Full Book: From the Biographies of the Distinguished Martyrs
Introduction and Table of Contents
May 2004: The execution of Nick Berg – from the left: Abu Usama al-Tunisi, Manaf al-Rawi, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, Abu Anas al-Shami, Abu Muhammad al-Lubnani.
Introduction
After nearly nine months, the “Biographies of the Distinguished Martyrs” series has finally been completed and every entry is listed below with hyperlinks. The many lessons to be drawn from the series will be addressed and explained in another post, so this introduction will be brief. For the first time, this important primary source on Islamic State is available in English, and it is a must-read for anyone interested in modern Middle Eastern, especially Iraqi, history. It paints a vivid portrait of the men who fought during the Iraqi insurgency, particularly its earlier phases. On the one hand, the book is a fascinating compilation of battlefield stories, and on the other hand, it is an essential document on understanding why Islamic State emerged from the insurgency. Given the closely related content, I have also linked both parts of “Lions of the Ansar in the Land of Two Rivers” by Abu Muhammad al-Salmani and “Story of the Sunni Salafist Insurgency in Iraq, 1999-2010” by Nibras Kazimi in the Appendix.
NOTE: Entries marked with stars (**) are especially important for the history of Islamic State.
Table of Contents
The Group of Knights: Abu Khabbab al-Filastini, Abu Umar al-Masri, Abu Sulayman al-Filastini**
The Reaping of Rewards and the First Fruits of Grace: Abu Turab, Abu Farida, Abu Hafs, Abu Tariq