes in and how they are integrated.].
8. Follow-up of applying the standards and conditions necessary for educational and organizational advancement.
9. Preparing educational curricula in accordance with contemporary requirements.
10. Continuous work updating and developing curricula.
11. Working to enrich the educational curriculum.
12. Ideologically mobilizing members, educating them, ensuring shared doctrinal understanding within the organizational rank, and improving the training and status of educators.
These educational committees work to implement the educational activities approved in the Central Education Department’s plan, so that planning is centralized but implementation is decentralized, leaving it to the regions to creatively implement it, add to the plan as appropriate to their needs, and make educational adjustments as necessary. Each region has its own needs, characteristics, and educational problems. In general, the educational department in the regions implements activities, some of which will be detailed in the next chapter (Hamas’s educational methods), such as:
1. Educational Families
2. The Ikhwani Brigades
3. Discussion sessions
4. Educational camps.
The task of developing educators working in the Ikhwani educational corps of the Islamic Resistance Movement “Hamas” is one of the most important responsibilities supervised by the central educational department in the Gaza Strip. Courses and intensive programs—both long-term and short-term—are organized, along with educational camps and workshops aimed at discussing the problems of the families, how to address them, and the mechanisms for developing educational work. This is a major undertaking that requires continuous follow-up, given that the educational process is arduous and lengthy and that many people cannot endure it because of its strictness and seriousness. This is compounded by the instability of the living conditions of our Palestinian people, as well as the recurring conditions of confrontation with the Zionist enemy from one period to another.
[Hamas Memory: 1976
Elections of the Complex of Jawrat al-Shams were held, and Sheikh Ahmad Yasin was elected to it. Its previous name was abolished and he named it the al-Islami Complex. Approval was granted for its licensing in 1979 AD.
Sheikh Ali Huwaylah, one of the sheikhs of Hamas in the northern Gaza Strip, speaking at a closed educational camp.
Notable Figures of the Methodology
Muhammad Qutb (1919–2014)
Muhammad Qutb Ibrahim Husayn Shadhili, an Egyptian Islamic writer and university professor with several publications to his name, was the brother of Sayyid Qutb. Before his death, he lived in Mecca and was a professor at Umm al-Qura University. He is considered a prominent intellectual and activist landmark for the contemporary Islamic movement, and is the author of important works that lay the foundations for contemporary Islamic thought from an Islamic cognitive starting point contrary to Western theory of knowledge. Muhammad Qutb established an Islamic school of an activist character within Saudi universities through his supervision of numerous university theses. He tells us that the person who had the greatest influence on his entire life was his brother Sayyid, who preceded him by more than twelve years in birth. Sayyid supervised his education and guidance and was like a father, brother, and friend to him.
Muhammad Qutb shared the King Faisal International Prize for Islamic Studies in 1988 with the Turkish scholar Muqaddad Yalçın. Sheikh Muhammad Qutb died at the eighth hour of the morning of the day 4/6/1435, corresponding to April 4, 2014, in the city of Jeddah, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, at the International Medical Center hospital. Among his most important books, which were taught in Hamas educational incubators, are Contemporary Doctrines of Thought or Contemporary Doctrines of Intellectual Thought, Islam: The Misunderstood Religion, and Jahiliyyah in the Twentieth Century.
Translator’s note: naqib means an overseer/representative/delegate/captain.
Translator’s note: the original Arabic term is: أسرة (usra; singular), which translates more immediately to “family,” but means “a small internal organizational unit.” The plural isأسر (usar; plural), which means cells, groups, cadres, or units. In this section, I translate both terms as “organizational cell(s)” for lexical coherence. In the subsequent chapter’s first section, “The organizational family: its definition and movement concept,” al-Laddawi explicitly defines the meaning of the “family” designation; at that point, I return to the use of the “family” appellation.
Translator’s note: Al-Laddawi is writing about recruitment members of the Palestinian Muslim Brotherhood to Hamas.
Translator’s Note: In Islamic educational and movement-based organizational structures (particularly those influenced by the Ikhwan tarbiyya model), the terms naqib (نقيب) and raqib (رقيب) can mark different kinds of organizational oversight. Historically, naqib referred to a designated representative or chief, such as the nuqabaʾ appointed from among the Ansar at the Second Pledge of al-ʿAqaba, and in Ikhwan-style usra organization it commonly denotes the leader of the usra (“family” cell) who facilitates meetings and provides mentorship and guidance. Naqib, in its modern usage, is associated with supervision or representation. While raqib clearly carries the sense of monitoring in Arabic usage, organizations vary in their internal terminology and in whether they use raqib as a formal role-title, so responsibilities can differ across places and periods.
Translator’s note: Hamas stopped undertaking martyrdom operations in 2005; this historical fact suggests a significant gap (of approximately four years) between when the referenced permission was granted to Khaled Abu ʿAskar and when he entered marriage.
Translator’s note: al-manhaj (المنهاج), rendered here as “Minhaj,” denotes a structured tarbawī (educational-formational) curriculum used for the religious, intellectual, and organizational formation of members. It typically refers to a sequenced internal program of study covering doctrinal, legal, historical, and movement-related subjects, rather than a conventional single-author textbook.