Born in 1907 in Jerusalem, son of Musa Qassem (Pasha) al-Husseini.

Graduate in chemistry of the American University of Cairo. Organized a Congress of Educated Muslims in the early 1930s to fight discrimination against Palestinian Arabs in government services. Founder (1931) and leader of the Al-Jihad Al-Muqaddas (Holy War) organization. Lleader of the Palestinian resistance during the Great Revolt of 1936-1939. Guerilla commander for the Jerusalem district. Exiled in 1938, returned secretly to Jerusalem in 1948 after and was commander of the volunteer force of al-Jihad al-Muqaddas (Holy War) Army.

Resistance organizer and Palestinian leader during the 1948 war. Killed in a counter attack at Qastel, west of Jerusalem, on 8 April, 1948.