ABSTRACT
The sudden upsurge in jihadist recruits followed Abu Bak al-Baghdadi’s Ramadan sermon on 5 July 2015 that marked his self-anointment as the first caliph since the Ottoman Empire. In his sermon, al-Baghdadi depicted a new Islamic state that would confer dignity and rights to all Muslims (Suni and Shia) and transcend ethnic and racial differences; Arabs and non-Arabs, white and black men, Easterners and Westerners, were all to be brought
together in a unified world of Islam. It is a progressive, if not utopian, vision of the future that echoes many of our modern-day ideals. However, its underlying message is far from modern. In establishing the first caliphate in generations, the Islamic State was positioning itself as the true believers of Islam, with al-Baghdadi as the commander of all Muslims. IS was reinstating the religious tenets of the Prophet’s words originating from seventh century Islam. Referring to the prophecies elaborated in The Book of Tribulations, IS holds to the belief that strangers will come to threaten their faith and that in fighting the infidel they will save themselves on the Day of Judgement. In proclaiming the caliphate, IS was also differentiating itself from jihadist organizations such as al-Qaeda that did not adhere as closely to the strict interpretation of Sharia law and, most importantly, that did not put the apocalyptic belief in the end of the world foremost in their struggle against evil. Without understanding the millenarian fervour of IS, it is difficult to comprehend its strategy of terror and the atrocities it commits in the name of God and why it continues to attract jihadis from around the world.
