ISIS draws inspiration from 1,300-year-old apocalyptic prophecy that predicted final battle between Christians and Muslims

The end is nigh: ISIS draws inspiration from 1,300-year-old apocalyptic prophecy that predicts final battle between Christians and Muslims

The terrorists of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has been alleged to be drawing inspiration from a 1300 year old Islamic apocalyptic prophesy that predicted a war between Islamic army and 'infidel horde' in Syria, which will which will the beginning of the destruction of the world.


Daily Mail reports that the 1,300-year-old hadith (a report of the deeds, teachings and sayings of the 'Prophet' Mohammed), refers to the 'horde' flying 80 banners as they take on a Muslim army in the Syrian town of Dabiq.

It warns of a 'malahim' - the equivalent to Armageddon in Christian teachings – in which the Muslims ultimately prevail.

The ancient prophecy is said to be a fundamental part of Islamic State's ideology and is catalysing the recruitment process of jihadists.

According to Daily Mail, ISIS supporters appear to be convinced of the validity of the prophecy. One such supporter wrote Twitter: 'Dabiq will happen for certain.

'The U.S. and its allies will descend on Syria once they see that the air campaign has failed. That is a promise by God and his Messenger.'

Another, from Tunisia, wrote. 'The lions of Islam have raised the banner of the Caliphate in Dabiq. Now they await the arrival of the Crusader army.'

Shadi Hamid, a fellow at the Brookings Institute, said the hadith is heavily relied upon by ISIS because it 'raises morale'.

He said: 'It is fair to assume that the vast majority of (ISIS) fighters believe in this type of talk.'


Meanwhile the U.S.-led airstrikes continue to pund Kobani, a strategic Syrian border town with Turkey, where ISIS militants have been fighting with Kurdish forces to take hold.

In the wake of the ongoing conflict, President Barack Obama met with military commanders to discuss fears that airstrikes alone may not be enough to stop the fanatics.

'As I've indicated from the start, this is not something that is going to be solved overnight,' he said.

Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby added: 'Airstrikes alone are not going to do this, not going to fix this, not going to save the town of Kobani.

'We know that. And we've been saying that over and over again.'

The ancient hadith has been passed down in different versions over the last 1,000 years but in all cases it has centred on a battle between a Muslim army and the forces of non-believers.

Prophecy has played a role in the movement's ideology since its early days as Al-Qaeda in Iraq under Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

Before Zarqawi was killed in Iraq in a U.S. airstrike in 2006 and long before his movement evolved into ISIS he was already referring to the epic battle in Dabiq.

'The spark has been ignited in Iraq, and its flames will grow until they burn the Crusader armies in Dabiq,' he once said.

Both Christians and Muslim believe in a final battle between followers of Christ and followers of Mohammed that would mark the end of the world. Muslims believe that  towards the end of the world Imam Mahdi would come to their rescue. The Mahdi's description however, perfectly fits the anti Christ description in the bible, who will behead Christians. Incidentally the Mahdi would rule from Syrian capital, Damascus!