On July 1, 2014, the Islamic State (IS) released an audio message by the group's leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi. The message comes two days after IS declared the establishment of a caliphate and appointed Al-Baghdadi as the caliph.[1]
Al-Baghdadi's message carries several themes: a celebratory message on the occasion of the month of Ramadan, which Al-Baghdadi says is the month for waging jihad for the sake of Allah; a call for IS's soldiers to pay attention to the suffering of Muslims in all parts of the world, while urging them to "raise your ambitions … for your brothers all over the world are waiting for your rescue, and are anticipating your brigades;" a call for Muslims to rise up against their corrupt rulers, while reminding them that they are living in a new era now that the caliphate has been established; a criticism of the West's and the unbelievers' selective definition of the term "terrorism;" a call for Muslims, especially those with needed skills and professions, to waste no time and emigrate to the IS; and finally, a series of recommendations from Al-Baghdadi to IS's soldiers regarding the treatment of Muslim populations in the IS. "This is my advice to you," concludes Al-Baghdadi, which "if you hold to it, you will conquer Rome and own the world…"
The message, which is 19:46 in duration, was released on Al-I'tisam's twitter account. ISIS also released English, German, Russian, Albanian, and French translation of the message, which was provided by ISIS's subsidiary media company Al-Hayat. The majority of the following text was taken from the provided English-language version:
"And There Is No Deed In This Virtuous Month [Of Ramadan] Or In Any Other Month, Better Than Jihad In The Path Of Allah"
"…We congratulate the ummah … of Islam, in the East and in the West, on the advent of the blessed month of Ramadan, and we praise Allah … for allowing us to reach this virtuous month… So congratulations to you, O slaves of Allah, as Allah has allowed you to reach this noble month. Praise Allah and thank Him for having granted you long lives, thereby giving you a chance to correct your past deeds. Meet the month of Ramadan with sincere repentance and truthful resolve…
"And there is no deed in this virtuous month or in any other month better than jihad in the path of Allah, so take advantage of this opportunity and walk the path of your righteous predecessors. Support the religion of Allah through jihad in the path of Allah. Go forth, O mujahideen, in the path of Allah. Terrify the enemies of Allah and seek death in the places where you expect to find it, for the dunya [worldly life] will come to an end, and the hereafter will last forever.
"And blessed is the one who parts with his dunya in Ramadan and meets his Lord on a day from amongst the days of forgiveness. O mujahideen in the path of Allah, be monks during the night and be knights during the day. Bring joy to the hearts of a believing people, and show the tawaghit [idols] what they are wary of.
"O mujahideen in the path of Allah, truly the matter is that of Allah's religion and His commodity. You only have one soul, and an appointed time of death that will neither be hastened nor delayed. It is a matter of Paradise and Hellfire, happiness and misery. As for the religion of Allah, then it will be victorious. Allah has promised to bring victory to the religion. And as for Allah's commodity, then it is precious and valuable. Indeed His commodity is costly. Indeed His commodity is Paradise. As for the soul, then what a lowly, miserable, wretched soul it is if it does not seek what is with Allah and does not support the religion of Allah.
"By Allah, we will never be mujahideen as long as we are stingy with our lives and our wealth. By Allah, we will never be truthful as long as we do not sacrifice our lives and wealth in order to raise high the word of Allah and bring victory to the religion of Allah.
"So take up arms, take up arms, O soldiers of the Islamic State! And fight, fight!
"Beware of becoming deluded and losing strength. Beware, for the dunya has come to you reluctantly, so kick it down, trample it, and leave it behind you. Indeed, what is with Allah is better and more lasting."
"So Raise Your Ambitions, O Soldiers Of The Islamic State! For Your Brothers All Over The World Are Waiting For Your Rescue... By Allah, We Will Take Revenge! By Allah, We Will Take Revenge!"
"Indeed, the ummah of Islam is watching your jihad with eyes of hope, and indeed you have brothers in many parts of the world being inflicted with the worst kinds of torture. Their honor is being violated. Their blood is being spilled. Prisoners are moaning and crying for help. Orphans and widows are complaining of their plight. Women who have lost their children are weeping. Mosques are desecrated and sanctities are violated.
"Muslims' rights are forcibly seized in China, India, Palestine, Somalia, the Arabian Peninsula, the Caucasus, Al-Sham, Egypt, Iraq, Indonesia, Afghanistan, the Philippines, Ahvaz, Iran … Pakistan, Tunisia, Libya, Algeria, and Morocco, in the East and in the West.
"So raise your ambitions, O soldiers of the Islamic State! For your brothers all over the world are waiting for your rescue, and are anticipating your brigades. It is enough for you to just look at the scenes that have reached you from Central Africa, and from Burma before that. What is hidden from us is far worse.
"So by Allah, we will take revenge! By Allah, we will take revenge! Even if it takes a while, we will take revenge, and every amount of harm against the ummah will be responded to with multitudes more against the perpetrator… And the one who commences is the more oppressive."
"So Listen, O Ummah Of Islam… Stand Up And Rise; For The Time Has Come For You To Free Yourself From The Shackles Of Weakness, And Stand In The Face Of Tyranny, Against The Treacherous Rulers – The Agents Of The Crusaders And The Atheists, And the Guards Of The Jews"
"Soon, by Allah's permission, a day will come when the Muslim will walk everywhere as a master, having honor, being revered, with his head raised high and his dignity preserved. Anyone who dares to offend him will be disciplined, and any hand that reaches out to harm him will be cut off.
"So let the world know that we are living today in a new era. Whoever was heedless must now be alert. Whoever was sleeping must now awaken. Whoever was shocked and amazed must comprehend. The Muslims today have a loud, thundering statement, and possess heavy boots. They have a statement that will cause the world to hear and understand the meaning of terrorism, and boots that will trample the idol of nationalism, destroy the idol of democracy, and uncover its deviant nature.
"So listen, O ummah of Islam. Listen and comprehend. Stand up and rise. For the time has come for you to free yourself from the shackles of weakness, and stand in the face of tyranny, against the treacherous rulers – the agents of the crusaders and the atheists, and the guards of the Jews.
"O ummah of Islam, indeed the world today has been divided into two camps and two trenches, with no third camp present: The camp of Islam and faith, and the camp of kufr [unbelief] and hypocrisy – the camp of the Muslims and the mujahideen everywhere, and the camp of the Jews, the Crusaders, their allies, and with them the rest of the nations and religions of kufr, all being led by America and Russia, and being mobilized by the Jews.
"Indeed the Muslims were defeated after the fall of their khilafa [caliphate]. Then their state ceased to exist, so the disbelievers were able to weaken and humiliate the Muslims, dominate them in every region, plunder their wealth and resources, and rob them of their rights. They accomplished this by attacking and occupying their lands, placing their treacherous agents in power to rule the Muslims with an iron fist, and spreading dazzling and deceptive slogans such as: civilization, peace, co-existence, freedom, democracy, secularism, Ba'athism, nationalism, and patriotism, among other false slogans.
"Those rulers continue striving to enslave the Muslims, pulling them away from their religion with those slogans. So either the Muslim pulls away from his religion, disbelieves in Allah, and disgracefully submits to the manmade shirk [polytheistic] laws of the East and West, living despicably and disgracefully as a follower, by repeating those slogans without will and honor, or he lives persecuted, targeted, and expelled, to end up being killed, imprisoned, or terribly tortured, on the accusation of terrorism.
"Because terrorism is to disbelieve in those slogans and to believe in Allah. Terrorism is to refer to Allah's law for judgment… Terrorism is to refuse humiliation… Terrorism is for the Muslim to live as a Muslim, honorably with might and freedom. Terrorism is to insist upon your rights and not give them up.
"But terrorism does not include the killing of Muslims in Burma and the burning of their homes. Terrorism does not include the dismembering and disemboweling of the Muslims in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Kashmir. Terrorism does not include the killing of Muslims in the Caucasus and expelling them from their lands. Terrorism does not include making mass graves for the Muslims in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the slaughtering of their children. Terrorism does not include the destruction of Muslims' homes in Palestine, the seizing of their lands, and the violation and desecration of their sanctuaries and families. Terrorism does not include the burning of mosques in Egypt, the destruction of the Muslims' homes there, the rape of their chaste women, and the oppression of the mujahideen in the Sinai Peninsula and elsewhere. Terrorism does not include the extreme torture and degradation of Muslims in East Turkistan and Iran…Terrorism does not include the filling of prisons everywhere with Muslim captives. Terrorism does not include the waging of war against chastity and hijab … in France and Tunisia. It does not include the propagation of betrayal, prostitution, and adultery. Terrorism does not include the insulting Allah, the cursing of the religion, and the mockery of our Prophet… Terrorism does not include the slaughtering of Muslims in Central Africa like sheep, while no one weeps for them and denounces their slaughter. All this is not terrorism. Rather it is freedom, democracy, peace, security, and tolerance! Sufficient for us is Allah, and He is the best Disposer of affairs…"
"O Muslims Everywhere… Raise Your Head High, For Today … You Have A State And Caliphate, Which Will Return Your Dignity, Might, Rights, And Leadership…"
"O Muslims everywhere, glad tidings [are coming] to you… Raise your head high, for today – by Allah's grace – you have a state and caliphate, which will return your dignity, might, rights, and leadership. It is a state where the Arab and non-Arab, the white man and black man, the Easterner and Westerner are all brothers. It is a caliphate that gathered the Caucasian, Indian, Chinese, [those from] Al-Sham, Iraqi, Yemeni, Egyptian, [those from] the Maghreb, American, French, German, and Australian. Allah brought their hearts together, and thus they became brothers by His grace, loving each other for the sake of Allah, standing in a single trench, defending and guarding each other, and sacrificing themselves for one another. Their blood mixed and became one, under a single flag and goal, in one pavilion, enjoying this blessing, the blessing of faithful brotherhood.
"If kings were to taste this blessing, they would abandon their kingdoms and fight over this grace. So all praise and thanks are due to Allah.
"Therefore, rush, o Muslims, to your state. Yes, it is your state. Rush, because Syria is not for the Syrians, and Iraq is not for the Iraqis. The Earth is Allah's... The State is a state for all Muslims. The land is for the Muslims, all the Muslims.
"Oh Muslims everywhere, whoever is capable of performing hijra [emigration] to the Islamic State, then let him do so, because hijra to the land of Islam is obligatory…"
"We Make A Special Call To The Scholars … Judges … People With Military, Administrative, And Service Expertise, And Medical Doctors And Engineers [To Join The Islamic State]"
"We make a special call to the scholars, fuqahaa' [experts in Islamic jurisprudence], and callers, especially the judges, as well as people with military, administrative, and service expertise, and medical doctors and engineers of all different specializations and fields. We call them and remind them to fear Allah, for their emigration is wajib 'ayn [individual obligation], so that they can answer the dire need of the Muslims for them. People are ignorant of their religion and they thirst for those who can teach them and help them understand it. So fear Allah, o slaves of Allah.
"O soldiers of the Islamic State, do not be awestruck by the great numbers of your enemy, for Allah is with you. I do not fear for you the numbers of your opponents, nor do I fear your neediness and poverty, for Allah … has promised your Prophet … that you will not be wiped out by famine, and your enemy will not himself conquer you and violate your land. Allah placed your provision under the shades of your spears. Rather, I fear for you your own sins. Accept each other and do not dispute. Come together and do not argue. Fear Allah in private and public, openly and secretly. Stay away from sins. Expel from your ranks those who openly commit sin. Be wary of pride, haughtiness, and arrogance. Do not become proud on account of gaining some victories. Humble yourselves before Allah. Do not be arrogant towards Allah's slaves. Do not underestimate your enemy regardless of how much strength you gain and how much your numbers grow."
Al-Baghdadi To Islamic State Soldiers: "This Is My Advice To You; If You Hold To It, You Will Conquer Rome And Own The World…"
"I also remind you [i.e. IS soldiers] to attend to the Muslims and the Sunni tribes with goodness. Stay awake guarding them so they can be safe and at rest. Be their support. Respond with kindness if they do you wrong. Be gentle with them, giving them as much pardon as you can. Persevere, endure, and remain stationed. Know that today you are the defenders of the religion and the guards of the land of Islam. You will face tribulation and epic battles. Verily, the best place for your blood to be spilled is on the path to liberate the Muslim prisoners imprisoned behind the walls of the idols.
"So prepare your arms, and supply yourselves with piety. Persevere in reciting the Koran with comprehension of its meanings and practice of its teachings.
"This is my advice to you. If you hold to it, you will conquer Rome and own the world, if Allah wills…"[2]
Endnotes:
[1] See MEMRI JTTM report ISIS Declares Establishment Of Islamic Caliphate, Appoints ISIS Leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi As 'Caliph': 'It Is Incumbent Upon All Muslims to Pledge Allegiance To The Caliph... And Support Him', June 29, 2014.
[2] The English text was slightly edited for clarity.
