Al-Qaida chief Ayman al-Zawahiri The Coordinator 2015 Part 19-107-Caliphate-Emirate

By Capt (Ret) C de Waart, feel free to share: in Confidence. In The "War of the Cross, we seek a Strategy, our Enemy has one."

an “Islamic emirate”

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi: caliph Ibrahim said, “America and its allies are terrified, weak, and powerless,” repeatedly attacking “the Jews” and “apostate” and “treacherous” Muslim (Arab) leaders who feared the return of the Muslim faithful to the ways of the caliphate. However and strong contradicting Baghdadi: Ibn Ishaq, who wrote the first biography of the Prophet, described the "Constitution" as such: "The apostle [Muhammad] wrote a document concerning the emigrants and the helpers [the peoples of Madinah] in which he made a friendly agreement with the Jews and established them in their religion and their property, and stated the reciprocal obligations."

• The "declaration by the [Islamic] State of a Caliphate is invalid" according to sharia law, they argue, because Abu Bakr al Baghdadi's organization did not build a proper consensus within the Ummah (community of worldwide Muslims) before making its announcement.

• 29 Jan. The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) chief Abu Bakar al-Baghdadi has called the Taliban supreme leader Mullah Mohammad Omar a fool and illiterate warlord and does not deserve a spritual or political credibility, according to a report by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty which cited reports by the Times

Cees, lets have a look back to see the likely way ahead: “America and its allies are terrified, weak, and powerless,” Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi said, repeatedly attacking “the Jews” and “apostate” and “treacherous” Muslim (Arab) leaders who feared the return of the Muslim faithful to the ways of the caliphate. So is the “new Caliph Ibrahim right or wrong, and so are those answering the call: Obey me so long as I obey God and His apostle, and if I disobey them, you owe me no obedience "to him rightfully as he claims?

30 Jan LWJ - 1 - On Jan. 28, a statement from ten veteran jihadist ideologues was posted on the web site for Vilayat Dagestan, which is one of ICE's so-called "provinces." The jihadists denounce the defections and argue that the Islamic State's self-proclaimed "caliphate" is illegitimate because it was not established according to sharia law. The participation of sharia officials from both AQAP and Al Nusrah demonstrates a degree of coordination across al Qaeda's branches. And this is not the first time officials from two al Qaeda branches have coordinated their messaging with respect to the Islamic State. In mid-September, al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and AQAP published a joint statement encouraging jihadist unity in the face of American-led airstrikes in Syria. Both AQIM and AQAP have rejected the Islamic State's "caliphate" in Iraq and Syria but wanted the jihadists to unite against their common enemies. The gambit failed, as the Islamic State remains opposed to all other groups in Syria. Other well-known jihadist ideologues who signed the statement include Abdallah Muhammad al Muhaysini, an al Qaeda-linked cleric who works closely with Al Nusrah, and Hani Sibai, a longtime ally of Ayman al Zawahiri dating back to the days when they were both in the Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ). Four others signed it as well. Two others who signed the release are Sami al Uraydi, the senior sharia official for the Al Nusrah Front in Syria, and Abu Mariya al Qahtani, another Al Nusrah sharia official. The "declaration by the

1 http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/01/al_qaeda_sharia_offi.php By THOMAS JOSCELYN January 30, 2015

[Islamic] State of a Caliphate is invalid" according to sharia law, they argue, because Abu Bakr al Baghdadi's organization did not build a proper consensus within the Ummah (community of worldwide Muslims) before making its announcement. They contend that the Islamic State did not consult with "the honest scholars of the Ummah and their sincere local leaders and their ilk" before declaring Baghdadi to be "Caliph Ibrahim." The Islamic State's jihadist critics have consistently made this same argument against the group. The authors repeat a common al Qaeda argument: Declaring the establishment of an Islamic emirate (or state) is foolish as long as the US remains a global power. They say that Osama bin Laden, Ayman al Zawahiri ("the mujahid sheikh"), and Attiyah Abd al Rahman (a deceased al Qaeda leader) all held this view. It is, therefore, "vanity" to establish emirates "under the shadow of the global system of disbelief led by America," because this system does not "stop interfering in the lands of the Muslims." Cees; Many are following the events with the last year so-called self declared Islamic State with the self declared Caliph Ibrahim; Baghdadi. It’s violence, killing, and atrocities and the deliberate targeting of what he calls other non- correct Muslims 2; ”that he declared takfir3 and apostate to justify his or out his name actions against them. What we in the west less understand is the knowledge available in the Islamic secret scripts and rulings as well as the role and responsibilities of the caliph and its relation with others.” Additionally the role and importance of the establishing of Islamic emirates, - so far not much obedience seen coming from them for the new Caliph - that are the building blocks of the global caliphate, as there are: The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Da Afghanistan Islami Amarat) with Mullah Omar as the commander of the Faithfull, was the state established in 1996 when the Taliban began their rule of Afghanistan and ended with their fall from power in 2001. We also have likely heard of or the Caucasus Emirate and the newly Bengasi formed in Libya. But there are more and some of us will be surprised that attempts to establish are seen also in the United Kingdom. Baghdadi mentioned in his first statements that all of them should answer to his call: Obey me so long as I obey God and His apostle, and if I disobey them, you owe me no obedience. Later on 13 Nov 2014, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, has apparently surfaced alive after he was rumoured to have been killed in a US air strike, calling for attacks in Saudi Arabia and for “volcanoes of jihad” across the world. Baghdadi’s call, in a defiant speech purported to be in his name, claimed that the “crusader” US-led military campaign against Isis was failing. “America and its allies are terrified, weak, and powerless,” he said, repeatedly attacking “the Jews” and “apostate” and “treacherous” Muslim (Arab) leaders who feared the return of the Muslim faithful to the ways of the caliphate. In a 17-minute audio tape released by al-Furqan media — a jihadi site — Baghdadi was described as “commander of the faithful” and “Caliph of the Muslims”.If we look at The Prophetic Ahaadeeth: When the Messenger of Allah was working for the establishment of the Islamic State he did not grab at any opportunity that was offered to

2 The militant activities of the Islamic State group (IS) and its counterparts have contributed to the rise of moderate Islam in the Islamic world. The fact is that it is Muslims, of all sects, who have suffered the most at the hands of these groups. A 2012 US National Counterterrorism Center report revealed, “In cases where the religious affiliation of terrorism casualties could be determined, Muslims suffered between 82 and 97% of terrorism-related fatalities over the past five years.” The violence has created among Muslims a general feeling of solidarity with the non-Muslim minorities in the Middle East and Westerners who fell prey to these groups. http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/01/terrorism-moderate-islam-iraq-iran-arab-world.html3 refers to the practice of excommunication, one Muslim declaring a non-Muslim or an apostate

him to establish his state. "It is obligatory to hold fast to the Jamaa'ah of the Muslim4s and their Imaam : the idea of an Emirate does not mean anything according to the Islamic concept outside of the framework of the Khilafah. The Shar'a has affirmed that the Muslims are one Ummah and that it is not permitted for there to be more than one human Jamaa'ah according to the political understanding. – - Cees Mullah Omar the already commander of the Faithfull, the one who donned the Prophet Cloak and became: On the 4th of April 1996, supporters of Mullah Omar bestowed on him the title Amir al-Mu'minin Remember: When oath of allegiance has been taken for two caliphs, kill the one for whom the oath was taken later. Hadith, Book 19, Number 45685: Narrated AbuSa'id al-Khudri: The Messenger of Allah said.) So when the work is done to establish the Islamic authority or Islamic rule then it is obligatory to know that the only form that can be considered is that which the Shar'a has affirmed and approved of and that which the Nabi explained, and this is the Khilafah. The Khilafah in its description as the general leadership for all of the Muslims without paying any regard to the region, borders, people or race. Some have after seeing the success of the Islamic project in a land or after seeing a vacuum or weakness in the authority rush to gain control over a town, city, province or even an afflicted land so as to announce within it the birth of 'Islamic rule' or an Islamic Emirate as if states are founded by their mere announcement alone. Any state requires essential elements or prerequisites for it to stand firm and continue. It is not enough to have belief in its justice for it to be established on the earth but rather it is necessary for it to have the essential material elements and this understanding applies to the Islamic State and its establishment. It is necessary for the Islamic State that is desired to be established today to possess the essential elements and prerequisites that allow it to remain so that it is capable of defending itself from any external threat. Cees and Zawahiri knows best: Ibn Ishaq, who wrote the first biography of the Prophet, described the "Constitution" as such: "The apostle [Muhammad] wrote a document concerning the emigrants and the helpers [the peoples of Madinah] in which he made a friendly agreement with the Jews and established them in their religion and their property, and stated the reciprocal obligations."3 The Constitution lists each tribe in Madinah one by one, and guarantees their rights and freedoms.--- Cees The Banu Nadir were a Jewish tribe who lived in northern Arabia until the 7th century at the oasis of Yathrib (now known as Medina). Based on documents as well as the written historical record, the Islamic city-state at Madinah was characterised by unprecedented political and religious tolerance, as guaranteed by law. ----- Cees: The Sunni theologian Sheikh Ruzwan Mohammed argues 6: "While you do have two caliphs on earth proclaiming that they're the representatives of the Muslim community at this point, and more deeply that they are the shadow of God on earth, Muslims at that point were very pragmatic, and they acknowledged the fact that there could be more than one caliph representing the benefits and the concerns of the Muslim community - and that was also understood and accepted by Muslim theologians." --------

Volume 9, Book 89, Number 263: Narrated Abu Musa: Two men from my tribe and I entered upon the Prophet. One of the two men said to the Prophet, "O Allah's Apostle! Appoint me as a governor," and so did the second. The Prophet said, "We do not assign the authority of ruling to those who ask for it, nor to those who are keen to have it."

Volume 9, Book 89, Number 264: Narrated Ma'qil: I heard the Prophet saying, "Any man whom Allah has given the authority of ruling some people and he does not look after them in an honest manner, will never feel even the smell of Paradise."

4 it is obligatory upon a person to make bay 'ah to the leader of the Muslims and sticking to the Muslim Jamaa'ah based on the words of the Prophet // 5 http://history.hanover.edu/courses/excerpts/261had.html6 http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-29761018

The example of the Prophet and the political model of his city-state at Madinah stands in stark contrast to Baghdadi's (non) "Islamic State." Muhammad guaranteed freedom of religion and worship in a set of written laws; conversely, Baghdadi and his troops are burning ancient Christian churches in Mosul and recently destroyed the ancient Shrine of Jonah. For example, the Qur'an commands Muhammad to acknowledge that his religion is the religion of Abraham, who worshipped no god but God (monotheism). "So, believers, say, 'We believe in God and in what was sent down to us and what was sent down to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and what was given to Moses, Jesus, and all the prophets by their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and we devote ourselves to Him'" [2:136].

Cees and Zawahiri knows best7 - 8 - 9….. Find here some background information. ; Al-hukm ush-Shar’i (divine rule) is the Legislator’s speech pertaining to the actions of men. The Legislator’s speech10 is understood through the text and the connotations (qaraa’in) that determine the meaning of the text. It is not true that every order indicates obligation, and nor does forbiddance indicates prohibition. This is because the order could indicate preference (nadb) or allowance (ibahah); and forbiddance could also indicate dislike (karahah).

Cees The (non) Islamic State: Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and the Challenge of Islamic Illiteracy Nicholas P. Roberts Thursday, 31 July 2014. Baghdadi’s ideology 11, rooted in the concept of takfir, calls for transnational jihad to establish a new "Islamic caliphate." Takfiri ideology holds that any Muslim whose beliefs are different is an unbeliever and apostate and must, therefore, be killed. The concept of takfir in Islamic law is complex. Takfir refers to declarations of apostasy and excommunication from the faith. It is forbidden, considered heresy, for one Muslim to simply declare another Muslim an apostate because of differences of opinion over the faith. The process of takfir, which usually only occurs after a Muslim has declared himself a kafir, or unbeliever, is guarded by a labyrinth of stringent legal measures. Many Westerners argue that Muslim leaders throughout the world are, to some degree, at fault for the proliferation of this ideology because they have failed to condemn it. However, this argument is superficial and does not pass the test of any serious analysis. For only one

7 (IraqiNews.com) 15 July 2014. Al-Qaeda rejects ISIS’ caliphate and succession of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and North Africa released a statement that it rejects the declaration of the so-called caliphate of the organization of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria and that fighters should pledge allegiance to al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. A statement posted on social networking sites said that “We confirm that we still pledge allegiance to our Sheikh and our Emir Ayman, al-Zawahiri. This is the pledge of allegiance to Jihad for the liberation of Muslim countries, the Islamic Sharia arbitration and retrieving the caliphate on a platform of prophecy.”8 Al-Qaeda's 'general command' rejects link with Islamic State in Iraq and Levant, which has been fighting other rebels. "Al-Qaeda announces it is not linked to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, as it was not informed of its creation [and] did not accept it," ISIL "is not a branch of al-Qaeda, has no links to it, and the [al-Qaeda] group is not responsible for its acts," it added. "We affirm our disavowal from the sedition that is occurring in Syria between factions of jihadists, and from the blood that was shed by any party," it said. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/02/al-qaeda-disowns-isil-rebels-syria-20142385858351969.html9 http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/01/al_qaeda_sharia_offi.php 10 Baghdadi’s Speaking as the first Caliph, or commander of the Islamic faithful since the dissolution of the Ottoman empire, he called on Muslims to rally to his pan-Islamic state "This is my advice to you. If you hold to it you will conquer Rome and own the world, if Allah wills." 'Obey me as far as I obey God' His sermon came only days after he declared himself caliph, or ruler, of the world’s 1.2 billion Muslims.   In his first recorded speech, the Islamic State leader implores his followers to fight the 'perpetrators' of crimes against Muslims - http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/what-did-baghdadi-say-32074901011 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/articles/middle-east/13144-the-non-islamic-state-abu-bakr-al-baghdadi-and-the-challenge-of-islamic-illiteracy

example, the 2005 Amman Message, the consensus of more than 500 Islamic scholars, including the Shaykh of Al-Azhar, the Shi'a cleric Ayatollah Sistani, and Shaykh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, reminded Muslims that it is forbidden to declare a fellow Muslim an apostate. Instead of the superficial Western argument, this ideology has been sustained and fed by very real factors, many of which have been created and/or made worse by United States policy and actions in the Middle East. For example, Baghdadi's group traces its origins to Iraq, where he used the destruction from the 2003 American invasion to give his ideology some legitimacy. Baghdadi argued that only Islam, as a total and complete way of life governing matters of state and matters of faith, could repel the American occupiers and begin to build a more pristine "Islamic" way of life. Takfiri militants like Baghdadi attempt to legitimate their theoretical conceptualisation of an "Islamic State" as a return to the past; a return to some point in history when a purer, richer form of Islam was practiced. The example drawn upon is the experience of Prophet Muhammad at Madinah. While the Prophet's community there was not a "state," properly considered, it was the first instance of Islam being used politically, and the example of the Prophet as a religious and political leader remains the eternal model for all practicing Muslims to adhere by. However, an analysis of the actual historical experience of the Prophet and his followers at Madinah illuminates the religious and historical illiteracy of takfiri ideology. First, the Qur'an expressly forbids declarations of apostasy between Muslims. "Oh, you who believe and live on the path of God, be discerning, and do not say to anyone who greets you with peace, 'You are not a believer'" [4:94]. The Qur'an also reveals that there shall be no compulsion in acceptance of religion [2:256]. Elsewhere, the Qur'an reveals that there will naturally be differences of opinion among Muslims and non-Muslims: "Say: 'Oh, you who disbelieve, I do not worship what you worship, and you do not worship what I worship, and I shall not worship what you worship, and you shall not worship what I worship. To you your religion, and to me, mine'" [109:1-6].The Islamic State's demands that Iraqi Christians leave their territory, convert to Islam or face immediate death have no basis in either the Qur'an or the example of the Prophet. When the Prophet arrived in Madinah to establish the first Muslim community, the most powerful tribes there were Jewish. Especially after being harshly oppressed in Makkah before he fled to Madinah, the Prophet sought to establish a system of government that was based on the voluntary consent of the people, and that guaranteed them the freedom to worship and practice their faiths as they wished. One of the first Muslim historians, Muhammad ibn 'Umar al-Waqidi, provided an illuminating account of this. He wrote that the inhabitants of Madinah "were a mixed lot" and, therefore, the Prophet "wished, when he arrived at Madinah, to establish peace/concord between them, all of them as a collective group, and to make peace with them. A man would be a Muslim and his father a polytheist."1 The political system that Muhammad ultimately established is enshrined in what has been labelled the "Constitution of Madinah." Though not strictly speaking a constitution, this collection of eight separate documents established a governing system of political and religious tolerance. The first document was written after a contract between Muhammad and the Madinan tribes known in English as the Treaty or Contract of Al-'Aqaba. The early Muslim historians Ibn Ishaq and Ibn Hashim recorded Muhammad as having stated upon the conclusion of the treaty: "All things are now common between us; your blood is as my blood, your ruin is as my ruin."2 Ibn Ishaq, who wrote the first biography of the Prophet, described the "Constitution" as such: "The apostle [Muhammad] wrote a document concerning the emigrants and the helpers [the peoples of Madinah] in which he made a friendly agreement with the Jews and established them in their religion and their property, and stated the reciprocal obligations."3 The Constitution lists each tribe in Madinah one by one, and guarantees their rights and freedoms. Based on these documents as well as the written historical record, the Islamic city-state at Madinah was characterised by unprecedented

political and religious tolerance, as guaranteed by law. The example of the Prophet and the political model of his city-state at Madinah thus stands in stark contrast to Baghdadi's (non) "Islamic State." Muhammad guaranteed freedom of religion and worship in a set of written laws; conversely, Baghdadi and his troops are burning ancient Christian churches in Mosul and recently destroyed the ancient Shrine of Jonah. By destroying the shrine of Prophet Jonah simply because he is associated with Christianity Baghdadi is, apparently, unaware that the Qur'an commands Muslims to revere all of the prophets who preached monotheism as prophets of Islam (submission to the Will of God) and to make no distinction between them. For example, the Qur'an commands Muhammad to acknowledge that his religion is the religion of Abraham, who worshipped no god but God (monotheism). "So, believers, say, 'We believe in God and in what was sent down to us and what was sent down to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and what was given to Moses, Jesus, and all the prophets by their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and we devote ourselves to Him'" [2:136]. Tolerance and pluralism in Muhammad's city-state at Madinah also characterised relations between men and women. Baghdadi and his fellow takfiris should remember that the Qur'anic revelations regarding affairs between men and women were revolutionary in the context of life in the seventh century, not just in the Arabian peninsula, but anywhere at that point in time throughout the world.Consider, for example, the reports that IS fighters are forcing young women from conquered territories into marriage. If these reports are true, Baghdadi should know that his fighters are directly disobeying the Qur'anic injunction that forbids such acts: "You who believe, it is not lawful for you to inherit women against their will" [4:19]. Baghdadi should remember that the Qur'an granted women rights to inheritance, which was unprecedented in monotheism (and most of history). As the Qur'an reveals: "Men shall have a share in what their parents and relatives leave, and women shall have a share in what their parents and relatives leave, whether that legacy is small or large, this is commanded by God" [4:7]. The authority which Baghdadi believes he possesses to issue such decrees, namely, Caliph of all Sunni Muslims, is illegitimate in terms of Islamic law and historical practice. Many of the most prominent Islamic scholars today have condemned Baghdadi's declaration as such. The system of the Islamic caliphate is a complex concept in Islamic history. It was conceived in the days immediately following Muhammad's death, which was a particularly tumultuous time for the Muslim community. During Muhammad's lifetime, he was, as the final Messenger of God, believed to be the indisputable leader of the faith. As such, he relayed revelations from God to the Muslim community to guide them throughout their lives. If Muslims had questions about certain things that were not covered by God's revelations, they looked to Muhammad for guidance. These examples eventually came to be one of the sources of law in Islam, known collectively as the sunnah, the sayings and way of life of the Prophet, made up of individual hadith, or examples. Neither the Qur'an nor the sunnah contained instructions for Muslims regarding what to do politically after Muhammad's death. The community was left without a leader and no Divine Guidance on how to select one. Accordingly, the Prophet's closest companions met and drew upon the long-refined Arab traditions of shura (consultation), ijma'a (consensus) and bay'ah (voluntary oath of allegiance) in establishing a system for selecting political leaders. This new system, the Caliphate, was established the day after Muhammad's death, when one of his most trusted companions, Abdullah ibn Abi Quhafa, known more simply as Abu Bakr, received the voluntary consent of the Madinan community to serve as Khalifat Rasul Allah, or the successor to the Messenger of God.

Ibn Ishaq wrote perhaps the first historical description of this process. The acceptance of Abu Bakr as the successor to Muhammad was "an unpremeditated affair," he wrote, reflecting the lack of instructions from God or the Prophet on what to do after his death. Ibn Ishaq

continued to write that Abu Bakr was chosen voluntarily because the community held him in the highest esteem. He then wrote, "He who accepts a man as ruler without consulting the Muslims, such acceptance has no validity for either of them."4 Abu Bakr's first speech (khutba) as caliph demonstrates the respect with which Muhammad's closest companions and the first Muslims regarded concepts such as consultation, consensus and accountability. Ibn Ishaq recorded Abu Bakr as stating: "I have been given authority over you but I am not the best of you. If I do well, help me, and if I do ill, then put me right. Truth consists in loyalty and falsehood in treachery... Obey me so long as I obey God and His apostle, and if I disobey them, you owe me no obedience."5 Granted, throughout history the caliphate did diverge from this original model. Understanding the model of the Prophet and his companions is, nonetheless, of ultimate importance today because all believing Muslims consider it to be the ideal model of human endeavour. This remains especially true for those Muslims, such as Baghdadi, who describe themselves as adhering to the salafi school of thought. Salafism is a complex and broad label that describes many different contemporary ideologies. However, it draws its name from al-salaf al-salih, which means the righteous or pious predecessors. The label refers to Muhammad, his companions (the Rashidun) and the first community of Muslims at Madinah. Though all Muslims look to the example of this generation for supreme human guidance, this is especially true for figures like Baghdadi, who often portray themselves as the purest representatives of this historical model. Within this context, then, it is clear that Baghdadi is Islamically illiterate. The challenge of this Islamically illiterate ideology extends far beyond the relatively more simple matter of terrorism. An ideology, after all, cannot be defeated by counterterrorism. Therefore, the international community, if it is interested in defeating Baghdadi, must realise that this ideology was not created in a vacuum. Rather, it is sustained by a confluence of factors, such as poor quality of education, corruption and despotic governance. The challenge of Islamic illiteracy is not killing its ideologues; the challenge is killing the forces that sustain the ideology itself. One of the most negative consequences of the proliferation of this ideology is that, unfortunately, it augments the Western perception that all Islamic activists are violent, intolerant and autocratic. It must be clear that this is not true. The Tunisian Islamic activist Rachid Ghannouchi, for example, frames his political, social and cultural reformist vision within a conceptual framework subsumed by Islam. He even calls for the establishment of an "Islamic state." However, Ghannouchi's "Islamic state" is in no way similar to Baghdadi's. In terms of United States government policy, officials must not let the proliferation of takfiri ideology cloud their understanding of Islam and politics. Religion is, always has been and will remain an important factor in socio-political reform and democratic mobilisation in all societies throughout the world. For the United States government to view Baghdadi through a lens focused solely on counterterrorism, and for the United States government to allow a fear of takfiri ideology to preclude them from accepting and assisting peaceful Islamic activists like Rachid Ghannouchi or even the Muslim Brotherhood, is myopic, short sighted and superficial. Until the factors sustaining this particular interpretation of Islam are addressed, it will, despite its illiteracy, continue to spread.

1Muhammad ibn 'Umar al-Waqidi, Kitab al-maghazi, ed. Marsden Jones, vol. 1 (London: Oxford University Press, 1966), 184. As cited in R.B. Serjeant, "The 'Sunnah Jami'ah," Pacts with the Yathrib Jews, and the 'Tahrim' of Yathrib: Analysis and Translation of the Documents Comprised in the So-Called 'Constitution of Madinah," Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, Vol. 41, No. 1 (1978). 2As cited in Edward Gibbon, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, ed. J.B. Bury, vol. 5 (London: Methuen and Co., Ltd., 1911), 380-381. See also A. Guillaume, trans., Ibn Hashim, ed., The Life of Muhammad: A Translation of Ishaq's Sirat Rasul Allah (London: Oxford University Press, 1955), 201-207. 3Ishaq's Sirat Rasul Allah, 222. 4Ishaq's Sirat Rasul Allah, 684-685. 5Ishaq's Sirat Rasul Allah, 687.

5 June 2005, Jihad goes intercontinental By Walid Phares ; The "jihadi causes12" reflect a variety of claims, from political and sharia to ethnic territorial. However, all these platforms end in the necessity of establishing local "emirates", which eventually are building blocks towards the creation of the caliphate-to-come. In the post-Cold War era, a web of jihadi organizations came together throughout the Indian sub-continent from Kandahar to the Bay of Bengal. The nebulous was as vast as the spread of Islamist movements that took root in Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. The post-Soviet grand design of al-Qaeda was to incite the "national" jihadi entities to act in concert with one another, even if their propaganda machines would intoxicate their foes with different narratives. Based in Kabul since the takeover by the Taliban in 1996, the initial plan was to grow stronger inside Afghanistan, make it a "perfect emirate" model to follow and from there expand in all directions. Evidently, the first space to penetrate was Pakistan, starting with the northwestern regions. In the book Future Jihad, I have argued that one of the long-range goals of the 9/11 attacks was to provoke massive jihadi uprisings in many Muslim countries, especially in Pakistan, with help from insiders and the armed forces. My projection of al-Qaeda and other jihadi tactics was based on a patient and thorough observation of their literature and actions for decades. By now, the public realizes that such scenarios are not just possible but highly likely in the future. In all countries where jihadi cells and forces have left bloody traces over the past eight years, at least counter-terrorism agencies have been put on notice: it can happen there as well.

C; To the so far declared Islamic Emirates: be aware by time of declaring there was no so-called Islamic State declared.

An "Islamic emirate in the Caucasus13 14 the creation of the Caucasus Emirate in September 2007 Unlike his predecessor, the new leader of al-Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri, knows about the Caucasus Emirate not through third parties, but through personal experience. Al-Zawahiri visited the North Caucasus, was arrested by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) and deported from Russia (mk.ru, April 29, 2003). Caucasus Emirate (CE), Imarat Kavkaz (IK) , Imirat Kavkaz , Islamic Emirate of the Caucasus15 The Caucasus Emirate seeks to establish a Taliban-style Sharia-based Islamist state on sovereign Russian Federation, Georgian, Armenian, and Azerbaijani territory. The Caucasus Emirate has declared jihad against the Russian Federation, the United States, Great Britain, Israel, and any other state fighting international terrorists. The Caucasus Emirate and Al Qaeda and other international terrorist organizations cooperate with each other and often support each other with regard to personnel, training, financing, and propaganda.

31 March 2011, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has declared Yemen's Abyan province an "Islamic Emirate" and banned women from going outside, according to Eurasia Review and accounts from Yemeni journalists. AQAP, which has

12 http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/KF05Df01.html13 http://csis.org/files/publication/110930_Hahn_GettingCaucasusEmirateRt_Web.pdf14 http://www.jamestown.org/single/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=4258715 http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/para/ik.htm

established full control over the southern province, made an online statement Wednesday declaring Abyan an Islamic Emirate governed by Shariah.

Only weeks after Sunni jihadists in Iraq declared the establishment of an Islamic caliphate covering parts of Syria and Iraq, Libya’s Ansar al-Shari’a movement has declared an Islamic emirate in eastern Libya after driving government forces and their allies from the city of Benghazi. The Islamist militia, established in post-revolutionary Libya in 2012, has a power base in the eastern cities of Derna and Benghazi. It was in the latter city that the movement was deeply implicated in the September 11, 2012 attack on the American Consulate.

Jabhat Al Nusra’s July 2014, In a recording released on Friday, Abu Mohammed Al Jolani, Jabhat Al Nusra’s leader16, unveiled a plan for the group to start implementing sharia in Syria. The plan, if introduced, signals a departure from Jabhat Al Nusra’s policy of steering clear of

imposing its ideology. The move, which would include the establishment of an “Islamic emirate”, is evidently a reaction to the announcement of a caliphate last month by the Islamic State (formerly known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL). But it is too simplistic to view the plan as a salvage operation to win back support from the Islamic State. It might also be a shrewd move

by Jabhat Al Nusra to outmanoeuvre the Islamic State in a different sphere. Throughout his speech, Al Jolani focused on countering the relevance of the Islamic State’s caliphate. He revealed a plan to form four emirates as part of one main emirate – two in the northern provinces of Idlib and Aleppo, one in the southern province of Deraa and one in the Ghouta area outside Damascus. What is striking about this strategy is that it does not include an emirate in eastern Syria. This could be an indication of a de facto surrender to the Islamic State in that part of the country. To counter its appeal, he focused on jihad for the sake of jihad, a concept that appeals to those who believe that no Islamic state or caliphate will endure within the current international order. According to this thinking, before the establishment of a caliphate the world order must be challenged at its core. This idea will help Jabhat Al Nusra to coexist alongside the Islamic State within the jihadi landscape, competing for influence through two different ideas that appeal to subtly different audiences. Jabhat Al Nusra cannot rival the Islamic State in the statehood department, simply because more extreme groups and adherents rarely revert to less radical ones – in fact, the reverse is usually true. But it might have figured out a better way to compete with the Islamic State. This attempt by Jabhat Al Nusra represents an ideological coup to make it even more relevant for jihadists. The group has since tried to ground its idea in the original global jihadi movement that began in Afghanistan – it sought support from the Taliban leader Mullah Omar, Al Qaeda and acclaimed jihadi ideologues such as Abu Mohammed Al Maqdisi and Abu Qatada, who all rejected the Islamic State’s caliphate declaration as counterproductive to jihad.

LWJ BILL ROGGIO October 16, 2006 The Mujahideen Shura Council in Iraq Declares the Establishment of a Sunni Islamic State of Iraq, carved from six provinces, however further divisions within al Qaeda in Iraq are exposed (Back than no IS was declared)

16 http://www.thenational.ae/opinion/comment/al-nusra-declares-an-islamic-emirate-but-is-it-significant

Al-Qaeda in Iraq has made good on its promise to conduct an information campaign during Ramadan. The Mujahideen Shura Council, al Qaeda in Iraq's front group designed to legitimize its actions, has released a video announcing the formation of a Sunni Islamic State of Iraq, which is comprised of "Baghdad, Anbar, Diyala, Kirkuk, Salah al-Din, Ninawa, and in other parts of the governorate of Babel," according to the SITE Institute. The Sunni Islamic State would "will judge according to the Islamic Shari'a (law), using such as an aegis for the people, and to defend the religion." The declaration of the Sunni Islamic State follows the creation of the "Mutayibeen Coalition," which includes six Anbar tribes, as well as three smaller insurgent groups. Counterterrorism expert Evan Kohlmann notes the announcement of the Mutayibeen Coalition and the inclusion of the Al-Fatihin Army has created a rift between the two groups.

Britain's "Islamic Emirates Project"by Soeren Kern July 21, 2011 at 5:00 am http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/2278/britain-islamic-emirates-projectA Muslim group in the United Kingdom has launched a campaign to turn twelve British cities – including what it calls "Londonistan" – into independent Islamic states. The so-called Islamic Emirates would function as autonomous enclaves ruled by Islamic Sharia law and operate entirely outside British jurisprudence. The Islamic Emirates Project, launched by the Muslims Against the Crusades group, -- July 2011, The MAC group, led by Abu Assadullah, was set up last year and has become notorious because of its violent protests, most provocatively burning poppies during the Remembrance Day silence. Under the heading 'Muslims should set up Islamic emirates in the UK', MAC says: 'We suggest it is time that areas with large Muslim populations declare an emirate delineating that Muslims trying to live within this area are trying to live by the sharia as much as possible with their own courts and community watch and schools and even self sufficient trade. Islamic extremists have called on British Muslims to establish three independent states within the UK. The notorious Muslims Against the Crusades (MAC) group have named Yorkshire towns Bradford and Dewsbury and Tower Hamlets in East London as testbeds for blanket sharia rule . -- names the British cities of Birmingham, Bradford, Derby, Dewsbury, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, Luton, Manchester, Sheffield, as well as Waltham Forest in northeast London and Tower Hamlets in East London as territories to be targeted for blanket Sharia rule.The project, which uses the motto "The end of man-made law, and the start of Sharia law," was launched exactly six years after Muslim suicide bombers killed 52 people and injured 800 others in London. A July 7, 2011 announcement posted on the Muslims Against the Crusades website, states:"In the last 50 years, the United Kingdom has transformed beyond recognition. What was once a predominantly Christian country has now been overwhelmed by a rising Muslim population, which seeks to preserve its Islamic identity, and protect itself from the satanic values of the tyrannical British government."There are now over 2.8 million Muslims living in the United Kingdom – which is a staggering 5% of the population – but in truth, it is more than just numbers, indeed the entire infrastructure of Britain is changing; Mosques, Islamic Schools, Shari'ah Courts and Muslim owned businesses, have now become an integral part of the British landscape."In light of this glaring fact, Muslims Against Crusades have decided to launch "The Islamic Emirates Project," that will see high profile campaigns launch in Muslim enclaves all over Britain, with the objective to gradually transform Muslim communities into Islamic Emirates operating under Shari'ah law."With several Islamic emirates already well established across Asia, Africa and the Middle East, including Iraq and Afghanistan, we see this as a radical, but very realistic step in the

heart of Western Europe, that will inshaa'allah (God willing), pave the way for the worldwide domination of Islam."One of the group's strategy documents, "Islamic Prevent 2011: Preventing Secular Fundamentalism and the Occupation of Muslim Land," provides insights into the religious and/or philosophical mindset behind the Islamic Emirates Project. For example, Chapter 1 states: "The Only Identity for Muslims is Islam … In no shape or form can a Muslim support any form of nationalism such as promoting Britishness."Chapter 4 states: "A Muslim can only abide by Sharia and is not allowed to obey any man-made law." Chapter 5 states: "Muslims must reject secularism and democracy," terms which are "completely alien to Islam and against the basic tenets of Islam." Chapter 10 states: "Every Muslim must call for Sharia to be implemented wherever they are." Chapter 12 states: "It is not allowed for Muslims to integrate with a non-Islamic society." Chapter 13 states: "Muslims should set up Islamic Emirates in the United Kingdom." Chapter 14 states: "Any Muslim who opposed the policies in this pamphlet should be confronted." Chapter 16 states: "Any Muslim who has been affected by the Western way of life need to be rehabilitated."The Muslims Against the Crusades group is the new identity of Islam4UK, an Islamist group that was proscribed by the British government in January 2010. In an effort to circumvent the government ban, Islam4UK is pursuing a strategy of creating new identities for itself, adopting new names and platforms when others have been compromised.A leading figure behind Muslims Against the Crusades is Anjem Choudary, a notorious Sharia court judge based in London who believes in the primacy of Islam over all other faiths, and who has long campaigned for Islamic law to be implemented in all of Britain.Choudary is a former spokesman for Islam4UK, which was "established by sincere Muslims as a platform to propagate the supreme Islamic ideology within the United Kingdom as a divine alternative to man-made law," and to "convince the British public about the superiority of Islam [...] thereby changing public opinion in favour of Islam in order to transfer the authority and power [...] to the Muslims in order to implement the Sharia in Britain."The guardians of British multiculturalism say Choudary is harmless and, in any event, does not represent the majority of British Muslims. But he has a considerable following and his views on the role of Sharia in Britain are far more popular than many will admit.For instance, at least 85 Islamic Sharia courts are now operating in Britain, almost 20 times as many as previously believed, according to a study by Civitas, a London-based think tank. The report shows that scores of unofficial tribunals and councils regularly apply Islamic law to resolve domestic, marital and business disputes, and that many are operating in mosques. It warns of a "creeping" acceptance of Sharia principles in British law.Britain is also creating a parallel Islamic financial system to fill the growing demand for Sharia-compliant banking products in the wake of Muslim mass immigration to the country. According to the "Global Islamic Finance Report 2011," Britain has emerged as "ground zero" for Islamic banking in Europe; and London is now the main center for Islamic finance outside the Muslim world.Sharia law is transforming daily life in Britain in other ways, as well. In the Tower Hamlets area of East London (also known as the Islamic Republic of Tower Hamlets),for example, extremist Muslim preachers, called the Tower Hamlets' Taliban, regularly issue death threats to women who refuse to wear Islamic veils. Neighborhood streets have been plastered with posters declaring "You are entering a Sharia controlled zone: Islamic rules enforced." And street advertizing deemed offensive to Muslims is regularly vandalized or blacked out with spray paint.The mayor of Tower Hamlets is the Bangladeshi-born Lutfur Rahman, an ally of Choudary. Rahman is linked to the Islamic Forum of Europe (IFE), an Islamist group dedicated to changing the "very infrastructure of society, its institutions, its culture, its political order and

its creed ... from ignorance to Islam." Not surprisingly, the public libraries in Tower Hamlets have been stocked with books and DVDs containing the extremist rantings of banned Islamist preachers.Meanwhile, Britain is struggling to combat a cycle of Islamic honor-related kidnappings, sexual assaults, beatings and murder that is spiralling out of control. According to the London-based Association of Chief Police Officers, up to 17,000 women in Britain are victims of honor-based violence – forced marriages, honor killings, kidnappings, sexual assaults, beatings, female genital mutilation and other forms of abuse – every year. This figure is 35 times higher than official figures suggest, and British detectives say it is "merely the tip of the iceberg" of this phenomenon.The Islamic Emirates of Britain Project would seem to be well underway.

Establishing an Islamic Emirate poses a challenge to the establishment of Khilafah Tuesday, 21 May 2013 17:22 Mundhir Abdullah Cees of note published prior to the late July 2014 self declared Islamic State..The idea of establishing an Islamic Emirate poses a challenge to the Islamic project or movement and the establishment of the Khilafah. Some may find this statement strange despite it being the true reality and that is that the idea of an Islamic Emirate as understood by the Jihaadi Salafi movement poses a danger within the Islamic project. The Islamic Emirate does not have a Shar'i basis and it is a counter-productive idea politically and this has been confirmed in the examples in which this idea has been represented. No shape of ruling or form of authority has been reported from the Nabi except for the Khilafah. The idea of an Emirate does not mean anything according to the Islamic concept outside of the framework of the Khilafah. We are discussing here the issue of the rule and not Islamic groups which are present here and there. The Shar'a has affirmed that the Muslims are one Ummah and that it is not permitted for there to be more than one human Jamaa'ah according to the political understanding. This is not the Jamaa'ah in the meaning of a Hizb (political party) as it is permissible for there to exist a number of political parties at one time. I am speaking here about the concept of the Islamic Jamaa'ah that has been mentioned in the Prophetic Ahaadeeth such as: "It is obligatory to hold fast to the Jamaa'ah of the Muslims and their Imaam." So when the work is done to establish the Islamic authority or Islamic rule then it is obligatory to know that the only form that can be considered is that which the Shar'a has affirmed and approved of and that which the Nabi explained, and this is the Khilafah. The Khilafah in its description as the general leadership for all of the Muslims without paying any regard to the region, borders, people or race. As such it is not permitted to reduce the Islamic project and shrink it to be a rule or authority in a deformed manner here and there where it does not possess any of the essential elements or prerequisites required for its success and thereafter when it fails attempts are made to link its failure to Islaam. Some have after seeing the success of the Islamic project in a land or after seeing a vacuum or weakness in the authority rush to gain control over a town, city, province or even an afflicted land so as to announce within it the birth of 'Islamic rule' or an Islamic Emirate as if states are founded by their mere announcement alone. This is similar to the example of the person who has was unable to have children for many years and then when his wife became pregnant he was unable to take control of himself. He cannot wait to see the child after waiting for so long and so he resorts to a caesarean section in the fifth or sixth month of pregnancy. These are good emotions but nevertheless murderous and destructive.

Any state requires essential elements or prerequisites for it to stand firm and continue. It is not enough to have belief in its justice for it to be established on the earth but rather it is necessary for it to have the essential material elements and this understanding applies to the Islamic State and its establishment. When the Messenger of Allah was working for the establishment

of the Islamic State he did not grab at any opportunity that was offered to him to establish his state. Rather he rejected for it to be established upon a land that does not fulfil the essential elements that were required for the success of the project. It has been related from the Nabi that he offered himself once to Bani Shaibaan asking for the Nusrah (support) from them and a discussion took place between him and them in which the Messenger which showed that he was looking for an entity that had the elements required to form a powerful state. The following is a part extracted from this discussion: Abu Bakr asked: "What is your number?" Mafruq replied "We are one thousand in number and one thousand is no little figure." Abu Bakr continued "What about the Manaa (power/defense) amongst you?" Mafruq answered "We always struggle, for every nation is bound to struggle." Abu Bakr further enquired "What about the result of the battles between you and your enemies?" Mafruq responded, "When we fight we are in one of our furies and the battle is enraged.... We prefer our horses to our children and we prefer weapons to milking animals. So far as the victory is confirmed it is from Allah." The discussion then moved on to Al-Muthannaa and he was showing readiness to the invitation. "We have a treaty with Kisra (Emperor of Persia) due to which we are staying here (i.e. their land between the valleys of Yamamah and Samawah). According to the treaty we are not authorised to raise any new movement or give asylum to any such person who initiates a new movement and I see that that which you are inviting to may be hated by the kings...So if you desire that we support you and aid you against the Arabs then we are ready for that". It can be noticed in what Al-Muthannaa said that he offered the Nusrah but it was not complete and unrestricted and they saw that they were unable to stand up against the Persians and not powerful enough to face them whilst at the same time considering themselves capable of dealing with the Arabs with complete confidence. And then came the response of the Nabi who said: "You have not wronged us in your reply when you spoke clearly and honestly, but verily the Deen of Allah 'Azza Wa Jalla will never be helped except by the one that takes hold of it from all of its sides. Do you see that if you were to wait just a little until Allah causes you to inherit their lands and homes and endow you with their women? Would you then praise Allah and sanctify Him?" An-Nu'maan Bin Shareek (from amongst the leaders) said: "O Allah you would have that". So this is a clear rejection of the offer because it did not include the assurance of security from all of its sides but rather a deficient and incomplete security and this is what the Islamic project cannot accept or any other serious project. It is necessary for the Islamic State that is desired to be established today to possess the essential elements and prerequisites that allow it to remain so that it is capable of defending itself from any external threat. This is especially the case where all of the disbelieving states oppose the Islamic project and struggle against its return night and day. So what is required is the realization of the reality that the Shar'i Hukm – Cees; Al-hukm ush-Shar’i (divine rule) is the Legislator’s speech pertaining to the actions of men. 17 --Is applied upon according to what is most probable. This is because the understanding of power and strength is relative however it is necessary to achieve the minimum level of strength according to the least amount of doubt which would prevent enemies from overpowering it and for it to remain and continue, and indeed for it to expand and spread to the entire Islamic world. O Allah, make our Deen firm for us, do not take us away from your path and do not exchange us for others, and grant our eyes the sight of the promised Khilafah on the path of the Prophethood.

17 The Five Types of Hukm Shari (Shari' Rules) http://www.khilafah.com/index.php/concepts/islamic-culture/1213-the-five-types-of-hukm-shari-shari-rules

Regards Cees see also: Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri The Coordinator 2014 Part 19-47-Caliphate-AQvsIS-1

Lets recall: The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) chief Abu Bakar al-Baghdadi has called the Taliban supreme leader Mullah Mohammad Omar a fool and illiterate warlord. Al-Baghdadi has said that Mullah Omar does not deserve a spritual or political credibility.

THE DECISION OF the Soviet bureaucracy 18, under Mikhail Gorbachev’s leadership, to withdraw its military forces from Afghanistan – agreed in March 1988 and completed by February 1989 - was a major turning point. It was a crossroads not only for Afghanistan, but for the former Soviet Union, which was on the edge of the rapid internal collapse which followed the fall of the Berlin wall in November 1989. This further period of civil war, which inflicted death, destruction and dispossession on large sections of the Afghan population, created the conditions for the rise of the Taliban and its assumption of power in 1996. Between the overthrow of Najibullah in 1992 and 1995-96, the rival warlords fought themselves to such a destructive impasse that they created a chaotic vacuum that facilitated the emergence of a new force, the Taliban, which was financed, armed and trained by the Pakistan military and the reactionary Saudi regime. Moreover, the anarchic state of the country, lacking an effective central government, made it an ideal base for non-state, Islamic armed groups drawn from a number of countries, including those of Osama bin-Laden and the al-Qa’ida network.

4th of April 1996, Upon donning the cloak, the crowd began to shout "Amir al-Mu'minin" (Commander of the Faithful), a title that Ayman al-Zawahiri still occasionally uses to refer to Mullah Omar in his radio addresses. According to legend, Ahmad Shah Durrani, who founded Afghanistan a quarter of a millennium ago, brought the cloak to Kandahar from a great conquest. As many Pashtun clans vied to become keeper of the cloak, the king asked representatives from each clan to stand before the box containing the cloak and cry, "Allah-u-akbar!" — "God is great!" In his lifetime, Mr. Shawali – the Keeper, said, three men have tried to look at the prophet's cloak — each of them apparently seeking vindication for their rule. The first was the now exiled king, Mohammed Zahir Shah, who in the end stopped short of looking at the cloak. "When the chest was opened, he became afraid and began trembling," he said, adding that the king had walked out. "Maybe he was a sinner." The second, he said, was Pir Gailani, a relative of Zahir. The king had granted him permission to look at the cloak. The third time — and the most fateful for Afghanistan — was in the spring of 1996. With the cloak in his possession, Mullah Omar went to an old mosque in the center of the city and climbed onto its roof. For the next 30 minutes, he held the cloak aloft, his palms inserted in its sleeves. According to residents of Kandahar who were present, the crowds cheered. Many lost consciousness. Many threw their hats and other items of clothes in the air, in the hope that they would make contact with the cloak. Most importantly, as other mullahs shouted, "Amir-ul momineen!," Mullah Omar gained the legitimacy he needed to pursue his conquest of the rest of Afghanistan.

29 Dec 2014, As the NATO combat mission in Afghanistan comes to an end and allied troops depart, the Taliban has proclaimed itself the victor in the protracted war; “We consider this step a clear indication of their defeat and disappointment,” the TB said in a statement, arraigning the US-led mission of “barbarism and cruelty” that left “a pool of blood” behind 19.

18 http://www.socialismtoday.org/61/repreint.html19 http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2014/12/taliban-releases-official-statement-on-victory-in-afghanistan/