The Fitnah (Trial) of the Black Flags in al-Shaam (Syria)

HTS fighter waives the Black Flag outside Umayyad Masjid (Masjid Ummavi) after Damascus takeover.

Long haired Daesh (ISIS) fighter holding their flag in Syria.

Black Flag of Al-Nusra Front called Jubhat Al-Nusra in 2014. Al-Nusra was previous name of Hayat Tahrir al-Shaam.

As Hayat Tahrir al-Shaam swept across Western Syria this month and took over Damascus, it is important to understand the origin of this organization and how does the Black Flags of al-Shaam prophecy is related to them. HTS is an offshoot like many other offshoots of main extremist organizations like al-Qaeda & ISIS (Daesh) in Iraq and Syria. The major sign of these groups has always been Black Flags as in the images shared in this writing. These images are important to keep in mind as we discuss why the Prophet of Allah ﷺ called them a Fitnah (trial, tribulation).

Prophetic warning about Hayat Tahrir al-Shaam & Allied groups

​Ali b. Abi Țalib (a.s) said “When you see the black banners, stay close to the ground, do not move your hands or your feet (do not join them). Then a weak group, hitherto unnoticed, will appear, their hearts like iron anvils (very harsh), they are the soldiers of the state (dawla - like Islamic State or want their own state), who do not keep a covenant or promise. They will call to the truth, but they are not from its people (they call towards Islam but not following it). Their names are Kunya (Abu Muhammad, Abu Ahmed etc.), their genealogies or family names are derived from towns (Al-Baghdadi, Al-Shami, Al-Zawahiri, Al-Jolani), their hair is loose like that of women—until they differ among themselves (they will have divisions Al-Qaeda, Al-Nusra, Daesh, HTS). Then God will bring the truth from where He wills.” (Nuaym ibn Hammad, Kitab Al-Fitan, # 520, English Trans David Cook) In another narration from Abu Huraira (r.a) who said “I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying: ‘When the black banners appear the first part of them is dissension, the middle part is error, and the last part is unbelief.’” (Nuaym ibn Hammad, Kitab Al-Fitan 498) 

Their prophesied characteristics are clear as daylight. Their leaders are known by their Kunya such as Abu Bakr, the leader of ISIS, whose real name is Ibrahim and HTS leader Abu Muhammad al-Jolani whose real name is Ahmed Al-Sharaa. Their last names are by towns and villages such as Al Baghdadi (from Baghdad) Al-Jolani (from jolan or golan, Syria). Their dissensions are also a sign resulting in several groupings such as Al-Qaeda offshoot became ISIS and others offshooted from them like Al-Nusra, Ahrar Al Shaam, Jaish Al Islam. Also the sign of their end being on disbelief is apparent. As HTS forms its own government in Damascus they are expected to form a nationalist secular state instead of Islamic one, for which they always claimed they were struggling for. In fact their disbelief is so obvious that they are expecting cordial relations with Israel and even providing assurances that Israel will not be harmed from Syria as Israel continues its genocide against Palestinians. HTS takeover expelled Hezbollah and Iranians from Syria who were a major hindrance in the path of Israel and greatest supporters of the Palestinian Resistance. Al-Jolani in his recent interview with BBC when asked if his rule will be based on Shariah law and if rulings such as alcohol consumption will be banned to which he did not confirm nor deny. Hence this is what RasoolAllah ﷺ meant when he prophesied their appearance and that their Islamic enthusiasm will gradually fade with end result kufr (disbelief) like secularism and nationalism: "There will be people among my Ummah (nation) after me who will recite the Qur'an, but it will not go any deeper than their throats. They will pass through Islam like an arrow passing through its target, then they will never return to it. They are the most evil of mankind and of all creation" (Ibn Majah) 

Origin of Hayat Tahrir al-Shaam from Iraq

HTS is an offshoot of Al-Qaeda and ISIS, the internationally designated terrorist organizations. These organizations emerged from Iraq after US led invasion in 2003. The leader of HTS namely Abu Muhammad Al-Jolani (or Golani, as he hails from the Golan Heights in Syria) was associated with the Al-Qaeda & ISIS in Iraq and held various leadership positions before he was assigned the task to start a militant group called Jubhat Al-Nusra in Syria after the civil war broke out in 2011. In 2017 Al-Nusra severed ties with al-Qaeda & ISIS and joined with other likeminded factions to rebrand itself as Hayat Tahrir al-Shaam. The leadership of Al-Nusra, HTS were all associated in past with the US run Iraqi prison camps setup after 2003 invasion. These Iraqi prisons were notorious hubs for extremist and sectarianism where individuals were indoctrinated in those notions and later carried on with them. A perfect example of such a hub was Camp Bucca. Several Al-Qaeda & ISIS leaders hail from these very prisons including Al-Jolani. Al-Jolani was arrested by US forces in Iraq in 2006 and held for five years in same prisons. These groups had engaged in much sectarianism and bloodshed in Iraq before entering Syria. From the onset HTS, Ahrar Al Shaam, Daesh, Jaish Al Islam and other extremist factions inside Syria enjoyed the backing of Turkey, Qatar, Saudi, US & Israel. Their emergence from Iraq is a prophecy that RasoolAllah ﷺ warned us: Sahl bin Hunaif said, "I heard him (the Prophet) saying while pointing his hand towards Iraq. "There will appear in it (i.e, Iraq) some people who will recite the Qur'an but it will not go beyond their throats, and they will go out from (leave) Islam as an arrow darts through the game's body.' "

What's even more interesting about these prophecies is that they apply not only to emergence of modern sectarian extremist factions from Iraq but in fact RasoolAllah ﷺ warned that this mindset would emerge very soon after his departure and those too would be from Iraq. They were called Kharijis or Kharijites. The historical Kharijis applied an extremist/sectarian interpretation of the Islamic text and as a result committed much blood shed, that is what guides the ideology of modern groups as well. It is important to mention a brief history of the extremist groups in Islam and the repercussions of their extremism. In our times this takfiri (excommunicative) mindset has taken its place among the Salafis and Wahhabis in the Arab Sunnis and the larger Sunni world.

The Ideological roots of Hayat Tahrir al-Shaam

The extremist methodology of groups like Hayat Tahrir Al Shaam is on the footsteps of the historical Kharijis, the first extremists that emerged from within the Muslims at the time of Ali ibn Abi Talib’s Caliphate (Khilafat). They were known for their hasty interpretations of the religious texts and passing Takfir (excommunication) on those who don’t agree with them. The term Khariji means “the ones who dissent”, “the dissenters” or “those who decided to withdraw” i.e. they withdraw from the Muslim community and eventually from Islam due to their acts. The Khawarij (pl. of Khariji) were those who interpreted deen (religion) according to their deficient minds and then declared all other Muslims who don’t agree with them as kafirs (disbelievers), as a result of which they separated from the main jamah (body) of the Muslims and declared legal the shedding blood of other innocent Muslims. Hazrat Ali (a.s) fought and defeated them at the Battle of Nahrawan in Iraq. But after their defeat Ali (a.s) warned that this mindset would continue to emerge till the end of time: “Verily, by the One in Whose hand is my soul, some of them are still in the loins of men and they have not been born yet, and the last of them will fight on the side of the al masih al dajjal (Antichrist).”

Now HTS and other extremist Salafi Wahhabi groups do not claim that they are from the historical khawarij. But if one observes the emergence of this group and similar ones in the last 2 decades it is not difficult to conclude that they are on the footsteps of their khawarij predecessors. ​Moderation and balance is the key to Islam, extremism has no place in it. With moderation in Islam comes wisdom and Islam teaches wisdom but once extremism enters it actually weakens the faith and with time there are high chances that those following will abandon much of the faith or the entire faith altogether. Extremism conflicts with one’s human nature. This is what we’re observing with groups like HTS. The difference between their Islamic rhetoric when they emerged as Jubhat Al-Nusra and after being renamed to Hayat Tahrir al-Shaam is very different. They started as an Islamic movement claiming to bring down Assad’s brutal regime, establish a just state of Islam in Syria and free the Syrian people. But after their recent takeover they toned down their rhetoric to please their foreign supporters in the West and Turkey.
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How Zionists & their allies benefited from this Fitnah?

Since HTS takeover in Damascus, Israel’s Zionist occupation army has annexed more land in Syria around Golan Heights, the territory already under their occupation since 1971, and in fact are only 20 kms away from Damascus. Since last 9 days Israel is not only expanding its occupation but also conducting regular airstrikes inside Syria, according to estimates the largest airstrikes Israel has ever done, since the fall of Assad’s regime. As per estimates Israel has destroyed almost 80% of Syria's military infrastructure rending them toothless infront of future Israeli aggression, thanks to HTS. What’s more interesting is that Al-Jolani, the HTS leader and representative of the new Syrian govt has shut down all Palestinian Resistance operations and ensured that Syrian land will not be used to attack Israel anymore! It is a bit sad to see that while Syrians celebrate Assad regime’s downfall, their country is far from being free because Turkey controls Northern Syrian territories, Kurds are in authority in Eastern Syria, ISIS is controlling desert areas, US is occupying oil, gas & wheat exports, Israel occupies Golan Heights and adjoining territories, while HTS and their ally groups only control Western Syria including Damascus.

References:

1. Cook, David, ed. “The Book of Tribulations: The Syrian Muslim Apocalyptic Tradition”: An Annotated Translation by Nu’aym b. Hammad al-Marwazi. Edinburgh University Press, 2017. http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.3366/j.ctt1pwt2c1.
2. Syria not a threat to world, rebel leader Ahmed al-Sharaa tells BBC
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c05p9g2nqmeo
3. New leaders in Damascus call for cordial Syria ties with a resistant Israel
https://www.npr.org/2024/12/27/g-s1-40144/syria-israel-relations-hts-damascus-governor
4. Al-Qaeda's Syria chief says IS caliphate 'illegitimate'
https://www.gdnonline.com/Details/8623/Al-Qaedas-Syria-chief-says-IS-caliphate-illegitimate
5. Israeli airstrikes destroy missiles, launchers in southern Syria
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/israeli-airstrikes-destroy-missiles--launchers-in-southern-s
6. Abu Mohammad al-Julani: Putting lipstick on a pig
https://thecradle.co/articles/abu-mohammad-al-julani-putting-lipstick-on-a-pig
7. Syria: Israeli airstrikes reach an all-time high after Assad regime falls
https://acleddata.com/2024/12/19/syria-israeli-airstrikes-reach-an-all-time-high-after-assad-regime-falls/​
8. Egypt's Dar Al-Ifta, Insight Magazine Issue #8, Fatwas against joining Terror Groups, https://www.dar-alifta.org/images/Languages/OnlineBooks/Issue%208.pdf