The Caliphate for Quraysh: Why Meccan ancestry is vital for ISIS
February 14, 2021, 7:20 am

The Caliphate for Quraysh: Why Meccan ancestry is vital for ISIS

Sami Moubayed

When the self-proclaimed caliph of ISIS Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed in October 2019, The Guardian ran a story about his successor, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashemi. It said: “His last name suggests that he, as did Baghdadi, claims a lineage to the Prophet Mohammad, a position that offered legitimacy in some quarters.”

The last two words, “some quarters,” raised red flags for anybody familiar with the history of Islam, and that of its caliphate. It should have been “all quarters” across Muslim society, be it conservative, pious, or jihadiradicalized. Sunni Muslims go by the Prophet’s hadith (compilation of sayings) arguing that only a member of his Meccan tribe, Quraysh, is eligible for the caliphate. Shiites go even further, claiming that only members of the Prophet’s bloodline, or Al Al-Bayt, can be considered for the highest post in Islam, which literarily means “successor to the prophet.”There is only one school of Islam that waivers these two conditions, being that of the Hanafis. And that is why the Ottoman sultans took it up as an official sub-sect, to justify their claim to the caliph, although they were neither Meccan notability nor from Quraysh.

That also explains why many ambitious figures in Islamic history never claimed the caliphate for themselves, like Osama Bin Laden. The founder of the modern state of Saudi Arabia King Abdul-Aziz Al Saud would have loved to declare himself caliph, but he did not dare tamper with such a sacred and long-respected tradition. It made him shiver with rage when his prime rival in Arabian politics, Sharif Hussein Bin Ali, laid claim to the post after it was abolished by Kemal Ataturk in Turkey in March 1924.Back then, so serious was the matter that a group of learned Syrians set up a society to headhunt for a new caliph, inspired by the Caliphate Movement in India.

This was no joking matter. It is not something that can be amended, ignored, or sidelined. And it explains why when Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi addressed the world from a mosque in Mosul almost seven years ago, ISIS media made careful mention of his full name, “Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and Qurashi al-Hassani.” That is how the terror group referred to him in all of their official statements from 2014 until his killing in 2019. They were reminding everybodythat he hailed from Quraysh and was a direct descendant of the Prophet’s grandson, Imam al-Hasan. They even came up Western journalists and non-Muslims tend to drop both titles for practicality, but ISIS media never referred to him without boththem. Its also worth mentioning that Baghdadi ripped phrases from one of his namesake speeches, being Abu Bakr al-Saddiq, the first caliph of Islam.

Sacred dream

The idea of a caliphate has been a sacred dream, passed down from one generation of Islamists to another. Celebrated jihadis harbor the exact same dream, from Bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and Abu Mohammad al-Golani. Even moderate Islamic politicians dream of restoring the caliphate. Shortly after they won the post-Arab Spring elections in Tunisia in October 2011, Secretary-General of the Islamic al-Nahda Party Hamadi al-Jbeli said: “We are in the sixth caliphate, God willing.” By sixth he was referring to the four Salaf caliphs (Abu Bakr, Omar, Uthman, Ali) and adding a fifth, Omar Ibn Abdul-Aziz of the Umayyad Dynasty. Tunisian leader Rashid al-Ghannouchi added that a caliphate was the hope and desire of all Muslims. The leader of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, Mohammad Badie, went further, saying that an Islamic state governed by the laws of sharia and headed by a caliphate was his ultimate goal, and those of his party.

Abu Ibrahim al-Qarashi

Fast forward to 2021. This month Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s successor was in the news, after a BBC documentary revealed the full story behind his real identity. The new caliph, whose real name is Amir al-Salbi, was not on the US hitlist prior to 2019. Few had heard of him before Baghdadi personally chose him as a successor in July 2019. His only credentials, according to the new documentary, are that he spent prison time at Camp Bucca, and came from Quraysh. So did his newly appointed spokesman Abu Hamzah al-Qurashi, speculating that just like Arab despots often do, Qurashi is removing Baghdadi’s men from top positions and replacing him with new figures who owe him—and him only—direct allegiance. That is one glue that keeps them together and so is the fact that they are all Iraqi natives, with no Syrian or foreign fighter at top command. And all trace their family lineage to Quraysh.

This, of course, is no accident.

BY: Sami Moubayed

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).

Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.