Personal Info
- Country of residence: Palestine
Information
Abdul Hamid Al-Sa'ih was born in the city of Nablus in 1907 and received his primary education there. After completing his initial studies, he traveled to Cairo, where he obtained a global certificate from Al-Azhar Al-Sharif and a specialization certificate from the School of Sharia. He then returned to Palestine and worked as a teacher of Arabic and religion at An-Najah National University in Nablus in 1928 and 1929. Later, he served as a clerk and chief clerk at the Sharia Court in Nablus in 1930, followed by his appointment as a Sharia judge in Nablus in 1935. He became the Secretary-General of the Supreme Islamic Council in 1939 and was appointed as a Sharia judge in Jerusalem in 1941. In 1946, he became a member of the Sharia Appellate Court and later served as the President of the Sharia Appellate Court in 1948. He also held the position of Secretary-General of the Supreme Islamic Council in Palestine.
After the events of June 1967, the Israeli authorities accused him of violating international laws related to the occupied territories. They also accused him of desecrating Islamic and Christian holy places and intentionally insulting the feelings of Muslims and Christians by defiling their sanctuaries. Consequently, Israeli authorities deported him on September 1, 1967, making him the first Palestinian to be expelled from his homeland following the 1967 occupation.
Abdul Hamid Al-Sa'ih later assumed a ministerial position in Jordan. He was appointed as the Minister of Religious Affairs and Holy Places on November 26, 1968, until June 27, 1970. He was then appointed as a judge and Minister of Endowments, Islamic Affairs, and Holy Sites once again.
In the sixteenth session held in Amman, Jordan, between November 22 and 29, 1984, he was elected as the President of the Palestinian National Council, succeeding Khalid Al-Fahoum. He continued to serve as the President of the Palestinian National Council until 1996. Due to illness, he retired from political activities and resigned from the presidency of the National Council, entrusting the Council's administration to his deputy, Salim Al-Za'noun.
Abdul Hamid Al-Sa'ih was involved in various activities from his youth. He was one of the founding members of the Muslim Youth Association in Nablus in 1928 and participated in the Armament Conference held in Nablus in 1931 and the First Palestinian Congress in 1935.
After his deportation in 1967, he played a crucial role in organizing the major conference in Amman in 1968, which led to the establishment of a permanent committee to save Jerusalem.
Some of his notable works include:
Social Solidarity in Islam, 1941.
Our Duty towards Our Youth, 1942.
Principles of Islamic Religion (6 volumes), 1945.
The Path of Islam (4 volumes), 1947.
The Status of Jerusalem in Islam, 1969.
What Lies Beyond the Burning of Al-Aqsa Mosque?, 1970.
Terrorism: Its Types and Dangers, 1986.
Palestine: No Prayer under Occupation (Autobiography), Palestinian Institute for Studies, Beirut, 2001.
Abdul Hamid Al-Sa'ih lived as a nationalist and dedicated his life to defending the Palestinian cause and protecting the sanctity of Jerusalem from the occupation. He passed away in Amman on January 8, 2001, and was buried in Jerusalem according to his will. In 2013, he was awarded the "Star of Honor" by the President of the State of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas, in recognition of his significant national role throughout the stages of the Palestinian revolution and his efforts to uphold the independent Palestinian decision through his important role as the President of the Palestinian National Council.
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