The image illustrates the door/entrance to the afterlife. The moon in the middle of the image plays a pivotal role within the Islamic tradition. It is laden with religious, astrological and spiritual significance and governs all daily life, as the Islamic calendar is a lunar one. In the narrower context of Islamic jihadi ideology, the moon is typically combined with images that signal notions of afterlife and martyrdom. Here, the moon appears with mountains, clouds, light on the horizon and fauna, the combination of which suggests the martyr’s righteous character and heavenly reward. The green tree (on the left side of the image) embodies life’s major cycles: origin, growth and death. It sprouts from a tiny seed, grows in inert dirt, dies in winter and experiences rebirth in spring. Finally, the image includes a partial citation of a Qur’anic verse (5:23), which reads: “Udhkulu ‘alayhim al-bab, fa-idha dakhaltumuhu, fa-innakum ghalibun; wa-‘ala Allah fa-tawakkalu, in kuntum mu’minin” (“Open the door for them, so when you enter through it, you shall be victorious; put your trust in God, if you are believers”).
