Father Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and Sheikha Moza bint Nasser attend the 30th anniversary celebration of Qatar Foundation in 2025 Credit: mozabintnasser.qa

(CNN)— Sheikh Moza bint Nasser's (wife of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa and mother of Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad) tweet gained wide traction among social media activists over the past day.

The tweet on platform X (formerly Twitter) alone garnered over two million views, while the same post on her Facebook page attracted tens of thousands of interactions and comments.

Sheikh Moza said in her tweet: "In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful: '(O reassured soul, return to your Lord, well-pleased and pleasing [to Him], and enter among My [righteous] servants and enter My Paradise.)' God Almighty has spoken the truth. I draw from sorrow its greatest and from grief its deepest upon the departure of Qatar's historic leader, His Highness the Father Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, may God have mercy on him and grant him a blessed resting place. And in a moment of submission to the will of the Almighty in decreeing destinies, the great departed ascends to an eternal status as the pioneer of modern Qatar and the architect of its glories. With a broken heart, I beseech God Almighty to envelop the departed in His mercy and grant him a place in His vast paradise. Verily, to God we belong and to Him we shall return."

The Qatari Amiri Diwan announced on Sunday morning the death of the 'Father Emir' at the age of 74.

Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani was born in January 1952 in Doha, where he grew up and studied. He later joined the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in Britain, graduating in 1971. After returning to the country, he joined the armed forces and rose through the ranks until he became a major general, playing a key role in developing the Qatari armed forces in terms of personnel and equipment.

On May 31, 1977, he was sworn in as Crown Prince and appointed Minister of Defense. On May 10, 1989, he became Chairman of the Supreme Planning Council, which was responsible for formulating the country's social and economic policies.

He assumed power on June 27, 1995, and proceeded to lay out development and reform plans and programs. His construction plan was comprehensive and deep, encompassing diverse dimensions and paths. The country witnessed a qualitative leap in development, with a general renaissance covering education, health, sports, culture, media, and infrastructure. Under his rule, the country experienced a tremendous leap in the economy and energy sector. The North Field gas project achieved a production boom, and exports of liquefied natural gas began in 1996, rapidly increasing the country's income. In 2006, Qatar became the world's largest exporter of LNG, and by 2010, its production capacity reached 77 million tons per year.

On June 25, 2013, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa announced the transfer of power to his heir apparent, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani (the current Emir of Qatar).