Ardent Christian admirer and poet of Ahlulbayt George Hanna Shukur passes away

The Lebanese poet and writer, George Hanna Shukur, an ardent Christian admirer of Ahlulbayt, peace be upon them, passed away on Tuesday after a long illness.

Shukur, a Christian poet known for his profound loyalty to Imam Hussain, peace be upon him, often expressed his deep admiration for the Imam’s legacy, saying, “If I had lived in the time of Hussain, I would have rushed to his help and been martyred by his side.”

Shukur’s name became synonymous with the biography of the Holy Prophet and the Ahlulbayt, peace be upon them, through his literary works, particularly his three epic poems: “The Epic of the Prophet”, “The Epic of Imam Ali”, and “The Epic of Imam Hussain”.

In his poem collection “The Epic of the Prophet”, Shukur described his journey to Holy Najaf and Karbala, and his visit to the holy shrines there with great enthusiasm and reverence. He considered his success in praising the Ahlulbayt a divine blessing bestowed upon him by God Almighty.

Shukur not only admired Imam Ali, peace be upon him, but also regarded him as a model of eloquence in Arabic literature and an extraordinary figure in history. Since his youth, he had been fascinated by reading “Nahj al-Balagha” book, the collection of speeches and sayings of Imam Ali, peace be upon him.

Shukur’s love for Imam Hussain, peace be upon him ran deep, and he expressed it in moving poetic verses that portrayed Imam Hussain as a martyr and a symbol of truth and light.