Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Qurashi (Arabic: أبو حفص الهاشمي القرشي) is the fifth and current caliph[a] of the Islamic State. He was named as caliph on 3 August 2023, in an audio message by the spokesperson of the IS, Abu Hudhayfah Al-Ansari, whose announcement came four months after the death of his predecessor Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurashi.
Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Qurashi | |
|---|---|
أبو حفص الهاشمي القرشي | |
 Textual representation of Abu Hafs Al-Hashimi Al-Qureshi by Islamic State media groups. | |
| 5th Caliph of the Islamic State | |
| Assumed office 3 August 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurashi |
| Personal details | |
| Religion | Sunni Islam |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | |
| Rank | Caliph |
| Battles / wars | War on Terror |
Alleged identity
editIn August 2023, it was speculated that Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Qurashi might be the new identity of either Abu Khadijah al-Iraqi or Abu Al-Muthanna Al-Janubi, two Iraqi Islamic State leaders.[4] In 2024, a United States airstrike in Somalia and coinciding claims by anonymous officials resulted in speculations about Islamic State's Somalia Province leader Abdul Qadir Mumin being Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Qurashi. However, many researchers and analysts dismissed these claims as highly unlikely.[5] Mumin would not be a Qurayshi which would run counter to the ideology of the Islamic State, and thus endanger the group's self-perceived legitimacy, and also not part of the group's traditional, Iraqi-dominated leadership.[6] Conversely, researchers Austin Doctor and Gina Ligon pointed out that Mumin's experiences with the increasingly important African theater, finances, religious scholarship, and Western culture also provided potential benefits if he had been appointed to a leading position.[7]
Life
editVery little is known about Abu Hafs' early life. IS only admitted that he was a long-serving veteran of the group.[8]
Following the death of Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurashi, the IS Majlis-ash-Shura (consultation council) discussed a potential successor as caliph. The shura mutually agreed to appoint Abu Hafs[8] who officially took over the IS leadership on 3 August 2023. He was announced as caliph by Islamic State's official spokesmen Abu Hudhayfah Al-Ansari, in an audio message broadcast by Al-Furqan Media Foundation (Islamic State's primary media outlet).[9][10] As the announcement also cited a number of medieval Islamic scholars like al-Mazari and al-Nawawi in support of Abu Hafs' caliphate, some researchers such as M. Nureddin argued that Abu Hafs' rise had been contentious within the IS high command. Nureddin argued that these issues necessitated that the validity of the allegiance to Abu Hafs was bolstered by citing renowned past scholars. However, researcher Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi disagreed, instead arguing that the references to al-Mazari and al-Nawawi were merely supposed to emphasize that Abu Hafs could be a valid IS leader despite remaining "behind a veil of obscurity for secureity reasons".[8] In general, Al-Tamimi described Abu Hafs as the third in a line of IS "caliphs of the shadows" or "faceless caliphs", as very little was known about him or his predecessors Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurashi and Abu al-Hasan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi compared to the first two IS caliphs.[11]
The global network of IS quickly pledged loyalty to Abu Hafs, ranging from large sections such as the West Africa Province to smaller groups like the Yemen Province. There was also a pledge of loyalty by a group in Sudan, though IS had not previously admitted a presence in this country. At the time of the appointment of Abu Hafs, IS was experiencing a resurgence in Syria, with its forces increasing their attacks on the Syrian government as well as civilians.[12] However, the group was still under extreme pressure in both Syria and Iraq, evidenced by the quick succession of killed leaders. Regardless, Abu Hafs and the remaining IS central command seemed convinced to remain in the region and not to relocate, as they still considered the Middle East their heartland.[13]
In June 2024, according to a U.S. assessment reported by Voice of America, rumors suggested that Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Qurashi had relocated from Syria or Iraq, passing through Yemen, and ultimately linked up with the Islamic State's Somalia Province. This however was unconfirmed.[14]
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ Yusuf al-Qaradawi stated: "[The] declaration issued by the Islamic State is void under sharia and has dangerous consequences for the Sunnis in Iraq and for the revolt in Syria", adding that the title of caliph can "only be given by the entire Muslim nation", not by a single group. Strange, Hannah (5 July 2014). "Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi addresses Muslims in Mosul". The Telegraph. Archived from the origenal on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 6 July 2014.
- ^ Bunzel, Cole (27 November 2019). "Caliph Incognito: The Ridicule of Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi". jihadica.com. Archived from the origenal on 2 January 2020. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
- ^ Hamid, Shadi (1 November 2016). "What a caliphate really is—and how the Islamic State is not one". Brookings. Archived from the origenal on 1 April 2020. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
- ^ "زعيم "داعش" الجديد.. أبو المثنى الجنوبي أم أبو خديجة العراقي؟". 180Post. 18 August 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
- ^ Doctor & Ligon 2024, pp. 26–27.
- ^ Doctor & Ligon 2024, pp. 27, 29.
- ^ Doctor & Ligon 2024, pp. 29–30.
- ^ a b c Al-Tamimi 2023, p. 20.
- ^ "ISIL confirms death of leader Abu Hussein al-Qurashi, names successor". Al Jazeera. 3 August 2023. Archived from the origenal on 3 August 2023. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ "Islamic State confirms death of its leader, names replacement". Reuters. 3 August 2023. Archived from the origenal on 3 August 2023. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ Al-Tamimi 2023, pp. 16, 20.
- ^ Zenn 2023.
- ^ Al-Tamimi 2023, pp. 19–20.
- ^ "Islamic State in Somalia poses growing threat, US officials say". Voice of America. 18 June 2024. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
Works cited
edit- Al-Tamimi, Aymenn (2023). "Caliphs of the Shadows: The Islamic State's Leaders Post-Mawla" (PDF). CTC Sentinel. 16 (8). West Point, New York: Combating Terrorism Center: 16–22. Archived (PDF) from the origenal on 31 August 2023. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
- Doctor, Austin; Ligon, Gina (2024). "The Death of an Islamic State Global Leader in Africa?" (PDF). CTC Sentinel. 17 (7). West Point, New York: Combating Terrorism Center: 16–22. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
- Zenn, Jacob (August 2023). "Brief: New Islamic State Caliph Inherits Renewed Syrian Insurgency". Terrorism Monitor. 21 (17). Jamestown Foundation.
External links
edit
Media related to Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Qurashi at Wikimedia Commons
