In media coverage of the war and revolution in Syria, one still often finds the armed group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, which led the deposal of the Assad regime, described as either being al-Qa ‘ida or ‘al-Qa‘ida-linked.’ This is simply not the case. The formation of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham in January 2017 was in fact what constituted the full break between al-Qa‘ida and its then affiliate in Syria (Jabhat al-Nusra), while those who insisted on loyalty to al-Qa‘ida formed the Hurras al-Din Organisation (‘Guardians of the Religion’). For some time, despite notable disputes between the two sides regarding matters like the breaking of allegiance to al-Qa‘ida’s leader Ayman al-Zawahiri and ownership of weapons, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham afforded the group some toleration on the basis that the latter accepted Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham’s hegemony in northwest Syria and agreed to abide by its rules.
Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham’s formation in January 2017 constituted the full break between al-Qa‘ida and its then-affiliate in Syria (Jabhat al-Nusra), while those remaining loyal to al-Qa‘ida formed Hurras al-Din.
However, in 2020, Hurras al-Din’s formation of an expanded independent operations room prompted a crackdown on the group by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, with leaders such as the Jordanian Sami al-Uraydi becoming wanted by the security apparatus. Since then, the group descended into operational irrelevance apart from claiming an occasional attack outside northwest Syria against the regime and its allies. In the offensive that ultimately toppled Assad, Hurras al-Din had no appreciable role. In short, while some rank-and-file members of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham may harbour sympathy for some members and ‘martyrs’ of Hurras al-Din (e.g. the Saudi Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Makki, who was imprisoned by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham and ultimately killed in an American drone strike last year), any notion of an alliance between the two groups had long ended.
In a newly issued statement, Hurras al-Din has announced its dissolution, citing a decision made by al-Qa‘ida’s central command and also the fact that Assad’s regime has now been deposed. At the same time, the group offers two lines of ‘advice.’ First, it urges that Sunnis in Syria must be allowed to keep their weapons to deter any threats from potential aggressors, rather than being forced to hand them over to the new administration. It is likely that this advice, when coupled with the statement that al-Sham (the Levant) is the camp of the Muslims in the fight against the Jews and other “enemies of the religion”- is based on the ongoing Israeli military incursion into parts of Syrian territory in Deraa and al-Qunaytra, where the Israelis have been seeking to confiscate weapons held by locals. Second, like other jihadists, the group urges for Syria’s new leadership to implement the rule of Islamic law (the Shari‘a). In affirming its commitment to its principles, Hurras al-Din is likely implicitly contrasting its ideological purity with Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham’s perceived compromises that are deemed unacceptable.
Below is the statement fully translated by me.
In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
And those who wage jihad wage jihad for themselves. Indeed God has no need for the world-dwellers.
Statement on dissolution of the Hurras al-Din Organisation
Praise be to God for the bounty of Islam and the following of the tradition, and praise be to God: how dark is the night when dawn has loomed. Praise be to God for the two bounties of martyrdom and victory. We ask the Exalted that we should be among those who wage jihad and thus are patient, and among those who are victorious and thus give thanks.
And praise be to God who has blessed the people of al-Sham with the liberation of their land from the tyrant (may God destroy him) and the routing and flight of his army. We ask God to accept their patience, jihad and ribat and to reward them all the best on behalf of the Muslims. We ask the Exalted to bring together the people of Syria under the banner of Tawhid.
On the authority of Abu Musa (may God be pleased with him): “A man came to the Prophet (SAWS) and so he said: The man fights for the sake of zeal, and fights for the sake of courage, and fights for the sake of showing off, so in which case is this in the path of God?” The Prophet said: “The one who fights for God’s word to be supreme is fighting in the path of God”- narrated by al-Bukhari.
We also affirm that by God’s permission we will remain steadfast upon our Shari‘i principles without change, alteration or camouflage.
The blessed Syrian revolution started from the Muslims’ mosques, and their throats became filled with Islamic expressions calling to remove oppression from the oppressed in the face of a tyrannical oppressive ruler, but this oppressor and his regime resisted this revolution with all the force they had, and sought help in the force of Russia and Iran, and thus he killed, raped, imprisoned and displaced the Sunni Muslims in blessed al-Sham. On the basis of the Almighty’s words: “If they seek your help for the sake of the religion, you must help them”- it was the obligation of every Muslim to support them. Thus the people of the Qa‘idat al-Jihad Organisation hurried to support the people of al-Sham and aid them to remove the oppression from them, until God permitted this Sunni Muslim people to be victorious over one of the most oppressive Tawaghit of the modern age- something that makes clear the completion of one of the stages of the conflict between truth and falsehood.
In view of these developments on the Shami field and by leadership decision from the general command of the Qa‘idat al-Jihad Organisation, we announce to our Muslim Ummah and the Sunnis in al-Sham:
The dissolution of the Hurras al-Din Organisation (The branch of the Qa‘idat al-jihad Organisation in Syria).
And in this stage we advise the Sunnis in al-Sham not to abandon their weapons and to prepare for the coming stages that our Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) told us about: for the land of al-Sham is the land of the great epic battles, and the grave of the tyrant and colonisers, and the camp of the Muslims in their fight against the Jews and those who come after them from among the enemies of the religion.
We also promise our Ummah that we will remain among its soldiers who respond to any call for support and help in any part of the Muslims’ abode, and we will not be- by God’s permission- except where God the Exalted and Almighty wants us. We also affirm that by God’s permission we will remain steadfast upon our Shari‘i principles without change, alteration or camouflage. For the establishment of the religion and supporting the oppressed and preserving the Muslims’ blood are among our foremost principles that we profess to God.
And in this stage we advise the Sunnis in al-Sham not to abandon their weapons and to prepare for the coming stages that our Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) told us about.
We also advise the notables of al-Sham and those who lead the field today to establish the religion and implement the rule of the Shari‘a of the Lord of the World-Dwellers, for this is the clear victory, and we advise them to keep the weapons in the hands of the Sunnis in al-Sham, so that they can remain a nation that bears arms and thus no tyrant should seek to enslave them, nor should any occupier harbour ambitions against them.
The Almighty has said: “And those We have enabled in the land have established prayers and given zakat and command what is right and forbidden what is wrong, and to God belongs the outcome of the matter”- Surat al-Hajj.
We thank the efforts of the people of the organisation and the Sunnis in al-Sham who have endured the difficulties and hardships of this path. We ask God to enable His religion for us and them in the land, and we ask God to make use of us in obedience to Him. We also ask God the Exalted and Almighty to grant us success and to all our Muslim brethren in what is good for Islam and Muslims in this world, as well as the reward in the Hereafter, and to make us all among the people of loyalty, trust and sincere devotion, and to save us from the tribulations and afflictions, and to take us by our hands in what is good for the religion and the Ummah. The Almighty has said: “And those who wage jihad wage jihad for themselves. Indeed God has no need for the world-dwellers”- al-Ankabut.
The last of our calls is praise be to God the Lord of the World-Dwellers and, oh God, bless our Prophet Muhammad and all his family and companions.
Leadership Council of the Hurras al-Din Organisation.
Tuesday, 28 Rajab 1446 corresponding to 28 January 2025.
