This week’s edition of the Islamic State’s newsletter al-Naba’ includes a special infographic on ‘stations’ of the life of its deceased ‘caliph’ Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who was killed in a U.S. operation in Idlib province last month. This infographic is of interest as it confirms Baghdadi’s involvement with the Iraqi jihadi group ‘Jaysh Ahl al-Sunna wa al-Jama’a’ during the early days of the U.S. occupation of Iraq. It also confirms that Abu Ali al-Anbari was head of the Majlis Shura al-Mujahideen in Iraq that preceded the announcement of the Islamic State of Iraq in 2006 CE.
Note also that the infographic claims Baghdadi provided half of the Islamic State of Iraq’s treasury to those who established Jabhat al-Nusra in Syria.
Below is the infographic translated. Any parenthetical insertions in square brackets are my own.
Stations from the life of the mujahid Sheikh Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (may God accept him)
1424 [i.e. 2003-2004 CE]: beginning of the jihad
The beginning of the jihad against the Crusaders in Iraq within a mujahid group that is Jaysh Ahl al-Sunna wa al-Jama’a that was very close to the Tawheed wa al-Jihad group [Abu Mus’ab al-Zarqawi’s group], and he [Baghdadi]- may God have mercy on him- was an amir for this mujahid group, which had been focusing since its foundation on issues of Tawheed [monotheism] and following the Sunna, and waging jihad against the disbelievers and apostates in all their sects, and striving to establish the religion and reviving the Islamic Caliphate.
1426 [i.e. January 2006-October 2006 CE]: the al-Mutayyibeen Alliance
The ‘Jaysh Ahl al-Sunna wa al-Jama’a’ group joined the al-Mutayyibeen alliance that Sheikh Abu Mus’ab al-Zarqawi (may God accept him) called for and on the basis of which was formed the Majlis Shura Mujahidee al-Iraq whose amirship was assumed by Sheikh Abu Ali al-Anbari (may God Almighty accept him).
1427 [i.e. October 2006 CE]: the establishment of the Islamic State
The dissolution of the ‘Jaysh Ahl al-Sunna wa al-Jama’a’ group occurred after the announcement of the rise of the ‘Islamic State of Iraq’ just like the rest of the groups of the ‘Majlis Shura Mujahidee al-Iraq’, and Sheikh Abu Bakr became one of the soldiers of the Amir al-Mu’mineen [commander of the faithful] Abu Omar al-Baghdadi (may God Almighty accept them both), and he assumed in that time a number of responsibilities among them amirship of the Shari’i committees in the Islamic State.
1431 AH [i.e. 2010 CE]: amirship of the believers
The sheikh- may God have mercy on him- assumed amirship of the Islamic State of Iraq in succession to Abu Omar al-Baghdadi who was killed with his war minister Sheikh Abu Hamza al-Muhajir (may God Almighty accept them both), so he worked with his brothers on strengthening the rank, and intensifying work in terms of quantity, type and distribution, such that the war intensified again in that land, and that coincided with the beginning of the demonstrations in the countries of the region, so the sheikh sent some of his soldiers to al-Sham [Syria] and provided them with half of the treasury of the Islamic State.
1434 [i.e. 2013 CE]: support for al-Sham
The sheikh announced the expansion of the Islamic State to al-Sham, after his soldiers operated in it for a time under the name of Jabhat al-Nusra. And God decreed for the Dawla [Islamic State] in al-Sham what He decreed for their brothers before in the time of the Sahwat [i.e. the reference is to the infighting with the Syrian rebel groups], such that He granted them victory over them and enabled them.
1435 [i.e. 2014 CE]: announcement of the Caliphate
The Majlis Shura of the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham came together after the conquests with which God blessed His servants in al-Sham and Iraq and they announced on the tongue of Sheikh Abu Muhammad al-Adnani- may God accept him- the restoration of the Caliphate and appointment of Sheikh Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi- may God accept him- as Imam and Caliph for the Muslims.
1441 [i.e. 2019 CE]: his martyrdom
After a march filled with exertion and jihad, the sheikh- may God accept him- was martyred as he preferred to be killed in the path of God Almighty than fall into the captivity of the idolaters, acting in accordance with what he advised his soldiers to reject giving themselves up as prisoners.