Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi ( ar, أبو محمد المقدسي, ʾAbū Muḥammad al-Maqdisī), or more fully Abu Muhammad Essam al-Maqdisi ( ar, أبو محمد عصام المقدسي, ʾAbū Muḥammad ʿIṣām al-Maqdisī), is the assumed name of Essam Muhammad Tahir al-Barqawi ( ar, عصام محمد طاهر البرقاوي, ʿIṣām Muḥammad Ṭāhir al-Barqāwī), an
Islamist Jordan
Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
ian-
Palestinian
Palestinians ( ar, الفلسطينيون, ; he, פָלַסְטִינִים, ) or Palestinian people ( ar, الشعب الفلسطيني, label=none, ), also referred to as Palestinian Arabs ( ar, الفلسطينيين العرب, label=non ...
writer. A
Qutubi jihadi
Jihadism is a neologism which is used in reference to "militant Islamic movements that are perceived as existentially threatening to the West" and "rooted in political Islam."Compare: Appearing earlier in the Pakistani and Indian media, Wes ...
ideologue, he has popularized many of the most common themes of
radical Islam
Islamic extremism, Islamist extremism, or radical Islam, is used in reference to extremist beliefs and behaviors which are associated with the Islamic religion. These are controversial terms with varying definitions, ranging from academic und ...
today, like the theological impetus given to the notion of
Al Wala' Wal Bara' Al-walāʾ wa-l-barāʾ ( ar, ) is a concept associated with Islam, particularly in Salafi and Wahhabi thought. It literally means "loyalty and disavowal", which signifies loving and hating for the sake of Allah.
History
The concept is deri ...
, being the first to declare the
Saudi royal family
The House of Saud ( ar, آل سُعُود, ʾĀl Suʿūd ) is the ruling royal family of Saudi Arabia. It is composed of the descendants of Muhammad bin Saud, founder of the Emirate of Diriyah, known as the First Saudi state (1727–1818), and ...
to be apostates or considering democracy a religion, and thus whoever believes in it to be an apostate, but he is best known as the spiritual mentor of Jordanian jihadist
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi ( ar, أَبُو مُصْعَبٍ ٱلزَّرْقَاوِيُّ, ', ''Father of Musab, from Zarqa''; ; October 30, 1966 – June 7, 2006), born Ahmad Fadeel al-Nazal al-Khalayleh (, '), was a Jordanian jihadist who ran a t ...
, the initial leader of
al-Qaeda in Iraq
Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI; ar, القاعدة في العراق, al-Qā'idah fī al-ʿIrāq) or Al-Qaeda in Mesopotamia ( ar, القاعدة في بلاد الرافدين, al-Qā'idah fī Bilād ar-Rāfidayn), officially known as ''Tanzim Qaidat a ...
. However, an ideological and methodical split emerged between Maqdisi and Zarqawi in 2004 due to Zarqawi's
takfeer
''Takfir'' or ''takfīr'' ( ar, تكفير, takfīr) is an Arabic and Islamic term which denotes excommunication from Islam of one Muslim by another, i.e. accusing another Muslim to be an apostate. The word is found neither in the Quran nor in ...
proclamations towards the Shia populations in Iraq. Maqdisi opted for a more cautious approach towards targeted Shia killings, attempting to stop Zarqawi's radical ideological movement before Zarqawi's methods become counter-productive.
The writings of Maqdisi still have a wide following; a study
[USMA Militant Ideology Atlas](_blank)
summary carried out by the
Combating Terrorism Center
The Combating Terrorism Center is an academic institution at the United States Military Academy (USMA) in West Point, New York that provides education, research and policy analysis in the specialty areas of terrorism, counterterrorism, homeland ...
of the
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...
(USMA) concluded that Maqdisi "is the most influential living Jihadi Theorist" and that "by all measures, Maqdisi is the key contemporary ideologue in the Jihadi intellectual universe". The ''Tawhed'' jihadist website, which he owns,
continues to operate; the USMA report describes it as "al-Qa`ida's main online library".
Background
Maqdisi was born in 1959 in the city of
Nablus
Nablus ( ; ar, نابلس, Nābulus ; he, שכם, Šəḵem, ISO 259-3: ; Samaritan Hebrew: , romanized: ; el, Νεάπολις, Νeápolis) is a Palestinian city in the West Bank, located approximately north of Jerusalem, with a populati ...
,
West Bank
The West Bank ( ar, الضفة الغربية, translit=aḍ-Ḍiffah al-Ġarbiyyah; he, הגדה המערבית, translit=HaGadah HaMaʽaravit, also referred to by some Israelis as ) is a landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...
.
[Democracy: A Religion!](_blank)
Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi, Al Furqan Islamic Information Centre, Australia, 2012 Revised Edition, pp. 8-12. At a young age his family immigrated to
Kuwait
Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...
.
He later studied at the
University of Mosul
The University of Mosul is a public university located in Mosul. It is one of the largest educational and research centers in the Middle East, and the second largest in Iraq, behind the University of Baghdad.
The University of Mosul was closed b ...
in
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
. It was during this time he began to take on an Islamist world view.
He began to travel around Kuwait and
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
in order to visit with numerous religious students and sheikhs.
However he came to believe that many of these religious figures were ignorant of the true state of affairs in the
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
world.
He then began to study the writings of
Sayyid Qutb
Sayyid 'Ibrāhīm Ḥusayn Quṭb ( or ; , ; ar, سيد قطب إبراهيم حسين ''Sayyid Quṭb''; 9 October 1906 – 29 August 1966), known popularly as Sayyid Qutb ( ar, سيد قطب), was an Egyptians, Egyptian author, educato ...
and
Hassan al-Banna
Sheikh Hassan Ahmed Abdel Rahman Muhammed al-Banna ( ar, حسن أحمد عبد الرحمن محمد البنا; 14 October 1906 – 12 February 1949), known as Hassan al-Banna ( ar, حسن البنا), was an Egyptian schoolteacher and imam, b ...
and the methods of the
Muslim Brotherhood
The Society of the Muslim Brothers ( ar, جماعة الإخوان المسلمين'' ''), better known as the Muslim Brotherhood ( ', is a transnational Sunni Islamist organization founded in Egypt by Islamic scholar and schoolteacher Hassan ...
.
Maqdisi travelled to
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
and
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
and met many of the Afghan
jihad
Jihad (; ar, جهاد, jihād ) is an Arabic word which literally means "striving" or "struggling", especially with a praiseworthy aim. In an Islamic context, it can refer to almost any effort to make personal and social life conform with Go ...
groups there at the time. In Pakistan he was based in the city of
Peshawar
Peshawar (; ps, پېښور ; hnd, ; ; ur, ) is the sixth most populous city in Pakistan, with a population of over 2.3 million. It is situated in the north-west of the country, close to the International border with Afghanistan. It is ...
, a center for the
Afghan Jihad
''Mujahideen'', or ''Mujahidin'' ( ar, مُجَاهِدِين, mujāhidīn), is the plural form of ''mujahid'' ( ar, مجاهد, mujāhid, strugglers or strivers or justice, right conduct, Godly rule, etc. doers of jihād), an Arabic term t ...
, remaining there for three years as a professor of religion, where he first met the later notorious Jordanian jihadist
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi ( ar, أَبُو مُصْعَبٍ ٱلزَّرْقَاوِيُّ, ', ''Father of Musab, from Zarqa''; ; October 30, 1966 – June 7, 2006), born Ahmad Fadeel al-Nazal al-Khalayleh (, '), was a Jordanian jihadist who ran a t ...
, and also where he published some of his most famous books : ''Millat Ibrahim'', considered to be his single most influential work, and ''Al-Kawashif al-Jaliyya fi Kufr al-Dawla al-Sa'udiyya'', where he declared the Saudi state to be infidels. He also confronted the members of
Takfir wal-Hijra
''Takfir wal-Hijra'' ( ar, تكفير والهجرة, translation: "Excommunication and Exodus", alternatively "excommunication and emigration" or "anathema and exile"), was the popular name given to a radical Islamist group ''Jama'at al-Muslim ...
and wrote a book refuting their extreme views. In 1992, he returned to
Jordan
Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
. He began to denounce the Jordanian government and what he believed were the man-made laws being implemented there. He was also the first prominent Islamist scholar to brand the
House of Saud
The House of Saud ( ar, آل سُعُود, ʾĀl Suʿūd ) is the ruling royal family of Saudi Arabia. It is composed of the descendants of Muhammad bin Saud, founder of the Emirate of Diriyah, known as the First Saudi state (1727–1818), and ...
as unbelievers or
takfir
''Takfir'' or ''takfīr'' ( ar, تكفير, takfīr) is an Arabic and Islamic term which denotes excommunication from Islam of one Muslim by another, i.e. accusing another Muslim to be an apostate. The word is found neither in the Quran nor in ...
, and to hold the adoption of
democracy
Democracy (From grc, δημοκρατία, dēmokratía, ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which the people have the authority to deliberate and decide legislation (" direct democracy"), or to choose gov ...
as tantamount to
apostasy
Apostasy (; grc-gre, ἀποστασία , 'a defection or revolt') is the formal disaffiliation from, abandonment of, or renunciation of a religion by a person. It can also be defined within the broader context of embracing an opinion that i ...
. His teachings gained many adherents and this earned him the attention of the Jordanian government, and he was arrested and imprisoned. During the years 1995–99 both he and al-Zarqawi were in prison together and he exerted a strong influence on al-Zarqawi, shaping his Islamist ideology. Their strategic plans were described by
Fouad Hussein
Fouad Hussein is a Jordanian journalist and author of the 2005 Arabic language book ''Al-Zarqawi: The Second Generation of Al Qaeda''. It is based on interviews with senior Islamic militants, including Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the late leader of Al-Qa ...
in his book ''Al-Zarqawi: The Second Generation of Al Qaeda''.
After they were released from prison, al-Zarqawi departed for
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
while Maqdisi stayed in Jordan. He was later rearrested on
terrorism
Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of criminal violence to provoke a state of terror or fear, mostly with the intention to achieve political or religious aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violen ...
charges for conspiring to attack
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
targets in Jordan. He was released again in July 2005, but arrested again after he gave an interview to
al Jazeera
Al Jazeera ( ar, الجزيرة, translit-std=DIN, translit=al-jazīrah, , "The Island") is a state-owned Arabic-language international radio and TV broadcaster of Qatar. It is based in Doha and operated by the media conglomerate Al Jazeera ...
. In 2009 he defended himself against "younger extremists accus
nghim of going soft" by quoting the American Combating Terrorism Center at West Point, which identified him "as a dangerous and influential jihadi theorist."
Maqdisi served a five-year term in a Jordanian prison for allegations of jeopardising state security and recruiting jihadists to fight in Afghanistan. He was released in June 2014 by the Jordanian government, in a move speculated to be motivated by their opposition to the
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
An Islamic state is a State (polity), state that has a form of government based on sharia, Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical Polity, polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a t ...
. On 21 September 2014, he advocated for the release of British hostage,
Alan Henning
Alan Henning (15 August 1967 – ) was an English taxicab driver-turned-volunteer humanitarian aid worker. He was the fourth Western hostage killed by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) whose killing was publicised in a beheading vide ...
. Al-Maqdisi said, "Henning worked with a charitable organization led by Muslims which sent several aid convoys to help the Syrian people. Is it reasonable that his reward is being kidnapped and slaughtered? ... He should be rewarded with thanks. ..We call on the (Islamic) State to release this man (Henning) and other aid group employees who enter the land of Muslims with a guarantee of protection ... according to the judgment of Shariah law," he said."
Maqdisi has also told those thinking of fighting for the Yemeni government against the
Shia insurgency of the
Houthis
The Houthi movement (; ar, ٱلْحُوثِيُّون ''al-Ḥūthīyūn'' ), officially called Ansar Allah (' ''Partisans of God'' or ''Supporters of God'') and colloquially simply Houthis, is an Islamist political and armed movement that ...
, that they should instead keep well out of the war against the Houthis because Yemeni's must not help Yemen's pro-Western government, which deserves to be overthrown.
Jihadi relationships
Dr. Abdullah al-Muheisini, a Saudi expat and religious scholar who abandoned his life of wealth and privilege in Saudi Arabia to struggle side by side with the mujahideen in Syria, endorsed Islamic scholars like Al-Balawi, Eyad Quneibi,
Tareq Abdulhalim Tariq Abdul Haleem (طارق عبد الحليم) is an Egyptian Islamist cleric residing in Canada in Ontario's city of Mississauga and head of the Dar al-Arqam institution there. Tariq Abdul Haleem, along with Abu Qatada, Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi ...
,
Hani al-Siba'i, Yusuf al-Ahmed,
Abdulaziz al-Tureifi
Abdul-Aziz bin Marzouq al-Tarifi (Arabic عبد العزيز بن مرزوق الطريفي) (born 29 November 1976) is a Saudi Arabian Islamic Teacher.
Al-Tarefe is a Salafi scholar who is recognized for his knowledge in Hadith and Fiqh.
He ...
,
Suleiman al-Ulwan
Sheikh Sulaymān al-ʿAlwān or more fully known as, Sulaymān ibn Nāṣir ibn ʿAbdullāh al-ʿAlwān ( ar, سليمان بن ناصر بن عبد الله العلوان), is a theoretician of militant jihad. He is known to have memorised the ...
,
Abu Qatada Abu Qatada () may refer to:
* Abu Qatada al-Ansari (584–658/660), knight of the Rashidun Caliphate
* Abu Qatada al-Filistini
Omar Mahmoud Othman ( ar, عمر بن محمود بن عثمان, translit=‘Umar ibn Maḥmūd ibn ‘Uṯmān; ...
al-Filistini, and Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi.
Doğu Türkistan Bülteni Haber Ajansı reported that the
Turkistan Islamic Party
The Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP) or the Turkistan Islamic Movement (TIM), formerly known as the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) and other names, is a Uyghur Islamic extremist organization founded in Western China. Its stated goals ar ...
was praised by Abu Qatada along with
Abdul Razzaq al Mahdi
Abdul Razzaq al-Mahdi ( ar, عبد الزراق المهدي), is a Syrian Islamist cleric who is actively involved fighting in the Syrian Civil War against the Syrian government. He originates from Damascus's Al-Salihiyah district and was b ...
, Maqdisi, Muhaysini and
Ayman al-Zawahiri
Ayman Mohammed Rabie al-Zawahiri (June 19, 1951 – July 31, 2022) was an Egyptian-born terrorist and physician who served as the second emir of al-Qaeda from June 16, 2011, until his death.
Al-Zawahiri graduated from Cairo University with ...
.
Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi and Abu Qatada were referenced by Muhaysini.
Upon the death of
Omar Abdel-Rahman
Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman ( ar, عمر عبد الرحمن), (ʾUmar ʾAbd ar-Raḥmān; 3 May 1938 – 18 February 2017), commonly known in the United States as "The Blind Sheikh", was a blind Egyptians, Egyptian Islamist militant who served a ...
, condolences were given by al-Maqdisi.
Tariq Abdelhaleem Tariq Abdul Haleem (طارق عبد الحليم) is an Egyptian Islamist cleric residing in Canada in Ontario's city of Mississauga and head of the Dar al-Arqam institution there. Tariq Abdul Haleem, along with Abu Qatada, Abu Muhammad al-Maqdis ...
complained about
Hayyat Tahrir al-Sham being criticized by Barqawi.
Tariq criticized on a statement on Hayyat by Barqawi.
[ Tariq posted a tweet defending ]Abu Jaber
Hashim al-Shaykh ( ar, هاشم الشيخ), also known by his ''nom de guerre'' Abu Jaber Shaykh ( ar, أبو جابر الشيخ) is a rebel commander during the Syrian Civil War who is a senior leader of Tahrir al-Sham. He had reportedly res ...
against Barqawi.[ Nusra was criticized by Maqdisi. An HTS spokesman was slammed by Al-Maqdisi Barqawi was criticized by Tariq.][
Euphrates Shield was attacked and criticized by al-Maqdisi.
]
Works
* ''This is our Aqeedah''
* ''Millat Ibrahim''
* ''Democracy is a Religion''
* ''The Obvious Proofs of the Saudi State's Disbelief''
* ''...So, Do Not Fear Them!''
* ''Expecting the Best from Allah''
* ''Delighting The Sight by Exposing the Doubts of Contemporary Murjiah''
* ''Meezaanul-I'itidaal li-taqyim kitaab ul-Mawrid al-Zilaal fi-Tanbeeh ala' Akthaa al-Dhilaal''["Introduction to the 2nd Ed. of "Manhaj ul-Anbiyaa fi Dawat Ila Allaah fihi Hikmat wa al-Aql" by Dr. Rabee al Madkhalee printed by Dar Miraath Nabawy Algeria 2016"]
See also
*Abu Qatada Abu Qatada () may refer to:
* Abu Qatada al-Ansari (584–658/660), knight of the Rashidun Caliphate
* Abu Qatada al-Filistini
Omar Mahmoud Othman ( ar, عمر بن محمود بن عثمان, translit=‘Umar ibn Maḥmūd ibn ‘Uṯmān; ...
*Abu Basir al-Tartusi
Abu Basir al-Tartusi is the assumed name of Abd-al Mun'em Mustafa Halima, a Syrian cleric and jihadist theoretician. He has been described as one of the "primary Salafi opinion-makers guiding the jihadi movement."
Abu Basir was born in the Syr ...
*Abu Musab al-Suri
Abu Musab al-Suri ( ar, أبو مصعب السوري), born Mustafa bin Abd al-Qadir Setmariam Nasar ( ar, مصطفى بن عبد القادر ست مريم نصار), is a suspected Al-Qaeda member and writer best known for his 1,600-page book ...
*Muhammad Surur
Muhammad Surur bin Nayif Zayn al-'Abidin ( ar, محمد سرور بن نايف زين العابدين; 1938 – 11 November 2016) was a former Syrian Muslim Brotherhood member. He is credited with developing the Salafi Islamist trend that later ca ...
* Abu Qutaibah al Majali
References
Further reading
*
External links
Official website
(in Arabic)
Al-Jazeera interview, July 2005
CTC Militant Ideology Atlas
compendium
* http://jihadology.net/category/individuals/ideologues/abu-mu%e1%b8%a5mmad-al-maqdisi/
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maqdisi, Abu Muhammad al-
1959 births
Living people
Palestinian Islamists
Palestinian Sunni Muslim scholars of Islam
People from Nablus
Palestinian people imprisoned abroad
Prisoners and detainees of Jordan
Palestinian political writers
Jordanian Salafis
Critics of Shia Islam
Qutbism
Jordanian Qutbists
Qutbists
Salafi jihadists
University of Mosul alumni