Abu Dhabi: “Though he was younger than me, I am honoured to say that I looked up to him,” said Mohammad Al Shamsi, elder brother of 31-year-old martyr Captain Hadef Humaid Al Shamsi, from Al Ain.
“We were close and I miss the fun we had. I miss talking to someone without having to check my thoughts, as he was not only my brother, but also my best friend,” Mohammad, 34, added.
Some days before his martyrdom, Hadef had flown back to Al Ain to spend Eid with his family and record a poem, which highlighted the previous martyrs’ acts of valour and loyalty. The poem was aimed at reassuring the martyrs’ families that their sons are now in a better place, Mohammad added.
“His poem is about how lucky the martyrs are to be granted immediate access to heaven and to be with God. Through it [the poem], he also sought to comfort the families of the martyrs, and convey to them the message that their sons are in the best place they could be. Two weeks later, he was martyred in Yemen.”
Despite the anguish of losing Hadef, his family’s sense of pride at his sacrifice outweighs the loss, Mohammed said.
“He was a chivalrous person and deserved to bid farewell to life as a martyr, which is the highest recognition possible.”
Hadef is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter, all of whom are being taken sufficient care of, his brother said.
“We have always lived in a big house - our parents, my siblings, their wives and children - that could accommodate the entire family under one roof. Our nieces and nephews never referred to us as ‘uncle’. They would always use the word father, followed by our names.”
Meanwhile, Hamad Al Shamsi, the martyr’s cousin, said that Hadef had always been cheerful, sincere, giving and loyal, all of which were traits that set him apart.
“Hadef and I were like brothers and our wives are sisters too. The last time I saw him was during Eid Al Adha. The last thing he told me was that he is pleased about going back to Yemen to fight for such a good cause.
“Anyone who had the pleasure to meet him is blessed,” Hamad added. “He performed every single prayer at the mosque. He was loving, helpful, always cheerful and easy to talk to.
“The fact that he bid life farewell as a martyr means that he will hopefully be given immediate access to paradise alongside the other brave role models of our nation, whom we are extremely proud of,” said Hamad, 45, who works with the Ministry of Interior.
“It was hard to grasp at first that we had lost Hadef. However, we are proud to say that we have a family member who sacrificed his life and died as a martyr for a brighter tomorrow,” he added.
About 5,000 people gathered at the Martyr’s Mosque in Al Ain to perform the funeral prayers following Al Dhuhur prayer for Hadef, who was laid to rest in Al Mutawa Cemetery on October 18.
