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In the days following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, two pro-Islamic State (ISIS) channels based in the West claimed that Queen Elizabeth II would "burn in Hellfire" for not converting to Islam, and shared their criticism of those Muslims who expressed sorrow over her death.
Australian Pro-ISIS Preacher: Some Muslims Have 'Lost Their Minds Over The Death Of Queen Elizabeth'
On September 10, 2022, an Australian pro-ISIS preacher published a poster depicting the British crown burning[1] The text of the poster, which criticizes Muslims who have expressed their condolences over the death of the Queen, reads: "To the Muslims who have lost their minds over the death of Queen Elizabeth, I say to you: 'Verily we belong to Allah and verily to Him do we return.' May Allah cure you from ignorance."
Queen Will Burn In Hellfire For Not Converting To Islam Before Death
The preacher also published a four-minute audio file with a talk that was later released in video format. A moving image of the Queen on fire accompanied the audio.[2]
At the start of his audio message, the preacher declares: "May Allah give her what she deserves." He goes on to criticize the queen for sending British troops "to fight Muslims" in Iraq and Afghanistan, allegedly continuing a policy of British hostility to Islam that in his view began with Britain's assault on the Ottoman Empire in the First World War.
He asserts that the queen, like everyone else, will have to face Allah's judgment after death, and that in all likelihood she died in kufr [unbelief]. He notes that there is a small chance that she may have pronounced the Shahada[3] before dying and therefore become a Muslim, adding that Abu Talib, an uncle of the Prophet Muhammad, died without pronouncing the Shahada, but because he believed in the message of the Prophet , he received the lightest of punishment in the fire of hell.
In the case of the queen, the preacher claims that it is impossible to know if she pronounced the Shahada or embraced Islam in her heart prior to her death; however, judging from her "words of hatred" towards Islam in her life, he concludes that her conversion was unlikely, and that she would therefore "burn in hellfire."
In his talk, the preacher also criticizes "so-called Muslims" on social media who prayed for the queen and mourned her, while acknowledging that some did so ironically.
Jihadi Telegram Channel: Some Muslims Show More Loyalty To Queen Than To Other Muslims; Praise to Allah For The Queen's Death
On September 9, an English-language jihadi Telegram channel, shared a post with similar criticism of some Muslim reactions to the death of Queen Elizabeth.[4]
While the channel is not officially affiliated with a specific preacher, it is believed to be operated by a British jihadi preacher. Today, it almost exclusively shares videos and posts by a U.S.-based pro-ISIS preacher.[5]
The post published by the channel on the death of the queen contends that Muslims who mourn her are more loyal to her that to other Muslims whom they accuse of being "Khawarij,"[6] and whose death they do not properly "sanctify."
The post quotes a hadith [saying of the Prophet Muhammad] that discusses the relief felt in a community following the death of an immoral person, and claims that certain Muslims misapply it to the death of other Muslims, when in fact the hadith should be quoted at the death of a taghout[7] or an infidel.
The post concludes by saying: "When push comes to shove, your loyalty should lie with the Muslim, whether you disagree with their actions or not. On that note, Alhamdulillah [Praise be to Allah] for the halak [eternal damnation] of the Taghut of Britain. I ask Allah to shower the Ummah [Islamic nation] with more good news."
Posts critical of the Queen following her death were also published in the past days by various jihadi preachers, groups and channels.[8]
[1] Telegram, September 10, 2022.
[2] Telegram, September 10, 2022.
[3] The Islamic profession of faith. By pronouncing it, a person is converted to Islam.
[4] Telegram, September 9, 2022.
[5] See MEMRI JTTM Report: British Jihadi Channel: Restrictions Placed On Pro-ISIS Preacher By Trump And YouTube Only Played In His Favor, January 16, 2022.
[6] The Khawarij were an Islamic sect which emerged during the First Muslim Civil War. Today, the term "Khawarij" is used pejoratively by Muslims to denounce jihadi groups they view as extremist, particularly the Islamic State (ISIS).
[7] Literally "false deity," the term is applied to rulers who govern by manmade law and not by Shari'a law
[8] See MEMRI JTTM Report: Jihadis Celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's Passing, Claim She Was ‘Spiteful’ Towards Islam, September 9, 2022.
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