ji·had·ica

“Fatah al-Islam between Asad al-Jihad2 and al-Maqdisi”

A post by an unknown author titled, “Fatah al-Islam between Asad al-Jihad2 and al-Maqdisi / Lessons and Considerations,” has been making its rounds through the various forums. The author offered a scathing critique of Fatah al-Islam (FI) and of recent comments by FI’s Sharia Officer, Abu Abdallah al-Maqdisi (not to be confused with the Jordanian ideologue Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi). Using statements from Asad al-Jihad2 (AJ2), who is a possible al-Qaida (AQ) leader, the author argued that FI’s leadership lacked clarity in its mission and was too afraid to attack Israel. In considering al-Maqdisi’s statements, the author concluded that al-Maqdisi: Is not in Lebanon Is not aware of the complex relationship between the Lebanese and the Palestinian refugees living in the camps Is not aware of the “sectarian balances” in Lebanon Is not aware of the extent of Hezbollah’s state building in Lebanon He also criticized FI for not having Lebanese

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Scott Sanford June 8, 2009

Maqdisi invokes McCants

The al-Maqdisi controversy has taken a very interesting new turn. In a statement posted his website earlier this week, Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi cited several Western scholars, including Dutch al-Maqdisi specialist Joas Wagemakers and Jihadica founder Will McCants, to make the point that his enemies understand him better than his detractors in the jihadi community do. The statement, entitled “Among the Methods Used by the Infidels to Plot Against the Call and the Preachers, and shared by many Ignorants and Fools,” represents another attempt by al-Maqdisi to rid himself of accusations that he has moderated his position on jihad. For previous attempts see here and here. What’s distinctive about this statement is its frequent references to Western academics and liberal Arab commentators, which al-Maqdisi uses variously to discredit his critics and to boost his own credentials. Al-Maqdisi first accuses his critics of running the errand of the infidels by implementing a

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Thomas Hegghammer April 18, 2009

Maqdisi Dispute Spills into the Open

The jihadi forum debates over Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi’s alleged turn to moderation have not ended since our last report. On the contrary, the forum Midad al-Suyuf (MS) has escalated its campaign against al-Maqdisi and his supporters. The latest of these defenders is the London-based Saudi Islamist Muhammad al-Mas’ari. At the current time of writing, as many as eight of the twelve headline stories on MS are devoted to al-Maqdisi. Interestingly, other forums carry very little of this material, presumably because administrators want to play down the debate. In fact, a message on the Faloja forum this week urged readers to not even mention Midad al-Suyuf at all. (By the way, Faloja has been down since yesterday afternoon). The controversy is now playing out on prime time television. Al-Arabiya is devoting this evening’s program Sana’at al-Mawt, its weekly documentary series on jihadism, to al-Maqdisi and his critics. News about the upcoming

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Thomas Hegghammer February 27, 2009

More Fitna in Cyberspace: Mihdar vs al-Maqdisi

Is another chapter in the history of cyber-jihadi infighting about to be written these days? The latest controversy is a series of attacks by the webforum Madad al-Suyuf on Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi, perhaps the most influential salafi-jihadi clerics alive. That the cyber-Jihadis quarrel with one another should come as no surprise. Despite calls for unity and brotherly counseling, jihadi writers frequently fight it out in the open.  In fact, inter-jihadi quarrels seem to have become more common and less ‘brotherly’ in tone in recent years. As for al-Maqdisi himself, most of you will recall his open letter of advice to al-Zarqawi in mid-2005, which earned him a stern reply from his former disciple and many enemies among al-Zarqawi’s numerous buddies. More recently, people have suspected that al-Maqdisi is being pressured to follow in the footsteps Sayyid Imam Sharif and other revisionists. Will, Joas and others have already covered these accusations

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Brynjar Lia February 7, 2009

Maqdisi Blasts Hamas

Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi, the leading Jihadi scholar in Jordan (and worldwide for that matter), has issued a statement on his website regarding Gaza.  In short: Hamas has let down the Muslim community and needs to step out of the way and allow the Jihadis there and abroad to take over the fight against Israel.  Maqdisi is particularly enraged by Hamas’ recent crackdown on the Army of Islam.  Here’s a summary of the highlights: If not for tyrranical rulers and their armies, Muslims would be flocking across their countries’ borders to Gaza now on a jihad. We’re not surprised by the failure of our feckless rulers.  We’re surprised by the leaders of Hamas, who spurn the Taliban, Jihadi clerics, and true monotheists [eg Army of Islam] while praising the Shia and its leaders [eg Hezbollah and Iran] and even secular governments that plot against Islam. Some might say this is the

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Will McCants January 6, 2009

Maqdisi Response To Abu Rumman Article

Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi has released a statement on his website, Tawhed.ws, in which he responds to the questions of one of his followers about the Abu Rumman article I referenced yesterday.  Maqdisi denies being a revisionist but he is also clear that he is not an extremist and that he is trying to regain control of the dragon he unleased in his earlier writings.   In his statement, Maqdisi finally names his main nemesis, the brother-in-law of Zarqawi’s wife.  I haven’t seen Abu Qudama’s book yet but I’ll try to track it down. Here’s a summary: Question 1: Abu Rumman says you are shunning Zarqawi’s supporters.  Is it possible to consider this part of the “revisions,” as he says? Those of us who signed the statement are not dissociating ourselves from the brothers.  We are talking about a small group of ignorant people who haven’t studied at all, were not

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Will McCants December 15, 2008

Maqdisi’s High-Wire Act

On December 4, Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi–Zarqawi’s former mentor and one of the world’s most influential Jihadi ideologues–spoke briefly to the al-Ansar Paltalk chat group.  In his brief remarks, Maqdisi appears to distance himself from the Jihadi revisionists: For you and me I prescribe the fear of God, working for the sake of this religion, and being its helpers in the time before the victory (al-fath).  God, powerful and mighty, says: “Those of you who spent and fought before the victory are not equal (to those who didn’t); you are greater in rank than those who spent and fought afterwards” (Q 57:10).  Today, brothers and friends, you see the nations assailing us and there is no doubt that we are like the Companions of the Prophet (PBUP) before the victory.  I beseech God to hasten the victory for the people of Islam and the people of monotheism.   Action for the sake of

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Will McCants December 14, 2008

Maqdisi’s Moderation

Several days ago, I wondered why Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi–Zarqawi’s mentor and one of the most influential Jihadi ideologues alive–was being criticized or defended from criticism on the forums.  And last week, I speculated as to the reason his site, Tawhed.ws, has been allowed to go back up. We now have part of the answer.  According to members of several forums, a statement is circulating in Jordan that renounces takfirism, especially as exercised by a small group from the city of Zarqa’ (Zarqawi’s hometown).  One of the signatories of the statement is Maqdisi.   If Maqdisi signed the statement, it’s big news seeing as he’s the father of modern takfirism (excessively excommunicating other Muslims).  It also represents a further repudiation of Zarqawi (he had already broken with him over his harsh tactics in Iraq).  Although the statement is far short of the revisions of Sayyid Imam, it’s a step down the road

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Will McCants October 27, 2008

Maqdisi Composes Elegy for Zarqawi

Zarqawi’s spiritual mentor, Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi, composed an elegy for his deceased disciple soon after his death.  Although the two fell out over Zarqawi’s brutal tactics in Iraq, Maqdisi still has a soft spot for him.  The elegy, “The Dove Cried and the Swords Wept,” is recited by Maqdisi and has been released online for the first time via the Shumukh forum. For those of you that don’t know Maqdisi, he rated as the most-cited Jihadi alive in the study I conducted for West Point. Document (Arabic): 9-20-08-shamikh-abu-muhammad-maqdisi-elegy-for-zarqawi

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Will McCants September 25, 2008

From Jihadi to Islamist: Ahmad al-Sharaa and His Critics

On December 8, 2024, Syrian rebels led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) seized power in Damascus following a ten-day offensive, bringing a swift and unexpected end to the Asad regime’s decades’ long rule. The question now is what comes next. In the past, HTS’s leader, Abu Muhammad al-Jawlani, had praised al-Qaida, of which his group once formed a part, and repeatedly stated that his highest aim was to implement the sharia. “Whether we are with al-Qaida or not,” he declared in an interview in 2015, “we will never retreat from our principles and our constants. We will continue to strive to implement the sharia.” Two years earlier, in his very first interview, he outlined his vision for how Syria would be ruled post-Asad: When we come to the stage of liberating al-Sham, when Damascus falls, for instance … at that time sharia committees will assemble; the people who loosen and

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Cole Bunzel January 3, 2025
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