He was one of the virtuous Sheikhs of the Bayada Khalwats….
Sheikh Abu Fandi Jamal al-Din Shujaa was born in 1906 and was a person gifted in intellect, religion, and understanding; he possessed knowledge of the realities of affairs, for he was sober, prudent, fortified, a man of virtues, sound judgment, and insightful criticism.
Alongside his brothers, Sheikh Abu Hassan Alam al-Din Dhiab and Sheikh Abu Ali Muhanna Hassan, they cooperated in righteousness and piety, supporting one another in times of ease and adversity.
Sheikh Abu Fandi was characterized by his humility and spirituality; he was a guardian of the brethren, helping them, sharing their joys and sorrows, and resolving problems with wisdom, deliberation, patience, and courage. He was a man of abundant opinion, high aspiration, and strong determination. Events unfolded in his time between the citizens of Hasbaya, the Palestinian fedayeen, and the Jews, and he—may God have mercy on him—would address every event with his intellect, sobriety, good management, and soundness of judgment, much like a physician providing a cure for every ailment;
Glory be to the One who granted him what his Lord specifically bestowed upon him in terms of wisdom, intellect, good management, and a path of insight;
Indeed, he possessed many, many virtues and noble deeds, most importantly his handling of the events in his region and its surroundings during that difficult period in Lebanon's history.
He was constantly vigilant and wakeful to avoid the strife occurring through diligent effort and supplication to the Almighty to spare the Lebanese from the evil of disasters and tribulations. Located on the front lines in the Hasbaya region, he was a source of constant encouragement for the people's morale, stimulating in them the courage of heroes, assisting them with donations and what was available from his inheritance and wealth, carrying their burdens with sincere determination, faith, and sincerity. How many nights did anxiety trouble him for those who were absent among those around him, or he would find peace for those who returned after an absence...
Yes; these are the qualities of great shepherds and righteous preachers. May God have mercy on Sheikh Abu Fandi Jamal al-Din, for who among us can carry his burden? It is unlikely that time will provide us with his equal...
He passed away at the age of eighty-five, in the year 1991. May God grant him mercy that continues until the Day of Judgment.
Among the noble deeds of the Bayada Sheikhs that Sheikh Jamal al-Din Shujaa preserved and mentioned from the time of the Ottoman occupation was when the martial governor of Damascus, Jamal Pasha the Butcher, the Governor of Damascus during World War I, issued an order to pursue five of the finest youths of Hasbaya based on reports from the French consulate in Beirut, which the Ottomans had confiscated at the time (contrary to established diplomatic norms). They brought the matter to the Bayada Sheikhs, who in turn wrote a letter to the Turkish governor, Jamal Pasha, requesting him to stop the pursuit of the five youths. The late Salim Bey Nawfal, who was the representative of the Druze of Hasbaya in Damascus at the time, carried it. When he handed him the letter and he read it, he kissed it and placed it on his head, then ordered the relevant judge to look into the matter and issue an order not to pursue the five youths. Sheikh Nawfal then returned with his heart at ease due to the great status the revered Bayada Sheikhs held with the Ottoman governor...
(It is historically known that during that period, the Ottoman Empire avoided angering the Druze for fear of their revolt against it, which would cut the supply lines for the Ottoman army preparing to fight the English on the Suez Canal front.)
The courageous stance taken by the late Sheikh Abu Fandi Jamal al-Din Shujaa will never be forgotten, when he refused to meet with the collaborator Antoine Lahad, the leader of what was called the South Lebanon Army, just as he refused to receive him in his home, despite the insistence of the Israeli occupation authorities at the time. Sheikh Abu Fandi was acting from the religious and national position for which our righteous sheikhs, the pure sheikhs of the Bayada Khalwats, and their courage in making decisions and taking stances, are known.
Below is a lament from the virtuous Bayada Sheikhs following the death of the late Sheikh Abu Fandi Jamal al-Din Shujaa, may God have mercy on them all:
To God belongs a people who have standing in their religion
True determination and sincerity are faith
Aspirations for the hereafter moved them, and they seized
The limited time of life, so they were not humiliated and did not falter
People of Bayada, do you know what they did
In the past age, what they became and what they were
They were noble, lofty in their rituals
High like the full moon, adorned with lights
They stayed up through the nights, and their determination did not soften
People slept while they labored and did not weaken
Their demands were noble, oh what a noble demand
The bliss of their gardens is comfort and sweet basil
I passed by the inhabited assembly asking it
Is Shujaa in the prayer hall, or is Hassan?
The grieving assembly answered me, "Oh my regret!"
Of those in whom righteousness and Tawhid are the hallmark
Review and verification by Ibrahim Al-Akel
