Military Review English Edition March-April 2016 | Page 21

DAESH

Caliphate, so this [name] is also a message to
the enemy that Baghdad is [theirs].”9 He uses
the last name al-Quraishi because the prophet Mohammad descended from the Quraish
tribe, so this name is intended to impart further legitimacy to his position. It is doubtful
he is descended from Mohammad, although
supporters distributed the genealogy of his
tribe allegedly showing such descent.10

Dabiq and the Judgment Day
Narrative
Indeed, fighting the kuffar, hijrah, and jihad will
remain until the establishment of the Hour.11
—Quoted from a hadith
Dabiq, the title of Daesh’s online propaganda magazine, is a word cloaked in religious symbolism. The word represents both
a place and an idea of great significance in
Islamic thought. It conjures up ideas of the
place where the final battle of good versus
evil will be waged, a battle that must take
place to herald the end of days. Using this
name for their publication “lends urgency”
to the movement, according to researcher Charlie Winter, which helps convince
others to join before it is too late.12 While
(Photo via Wikimedia Commons)
these ideas may sound far-fetched to many
The front cover of Dabiq magazine, Issue 1, July 2014.
Westerners, they bring many recruits to the
Daesh battlefield, eager to fight in the crucidescribed at length in the Quran, with flowing rivers
ble to bring about the end of days. Women join Daesh
and wide-eyed houris (virgins).16 Many hadith, saybecause they “believe that joining [it] in Syria will
ings of Mohammad, emphasize martyrdom, as in this
secure their place in paradise.”13
example: “Our Prophet told us about the Message of
The Centre on Religion and Geopolitics conducted
our Lord that ‘whoever amongst us is killed (in Jihad in
a study of salafi-jihadist propaganda from Daesh and
Allah’s Cause), will go to Paradise.’”17
two other groups from April 2013 to summer 2015,
The Quran describes the final day in detail, stating
including audio and written statements, videos, and
that, whenever it arrives, the day will be either one
magazines. The researchers found that 42 percent of
thousand or fifty thousand years long, the earth will
the sources studied contained “explicit references to
quake, and sinners will go to hell with “boiling scaldthe end of days.”14 For Muslims, this day is of supreme
ing water.”18 While Dabiq is never mentioned in the
importance because M uslims believe they can only
Quran, it is mentioned in a hadith.19 Daesh stresses the
enter heaven through their actions and the grace of
imminence of the end of days in its messaging. Recruits
God.15 This is why many join Daesh, as they believe
believe they must become martyrs soon, or else they
that waging jihad—holy war—and becoming marmay end up on the left side on judgment day, the side
tyrs will guarantee their entrance to paradise, a place
reserved for those going to hell.20
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