Mahmoud al-Hasanat

Mahmoud Salman Jibril al-Hasanat is a Palestinian preacher, orator and writer, born in the Gaza Strip on 3 September 1989. He is known for short, powerful sermons that spread widely on YouTube — above all the sermon "Wa-yamkurun wa-yamkur Allah" — received the "Orator of the Poor" award in 2018, and wrote the books Tagharid (2014) and Jawaz Safar (2019). He has lived in Turkey for several years. ¹

Mahmoud al-Hasanat was born on 3 September 1989 in the Gaza Strip; the Arabic article disagrees with itself about the place — its lead says Jabalia refugee camp, its infobox Nuseirat refugee camp — and both readings are recorded here. He grew up in Gaza as a preacher and imam, took a master's degree in comparative fiqh, taught and preached in the Strip's mosques, and in his youth played goalkeeper for a Gaza sports club while already serving as a Friday preacher, according to the article. ¹

Al-Hasanat built his audience on short Friday sermons and filmed lectures carried by his YouTube channel, which passed five million subscribers, with a Facebook page of more than 6.3 million followers, by the article's figures. On 27 April 2018 he won the "Khatib al-Fuqara" (Orator of the Poor) award in a Gaza oratory competition. ¹

He spent about three years in Sudan for study; the Sudanese authorities arrested him on 26 July 2020 and held him for several weeks before releasing him, after which he moved to Turkey, where he has since lived and continued his preaching and media work. ¹

His books include Tagharid (Tweets, 2014), a collection of short reflections and essays, and Jawaz Safar (Passport, 2019). ¹

His YouTube channel has more than five million subscribers and his Facebook page more than 6.3 million followers, by the Arabic article's figures (through 2023–2024) — dated platform figures, not facts verified by the museum. ¹

• Arabic Wikipedia, "Mahmoud al-Hasanat", as read on 4 November 2026. ¹