Category: Individuals

Anṣār al-Mujāhidīn English Forum translates Abū Sa'd al 'Āmilī's essay: "In The Heart of the Matter: The Reality and the Role of the Jihadist Media"

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

UPDATE 1/30 8:07 AM: Here is a German translation:

Abū Sa’d al ‘Āmilī’s — “In The Heart of the Matter- The Reality and the Role of the Jihadist Media” (German)
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UPDATE 1/9 7:50 PM: A point of clarification regarding this essay from Leah Farrall:

The essay is not new. It’s a cut and paste from an old Q&A he did. Not sure if he has done the cut and paste or if his supporters have, but it’s not new.

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NOTE: I hope to return to this in the coming weeks after I finish some more urgent projects I am currently working on. If you get the chance to read this I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section.
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Abū Sa’d al ‘Āmilī’s — “In The Heart of the Matter- The Reality and the Role of the Jihadist Media”
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New statement from the Amīr of al-Qā’idah in the Islamic Maghreb Abū Muṣ'ab 'Abd al-Wadūd ['Abd al-Malik Drūkdīl]: "In Support of the Intifāḍah of our People in Tunisia"

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

UPDATE: Click here for an English language translation of the below message.
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NOTE: It should be noted that AQIM has nothing to do with the uprisings in Tunisia. They are trying to take advantage of the situation and attach themselves to the cause in a very cynical manner. One should therefore be weary of their reason for supporting this uprising.
For more background to the citizen uprising in Tunisia one should check out the following coverage, articles, and twitter accounts:
Brian Whitaker at al-Bab.
Foreign Policy’s Middle East Channel (Unfortunately, they do not have a specific Tunisia tag so you might have to search around a bit).
al-Jazeera maps the protests.
Global Voices coverage.
Kal at the Moor Next Door: Here and here.
Follow on Twitter: Nawaat, Weddady, jilliancyork, themoornextdoor, and ibnkafka among others. As well as the hashtag #sidibouzid
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Statement from the Amīr of al-Qā’idah in the Islamic Maghreb Abū Muṣ’ab ‘Abd al-Wadūd [‘Abd al-Malik Drūkdīl]- “In Support of the Intifada of our People in Tunisia”
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New Fatwā from Minbar at-Tawḥīd wa'l-Jihād by Abū Hamām Bakr Bin 'Abd al- 'Azīz al-'Atharī: "How come the Imām Aḥmad Ibn Ḥanbal Did Not Come Out Against the Rulers of His Time?"

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

NOTE: Aḥmad Ibn Ḥanbal is considered one of the four great Sunni Imām’s. Ḥanbal is the founder of the fourth Sunni legal school (madhhab) and it is considered the most conservative of the four. The Ḥanbalī school is mainly followed in Saudi Arabia.
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Abū Hamām Bakr Bin ‘Abd al- ‘Azīz al-‘Atharī- “How come the Imām Aḥmad Ibn Ḥanbal Did Not Come Out Against the Rulers of His Time”
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New statement from Qārī' Yūsef Aḥmadī, the spokesman of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan: "Regarding the Rumors of Ceasefire in Sangin District"

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin


For the past two days,  reports have been appearing in some local and international media outlets,  originating from the rumors spread by the enemy that in Sarwan Kalla of Sangin district, Helmand province,  local people along with the Mujahideen have reached a ceasefire with the enemy. They say,  that they have  agreed to avoid attacking the enemy in the area.   The rumors are being  disseminated by Gulab Mangal –  Helmand province  governor who has  been nominated by the Americans—in a time that the jihad activities of the Mujahideen in Sangin district  like operations  of  Mujahideen in other parts of the Helmand province, are in full swing and are continuing unremittingly. Then what would be the motive of the enemy behind such fatuous claims of ceasefire?   In our view, the enemy is weary of  the war  now and facing defeat at the battle field. Therefore, they want to erect an illusive pillar to support its stance and give empty hopes of victory to soldiers who are  now sagging from exhaustion and fatigues.
Time and again, the enemy spread rumors about areas which are inaccessible to media. Previously, the enemy had claimed that Mujahideen had executed a ten years old boy in the same locality of the Sangin district. But subsequent investigation proved the claim to be a mere baseless allegation.  The local leaders of the Islamic Emirate made investigation about this event. They did not come across any incident in Helmand or in the said area to indicate  the Mujahideen or the local people have reached a deal with the enemy. Therefore, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan refutes these baseless claims of the enemy. Those media outlets which have published the report or are publishing it now, commit violation of journalistic code.
The common Afghans and mainstream media outlets should take their precaution  as regards  the enemy’s  propaganda. The enemy now only relies on hypes. It resorts to disseminating some fatuous and unbelievable reports every day and week, so our astute people and the Mujahideen should not allow the enemy to succeed in these schemes.
Qārī’ Yusef Aḥmadī
Spokesman of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan

Jihādī Primary Source Material Data Dump, December 23-January 2

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

NOTE: Below are all of the primary source materials that I did not post while on vacation. All materials are posted by date that they were first released to the various fora. I hope this is helpful to those who were also on vacation during this time period and did not get the opportunity to follow the fora activities.
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December 23:

‘Abdullah ‘Azzām Brigades — Statement Number 3 within the series- Identifying the Way of the Offenders
December 24:

al-Qā’idah in the Arabian Peninsula releases its Arabic language magazine Ṣadā al-Malāḥim Issue #14
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Ḥarakat al-al-Shabāb al-Mujāhīn releases an Arabic and English translation of their statement, which announced an alliance with Ḥizb al-Islām. See here for the original in Somali language.
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Anṣār al-Mujāhidīn English Forum in honor of its two year anniversary presents an English translation of  As-Saḥāb’s Ramaḍān Sermons series #1 by Abū Zayd al-Kūwaytī “Ramaḍān Intensive Course”
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The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan presents its list of martyrs for the year 1431 H. According to them, fifty-two individuals were killed.
December 25:

al-Furqān Media, which is affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq [al-Qā’idah in Iraq] has released “Risen Alive #3,” which is one of their many martyrology series’

December 26:

Kavkaz Jihād Blog translates into English a jihādī story titled “Fight in the Forest,” which was originally published by Hunafa.
December 28:
Ḥizb al-Islāmī al-Turkistānī [Turkestan Islamic Party] released its martyrology video series  “Lovers of Paradise #5,″ which you can see below. For previous videos see #3 and #4.

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Dār al-Jabhah Publications and Distribution and the Global Islamic Media Front (GIMF) released “The Explosives Course” by Shaykh Abū Khabbab al-Miṣrī
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Ma’sadat al-Mujāhidīn — Claiming Responsibility for the Attack on the Israeli Train
December 29:


al-Qā’idah in the Arabian Peninsula releases its Arabic language magazine Ṣadā al-Malāḥim Issue #15
December 30:

Anṣār al-Mujāhidīn English Forum publishes an English translation of the Global Islamic Media Front’s release by Abū Qandahār al-Zarqāwī “The Blazing Light- In Inciting for Jihād”
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New article from member of the Anṣār al-Mujāhidīn English Forum titled “Refute the Unbelievers- Mujāhidīn Fighters, Mercenaries Without Boundaries?”
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Abū Muḥmmad al-Maqdisī’s Minbar at-Tawḥīd wa’l-Jihād Sharī’ah Council published a new fatwā by Abū Hamām Bakr Bin ‘Abd al- ‘Azīz al-‘Atharī: “What is the Ruling on Congratulating Christians During New Years?”
December 31:

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan releases In Fight Magazine #24. For previous issues see: #23, #22; #21; and #20.
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Abū Muḥmmad al-Maqdisī’s Minbar at-Tawḥīd wa’l-Jihād Sharī’ah Council published two new fatāwā:

January 1:

Statement from Ḥarakat al-al-Shabāb al-Mujāhīn on Opening the Door of Communication with al-Katāi’b Media
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The January 2011 issue of Nawaī Afghān Jihād Magazine released
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Abū Muḥmmad al-Maqdisī has released a new video sermon titled “Three Assets:”

January 2:

Anṣār al-Mujāhidīn English Forum has translated “The Last Will of the First Sister Who Attacked the Moscow Subway,” which was attack in March 2010.
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Abū Muḥammad Jibrīl of Sawt al-Jihād in Nusantara wrote a new article titled “De-Radicalization, The Effort To Extinguish The Light Of Shari’a And Jihad In Indonesia”

Christmas Special – Recent article from ‘Umar Bakrī Muḥammad: “Christmas: The Path To Hellfire”

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

NOTE: ‘Umar Bakrī Muḥammad also recently wrote an article on Halloween. Muḥammad was the founder and leader of al-Muhājirūn in Britain prior to it disbanding in 2004. Since then, there have been a variety of al-Muhājirūn successor groups in Britain as well as the United States (e.g. Islam4UK, Savior Sect, al-Ghurabā’, Islamic Thinkers Society, Revolution Muslim, Iẓhārudīn, Muslims against Crusades, and others). Following the 7/7 attack Bakrī Muḥammad moved to Lebanon after living in London for more than 20 years. He is still currently associated with the British jihadist scene through over the internet communication and live speeches online. al-Muhājirūn and its successor groups have been involved or linked to a variety of terrorist attacks or plots. Some of the larger ones include: Mohammed Bilal Suicide Bombing (India) in 2000, Mike’s Bar Bombing, Tel Aviv in 2003, Operation Crevice in 2004, 7/7 and 7/21 in 2005, Operation Praline in 2005, Toronto 18 in 2006, and 9/11 Anniversary Plot in 2009. He was recently arrested and then released from jail this past November in Lebanon.
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In the world today many Muslims, especially those residing in Western countries are exposed to the evil celebration, Christmas.  Many take part in the festive celebrations by exchanging cards, gifts, decorating homes, having Christmas turkey dinners & congratulating one another for the coming of season etc. For many the practice is viewed as harmless amusement & pleasure for young & old.
The build up to Christmas is aggressively promoted; businesses deploy every possible tactic to captivate the masses in every spectrum of society, in shopping centres, high streets, television, radio, magazine & newspapers.
Even though Christmas has been taken hostage by Capitalist to increase business revenues, many still practice this corrupt celebration as a remembrance of the birth of Jesus, who is considered as ‘the incarnation of God’  second third of the trinity, hence it is a celebration of the birth of divinity.
Though the date 25th December is taken by Christians as the birth of Jesus, the origins of this date can be linked to the birthday of the Hindu god Khrishna, & the Greek god of light, Mithra.  This evil celebration is from many angles of origin is a deeply rooted practice of Shirk (worshipping along with the Creator [i.e. Allah], a crime which Allah will never forgive.
“Verily, Allâh forgives not that partners should be set up with him in worship, but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He pleases, & whoever sets up partners with Allâh in worship, he has indeed invented a tremendous sin” [4:48]
How can a Muslim possibly approve or participate in such a practice that bases itself on the notion that Allah has an offspring?
Allah (swt) said,
“Such was Jesus, the son of Mary; it is a statement of truth, about which they vainly dispute. It is not befitting to the majesty of God, that He should beget a son. Glory be to Him! When He determines a matter, He only says to it, ‘Be’ & it is” [19:34-35]
If the prophet of Allah, Jesus (Isa the son of Maryum, peace be upon him) was to return now, he would never tolerate such accusations being levied against him.  Rather when he was born his first proclamation was clarifying his status as slave & messenger of Allah & nothing more.
He (Jesus) said: ‘Verily! I am a slave of God; He has given me the Scripture & made me a Prophet; “[19:29-30]
The very concept of Christmas contradicts & conflicts with the foundation of Islam, & that is the testimony of faith, “La Ilaha Ila Allah – None has the right to be worshipped but Allah”.  Any person with basic knowledge of Islam could never accept or tolerate such a false accusation against Allah.  Allah is free from having any offspring or being an offspring, for He (swt) said,
“Say: “God is Unique! God, the Source [of everything]. He has not fathered anyone nor was He fathered, & there is nothing comparable to Him!” [112:1-4]
Even though this practice is heavily glamorised & practiced by the majority, it is paramount for every worshipper of Allah to avoid following the masses in this evil celebration, Allah (swt) said,
“If you obey most of those upon the earth, they will lead you away from the way of Allaah.” [6:116]
It is the ruling of Allah & His Messenger, that those who imitate anyone in dress, manner, behaviour, speech or even celebration becomes part of that community, for the messenger of Allah (swt) said,
“Whoever imamates a group of people he is one of them”. [Reported in Abu Dawood]
Every Muslim has a responsibility to protect his family from the misguidance of Christmas, because its observance will lead to hellfire (a punishment which is seventy times hotter than the fires of this world).
“O you who believe! save yourselves & your families a Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men & stones..” [66:6]
Know dear Muslim, to offer Christmas cards, attend any Christmas events, to congratulate others (i.e. by saying “Merry Christmas” or “Happy New Year” etc), Decorating the house, purchasing Christmas trees, or having Christmas turkey meals are completely prohibited by Allah.  Protect your Paradise from being taken away from you & your family; protect yourself & your family from Christmas.

New video release from Abū Yaḥyā al-Lībī: "'Aāfīa Ṣiddīqī…Captured and Subjugated…Where are the Heroes?"

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

NOTE: Below are transcripts (in Arabic and Urdu) of the video that Abū Yaḥyā al-Lībī released yesterday titled “‘Aāfīa Ṣiddīqī…Captured and Subjugated…Where are the Heroes?” This is the first time we have heard from al-Lībī since June when he released a video that mourned the death of the Islamic State of Iraq’s [al-Qā’idah in Iraq] former senior leaders: Abū Ayyūb al-Maṣrī and Abū ‘Umar al-Baghdādī. For more background on the video see Florian Flade’s write-up about it. If I have time before I leave for vacation next Wednesday, I’ll try and add my two cents.
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Arabic:

Abū Yaḥyā al-Lībī: “‘Aāfīa Ṣiddīqī…Captured and Subjugated…Where are the Heroes?”
Urdu:

Abū Yaḥyā al-Lībī — “‘Aāfīa Ṣiddīqī…Captured and Subjugated…Where are the Heroes?” (Urdu)

New statement from 'Alī Abū Muḥammad al-Dagestanī, the Qāḍī‎ of the Supreme Sharī'ah Court of the Caucasus Emirate

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

NOTE: The below message is a translated copy of ‘Alī Abū Muḥammad al-Dagestanī’s statement on behalf of the Caucasus Emirate. The below translation is from the Kavkaz-Jihād blog and was originally published in Russian on the Guraba website. This message is in response to the leadership disputes in the Caucasus Emirate, which I wrote about here.
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In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, peace and blessing be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, companions and all those who follow him until the Judgement Day, and then …
As-Salam ‘Aleykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu.
As we all know, our Amir, Dokku Abu Uthman, appointed me as the Qadi of Caucasus Emirate after the martyrdom of our brother Sayfullah, although I do not deserve this charge, because our Faqih (scholars expert in Fiqh) have placed condition and established the qualities that the Sharia Qadi should own.
One of these conditions is that he must be a Mujtahid scholar (which is able to preform Ijtihad – the interpetation of the Qur’an and Sunnah). I am not one of them. Due to the lack of such people, not only in the CE, but also outside its limits, I was forced to accept this heavy burden, may Allah forgive me. In this regard, I want to make the following appeal:
Dear brothers and sisters, our Lord requires of us that we resolve all our differences through His Shariah, otherwise, we are not Muslims.
Allah says in the Qur’an: «O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. And if you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you should believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is the best [way] and best in result.» (Surat An-Nisā’ : 59).
In this verse, Allah clearly indicates the responsibility of solving our problems through the book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger, peace and blessing be upon him. And those who do not want to ask for the decision to Allah and His Messenger, these people just say they believe, although they are not. Allah the Almighty said in His Book:

«Have you not seen those who claim to have believed in what was revealed to you, [O Muhammad], and what was revealed before you? They wish to refer legislation to Taghut, while they were commanded to reject it; and Satan wishes to lead them far astray.» (Surat An-Nisā’ : 60).
And after that, Allah describes such people as hypocrites:
«And when it is said to them, «Come to what Allah has revealed and to the Messenger,” you see the hypocrites turning away from you in aversion.» (Surat An-Nisā’ : 61).
And then Allah amplifies and swears by Its own lordship that they are not believers.
The Most High says:
«But no, by your Lord, they will not [truly] believe until they make you, [O Muhammad], judge concerning that over which they dispute among themselves and then find within themselves no discomfort from what you have judged and submit in [full, willing] submission.» (Surat An-Nisā’ : 65).
In this verse, Allah indicates not only the obligation to apply for a court referring to Him and His Messenger, but also the need for a full agreement with the decision accepted [by the court], without any constraints in the heart and with a complete submission to this decision.
This is a legislation issue (al-Hakimiya), and it directly enters in the Tawheed-ar-Rububiya wal-Uluhiya, i.e. the Tawheed of Lordship and Worship. With the help of Allah, we will examine in detail the issues of Tawheed and of al-Hakimiya in our upcoming messages.
In this appeal, I want to talk about the disagreements that arose between our brothers from the Wilayah Nokhchicho and the leadership of the Caucasus Emirate. On this occasion I want to say: the Sharia does not give anyone the right to voice their assumptions and speculation, while a decision on a Sahria issue has not yet been rendered by the competent persons, and this is in order to avoid Fitnah. Because some assumptions are sinful.
On this regard, Allah says: «O you who have believed, avoid much [negative] assumption. Indeed, some assumption is sin. And do not spy or backbite each other. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his brother when dead? You would detest it. And fear Allah ; indeed, Allah is Accepting of repentance and Merciful.» (Surat Al-Ĥujurāt : 12).
And Allah calls us to reconcile our brothers. Allah says: «The believers are but brothers, so make settlement between your brothers. And fear Allah that you may receive mercy.» (Surat Al-Ĥujurāt : 10).
So, here, I want to say that at the moment, our only legitimate leader, as recognized by all the Mujahideen in the Caucasus, is the Amir Dokku Abu Uthman and we are all obliged to obey and submit to him as he leads us by the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessing be upon him), even if it is hateful to our souls*.
And this is indicated by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in a hadith transmitted from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him: «One who dislikes a thing done by his Amir should be patient over it, for anyone from the people who withdraws (his obedience) from the government, even to the extent of a handspan and died in that conditions, would die the death of one belonging to the days of jahilliyya (paganism, ignorance).» (Sahih Muslim, 4560).
Although this hadith refers to the ruler of all Muslims (the Caliph), it does not preclude our position.
Likewise, in a hadith which is transmitted from Ubada ibn as-Samit : «The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) called us and we took the oath of allegiance to him. Among the injunctions he made binding upon us was: Listening and obedience (to the Amir) in our pleasure and displeasure, in our adversity and prosperity, even when somebody is given preference over us, and without disputing the delegation of powers to a man duly invested with them except when you have clear signs of his disbelief in (or disobedience to) God-signs that could be used as a conscientious justification (for non-compliance with his orders).» (Sahih Muslim, 4541).
I once again, urge all brothers and sisters : do not speak on this subject and do not spread your assumptions, which may alienate you from Allah. And if someone hears differents others accusatory statements, then let him know that whoever does this, consciously or not, only contributes to the further propagation of the fitnah and does not contributes to reconciliation of Muslims. So, I call all the brothers immediately ‘driven crazy’ (or disturbed) by this Fitnah, to take no actions and to refrain from any statements on this subject while the matter is reviewed according to the Sharia and until a Sharia decision is not issued.
Our last prayer is: praise be to Allah, the Lord of the world.
The Qadi of the Caucasus Emirate, Ali Abu Muhammad al-Dagestani
*Meaning : even if, for some reasons, it becomes hateful to our souls to obey him.

As-Saḥāb Media Production releases second edition of Dr. Ayman aẓ-Ẓawāhirī's "Knights Under the Prophet's Banner"

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

NOTE: The first edition of Knights Under the Prophet’s Banner (which you can download here) was completed around the time of 9/11 and it was published and serialized by the Saudi newspaper Ash-Sharq al-‘Awsaṭ in October 2001. Click here to see an in depth description of the first edition from Ash-Sharq al-‘Awsaṭ. Also see Youssef H. Aboul-Enein’s critical review of the book here. The first edition was 252 pages while the second is 507 pages.
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Click the following link for a safe PDF copy of the second edition of the book: Ayman al-Zawahiri — Knights Under the Prophet’s Banner (Second Edition)