Dabiq (Arabic: دابق) was a Raqqa-based online magazine of the Islamic State, published via the deep web from July 2014 to July 2016 (Ramadan 1435 to Shawwal 1437). One of the many forms of Islamic State mass media, it partook in religious outreach to Muslims around the world,[1] ultimately seeking to gain new recruits for the "caliphate" by encouraging Muslims to immigrate to Islamic State territory.[2] In addition to Arabic, the magazine's content was written in a number of different languages, including English.

Dabiq
دابق
Cover of the July 2014 issue (The Return of Khilafah) in English
CategoriesOnline magazine
FrequencyVariable; one issue every 54 days on average
FormatJihadist propaganda
CirculationWorldwide (deep web)
PublisherAl-Hayat Media Center
FounderIslamic State
First issue5 July 2014 (2014-07-05)
Final issue31 July 2016 (2016-07-31)
CountryIraq and Syria
Based inRaqqa, Syria
LanguageArabic (primarily), English, German, French

The magazine was named after the town of Dabiq, Syria, which is believed in Islamic eschatology to be the primary location where the Muslims will fight and bring about Jesus Christ (‘Eesa bin Maryam) and the fall of the Anti-Christ (al-Masih ad-Dajjal) (see Al-Malhama Al-Kubra), preceding the Day of Judgement.

Details

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Dabiq was published by IS via the deep web, although it was widely available online through other sources.[3][4][5][6] The first issue carried the date "Ramadan 1435" in the Islamic Hijri calendar.[1] According to the magazine, its name was taken from the town of Dabiq in northern Syria, which is mentioned in a hadith about the End Times.[7] IS believes Dabiq is where Muslim and infidel forces will eventually face each other,[1][8] and that after the Crusaders' forces are defeated, the apocalypse will begin.[9] Every issue of Dabiq contained a quote attributed to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi: "The spark has been lit here in Iraq, and its heat will continue to intensifyby Allah's permissionuntil it burns the Crusader armies in Dabiq".[10]

Harleen K. Gambhir of the Institute for the Study of War considered that while al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula's magazine Inspire focuses on encouraging its readers to carry out lone-wolf attacks on the West, Dabiq was more concerned with establishing the religious legitimacy of IS and its self-proclaimed caliphate, and encouraging Muslims to emigrate there.[11] In its October 2014 issue, an article outlined religious justifications for slavery and praised its revival.[2][12][13][14][15]

IS used its Dabiq magazine to express its strong opposition to groups including Christians,[16][17][18][19] Jews,[20][21][22][23] Hindus,[24][25] Shia Muslims[26][27] and the Muslim Brotherhood.[28][29][30]

In September 2016, IS replaced Dabiq with another online magazine, Rumiyah (Arabic for Rome), published in English and other languages. Analysts speculated this was due to IS being driven out of the town of Dabiq by the Turkish Military and Syrian Rebels in October 2016. The new title refers to an Islamic prophecy about the fall of Rome.[31][32][33][34]

Issues

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Issue Cover title[n 1] Date (Hijri)[n 2] Date (Gregorian) Publication frequency[n 3]
1
"The Return of Khilafah" Ramadan 1435 5 July 2014
2
"The Flood" Ramadan 1435 27 July 2014 22
3
"A Call to Hijrah" Shawwal 1435 10 September 2014 45
4
"The Failed Crusade" Dhul-Hijjah 1435 11 October 2014 31
5
"Remaining and Expanding" Muharram 1436 21 November 2014 41
6
"Al Qa'idah of Waziristan: A Testimony from Within" Rabi' Al-Awwal 1436 29 December 2014 38
7
"From Hypocrisy to Apostasy: The Extinction of the Grayzone" Rabi'Al-Akhir 1436 12 February 2015 45
8
"Shari'ah Alone Will Rule Africa" Jumada al-Akhirah 1436 30 March 2015 46
9
"They Plot and Allah Plots" Sha'ban 1436 21 May 2015 52
10
"The Law of Allah or the Laws of Men" Ramadan 1436 13 July 2015 53
11
"From the Battles of Al-Ahzāb to the War of Coalitions" Dhul Qa'Dah 1436 9 September 2015 27
12
"Just Terror" Safar 1437 18 November 2015 101
13
"The Rafidah from Ibn Saba' to the Dajjal" Rabi'Al-Akhir 1437 19 January 2016 62
14
"The Murtadd Brotherhood" Rajab 1437 13 April 2016 85
15
"Break the Cross" Shawwal 1437 31 July 2016 109

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ English-language cover titles
  2. ^ Islamic Hijri calendar, used by Dabiq
  3. ^ Days from previous edition

References

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  1. ^ a b c Fraser, Giles (10 October 2014). "To Islamic State, Dabiq is important – but it's not the end of the world". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  2. ^ a b Salma Abdelaziz. (12 October 2014). "ISIS states its justification for the enslavement of women", CNN.
  3. ^ Niccolò Battaglino (18 October 2015). "Da Inspire a Dabiq, Ecco Come Nascono i Magazine Jihadisti". Smartweek.it. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
  4. ^ Alessandria Masi (6 October 2015). "ISIS Propaganda Magazine Dabiq For Sale On Amazon, Gets Taken Down". International Business Times. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
  5. ^ "Jihadology Dabiq issues", Jihadology, 31 July 2016, retrieved 25 April 2019
  6. ^ William Bigelow (16 November 2015). "Paris Attacks Mastermind Brags About Escaping "Crusader Intelligence"". Vocativ. Archived from the original on 26 February 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
  7. ^ "Dabiq: What Islamic State's New Magazine Tells Us about Their Strategic Direction, Recruitment Patterns and Guerrilla Doctrine". Jamestown. The Jamestown Foundation. 1 August 2014. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  8. ^ Terrence McCoy (16 September 2014). "The apocalyptic magazine the Islamic State uses to recruit and radicalize foreigners". The Washington Post. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  9. ^ "What ISIS Really Wants". The Atlantic. Retrieved 22 November 2015
  10. ^ "Islamic State and the Others". raqqa-sl.com. 1 July 2015. Archived from the original on 19 October 2016. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
  11. ^ "Dabiq: The Strategic Messaging of the Islamic State" (PDF). Institute for the Study of War. 15 August 2014. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  12. ^ "Islamic State Seeks to Justify Enslaving Yazidi Women and Girls in Iraq", Newsweek, 13 October 2014
  13. ^ Athena Yenko, "Judgment Day Justifies Sex Slavery Of Women – ISIS Out With Its 4th Edition Of Dabiq Magazine" Archived 18 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine, International Business Times-Australia
  14. ^ Allen McDuffee. (13 October 2014). "ISIS Is Now Bragging About Enslaving Women and Children", The Atlantic
  15. ^ Richard Spencer. (13 October 2014) "Thousands of Yazidi women sold as sex slaves 'for theological reasons', says Isil", The Daily Telegraph.
  16. ^ "Islamic State's position on Christians". BBC News. 27 February 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  17. ^ Umberto Bacchi (13 October 2014). "International Business Times: Isis magazine Dabiq Threatens 'Rome Crusaders' Flying Islamic State Flag at Vatican on Front Cover". International Business Times. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  18. ^ Yaron Steinbuch (14 October 2014). "ISIS: 'The whole world will be an Islamic state'". The New York Post. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  19. ^ Jay Reed (12 March 2016). "Has ISIS set its sights on occupying the Vatican?". Newsweek. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  20. ^ "ISIL says its flag will wave over Jerusalem and Saudi Arabia". Al Bawaba. 26 November 2014. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  21. ^ Lev Selmon (30 August 2014). "Islamic State vows to reach 'Palestine' and 'kill the barbaric Jews'". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  22. ^ Michael Gryboski (17 September 2014). "ISIS' Apocalyptic Magazine Vows to Attack Israel, US Troops as It Conquers Persia, Rome and Arab States". Christian Post. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  23. ^ Milo Comerford (20 April 2016). "Why are Jihadis targeting Christians?". Newsweek. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  24. ^ Harshita Dhyani (14 April 2016). "ISIS planning two-pronged attack on India, target Hindus: Dabiq". Newsaura. Archived from the original on 18 June 2018. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  25. ^ "'Hindus need to be targeted in mass numbers in India,' says militant in Islamic State magazine". Firstpost. 14 April 2016. Archived from the original on 12 October 2017. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  26. ^ Perry Chiaramonte (21 January 2016). "New issue of ISIS magazine Dabiq calls for war on ... Muslims". Fox News. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  27. ^ Shianee Mamanglu-Regala (23 January 2016). "ISIS declares war on enemy worse than West — its fellow Muslims belonging to Shia sect". Christian Today. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  28. ^ Lizzie Dearden (13 April 2016). "Isis threatens Europe with further terrorist attacks while celebrating 'blessed' Brussels bombings". The Independent. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  29. ^ David Hearst (21 April 2016). "It's open season on the Muslim Brotherhood". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  30. ^ "Islamic State slams 'apostate' Muslim Brotherhood in new magazine". Middle East Eye. 13 April 2016. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  31. ^ Robin Wright (2 December 2016). "After the Islamic State". The New Yorker. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
  32. ^ "Town of Dabiq falls to Turkish-backed forces". The long War Journal. 17 October 2016. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
  33. ^ Kim Sengupta. "Isis indoctrinating children to plan attacks on Big Ben, Eiffel Tower and Statue of Liberty". The Independent. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
  34. ^ "The Virtual Caliphate: ISIS'S Information Warfare" (PDF). Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 7 February 2017.