Image of Quran & Dome of the Rock

The slogan, with its bold, yellow letters reads: “allahumma, munzil al-kitab, mujri al-sahab, hazim al-ahzab unsur ikhwanana fi al-iraq wa-filastin, wa-jami’ bilad al-mislimin” (“O God, Revealer of the [holy] book, Mover of the clouds and Vanquisher of the confederacies; Render victorious our brethren in Iraq, Palestine and all Muslim land”).

The phrase used in this text—”mujri al-sahab”—is a common epithet of God meaning “Mover of the Clouds,” which features also in a famous night prayer uttered by the Prophet Muhammad during one of his military expeditions. It also happens to be the opening phrase of Usama bin Ladin’s 1998 Declaration of the World Islamic Front for Jihad against the Jews and the Crusaders, and was often used by Bin Ladin in announcements, interviews, etc.

Fauna, which features prominently in the picture, is a common element in jihadi imagery. While usually non-specific and used as a background element, it almost always conjures up the Islamic concept of heaven as a lush garden (janna).

Finally, the appearance of the Dome of the Rock—the third holiest place in the Islamic tradition—further elevates the religious aura of the image, while also conjuring up the idea of a martyr’s shrine or tomb, thereby emphasizing the importance of martyrdom.