Hazimism

Between December 2011 and May 2012, al-Hazimi delivered four lectures in Tunisia. He was supported by the Islamic Good Society and Hay al-Khadra’ Mosques Committee; members of the former were arrested for financing terrorism, while the latter maintained links to Ansar al-Sharia in Tunisia (AST). With the aid of the committee, al-Hazimi founded the Ibn Abi Zayd al-Qayrawani Institute for Sharia Sciences, which promoted his teachings. His views were also amplified through AST's Facebook page.[3]

In the following years, several Tunisians who adopted al-Hazimi's views joined ISIS. During the group's infighting with the Al-Nusra Front, the Tunisians remained loyal and were rewarded with senior administrative and religious posts. With increasing influence, however, their belief in takfir al-‘adhir became a source of concern for ISIS leadership.[3] Bahraini scholar Turki al-Binali, who led the group's Office of Research and Studies, prepared a series of lectures and pamphlets against the doctrine. He argued that while al-‘udhr bi’l-jahl was invalid in instances of greater polytheism and disbelief, this does not necessarily mean that those who make excuses are disbelievers. In a tweet, he also described the belief as bidʻah. The Binalis, as they were later termed, also claimed the Hazimi view led to an "infinite regress of takfir" (al-takfir bi’l-tasalsul).[2]

In March 2014, audio leaked of several high-level Hazimi officials, including the wāli of Hasakah, pronouncing takfir on the Taliban and Osama bin Laden. A separate leak showed takfir being made on Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.[3] In late 2014, 50 Hazimis fled to Turkey while 70 were imprisoned and executed by ISIS after they made takfir on elements of its leadership which did not consider Ayman al-Zawahiri to be a disbeliever.[4] Following their arrest, a pro-Hazimi statement surfaced describing ISIS as a "kafir jahmiyyah state".[5] Several Hazimi cells were formed afterwards; the breakup of one in Raqqa being featured in Dabiq where they were branded as kharijites.[4] Despite the crackdown, several groups of Hazimis remained, including one led by a certain Abu Ayyub al-Tunisi and supported by the wāli of Aleppo.[3][6] In 2016, Hazimis clashed with ISIS in the vicinity of Al-Bab and Jarabulus. In an account of the incident, senior Hazimi Abu Muath al-Jazairi called ISIS the "Idols' State" and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi the "taghut" of Syria.[5]

In a statement published in Al-Naba in April 2017, ISIS' Central Office for Overseeing the Sharia Departments banned the discussion of al-‘udhr bi’l-jahl and takfir al-‘adhir, but warned that hesitation in takfir was inexcusable.[2] On 17 May 2017, ISIS' Delegated Committee issued a memorandum which condemned al-takfir bi’l-tasalsul but stated that takfir was from the "foundations of the religion", rebuking those who hesitate in making it and branding them as murji'ah.[7] Shortly afterwards, al-Binali published a response to the memorandum and claimed its intent was to placate the Hazimis. On May 31, al-Binali was killed in a coalition airstrike, followed by two other scholars who supported him. The timing was seen as suspicious by the Binalis, who accused the Delegated Committee of leaking their locations.[7] In September 2017, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi reportedly dismissed and detained several Hazimis, reshuffling the Delegated Committee.[2][8]

In 2019, Hazimi foreign fighters, including a large contingent of Tunisians, failed a two-day coup attempt against al-Baghdadi. ISIS alleged they were led by Abu Muath al-Jazairi and placed a bounty on him.[8][9]

In June 2020, it was estimated there were over 100 Hazimis in the Netherlands.[1]