Abu Hamza Al-Qurashi

Abu Hamza al-Qurashi
أبو حمزة القريشي
Spokesman of the Islamic State
In office
31 October 2019 – 7 November 2021
Preceded byAbul-Hasan al-Muhajir
Succeeded byAbu Omar al-Muhajir
Personal details
BornHussam al-Sayid
حسام السيد
Died(2021-11-07)7 November 2021
Jarabulus, Syria
Cause of deathAirstrike
Military service
Allegiance Islamic State

Hussam al-Sayid (Arabic: حسام السيد), known by his nom de guerre Abu Hamza al-Qurashi (Arabic: أبو حمزة القرشي),[1][2][3] was an Iraqi[4] who served as the third spokesman for the Islamic State (IS) from 2019 until his death in November 2021.

Before becoming the spokesman for the Islamic State, Abu Hamza al-Qurashi served as a munshid ( religious singer) for the Islamic State's Ajnad media from 2015 to 2019,[5] operating under the hierarchy name Abu Ibrahim al-Baghdadi. His intro voice was used in speeches of Al-Furqan audios and he was also Arabic voice of some of Al-Hayat media videos. During this time, he also served under the previous Islamic State spokesman, Abul-Hasan al-Muhajir.[4][6]

Al-Qurashi's role as a spokesman gave him a prominent position within the Islamic State, allowing him to disseminate the group's propaganda messages and motivate fighters.[7] He was known for his fiery speeches and reportedly lived working in the spice market in an area near the Ayn al-Bayda camp in the Jarablus region, where he was known as Abu Abdo al-Hamwi among local Islamic State members.[8]

His speeches included:

  • “And Whosoever Fulfills What He has Covenanted with Allah, He will Bestow on Him a Great Reward”; 31 October 2019
  • “God brought destruction on them, and similar (fate) avails the disbelievers”; 27 January 2020
  • “And the disbelievers will know for whom is the final home“; 28 May 2020
  • “So Relate the Stories That Perhaps They Will Give Thought”; 18 October 2020
  • “And you will be superior if you are indeed believers”; 22 June 2021

Death

On 7 November 2021, Syrian opposition Telegram channels circulated an image of a deceased individual, killed in Jarabulus by missile strike, claiming that local forces had recognized the body as Abu Hamza al-Qurashi.[9][10][11] While local sources and conflict monitoring websites speculated at the time that he had been killed in November 2021, Islamic State official media did not immediately acknowledge the loss.[8]

On 10 March 2022, ISIS officially announced the death of Abu Hamza al-Qurashi alongside its leader, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi,[12] stating that both had been killed "in recent days".[4] Analysts suggest the group delayed the announcement of his November 2021 death to maintain organizational stability until the caliph himself was killed.[8][11]

References

  1. ↑ "Who is Abu Ibrahim al-Quraishi, the new head of Islamic State". The Times of India. November 1, 2019. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  2. ↑ Seldin, Jeff (May 28, 2020). "Islamic State Calls Coronavirus Pandemic a Plague of Biblical Proportions". Voice of America News. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  3. ↑ Joscelyn, Thomas (November 1, 2019). "Islamic State confirms Baghdadi's death, names new 'Emir of the Faithful'". Long War Journal. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 "Abu Hamza al-Qurashi". Counter Extremism Project. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
  5. ↑ Dagman, M. (21 April 2020). "The Top Nasheeds of Abu Hamza al-Qurashi". syrianewsupdate. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
  6. ↑ Seldin, Jeff (10 March 2022). "Islamic State Names New Leader, Shares Only His Nom-de-Guerre". VOA News. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
  7. ↑ Orton, Kyle. "Abu Hamza al-Qurayshi Speeches". Kyle Orton's Blog. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  8. 1 2 3 Jariri, Nihad [@NihadJariri] (24 May 2022). "We can now comfortably say that Daesh former spox Abu Hamza Al-Qurashi Al-Muhajir was NOT killed in Atma in Feb '22 with Abu Ibrahim, but in a drone attack in Jarablus, NE Aleppo, in Nov '21" (Tweet). Retrieved 9 August 2026 – via Twitter.
  9. ↑ مزمجر الثورة السورية (7 November 2021). "استهداف طيران التحالف بثلاث صواريخ لمدينة جرابلس ومقتل اثنين وأنباء تقول أنهم دواعش لم نتعرف على هوياتهم بعد" [Coalition aircraft targeted the city of Jarabulus with three missiles, killing two people. Reports indicate they were ISIS members, but their identities are not yet known.] (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 30 September 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2026 – via Telegram.
  10. ↑ مزمجر الثورة السورية [@mzmgr941] (24 May 2022). "المستهدف بطيران التحالف منذ 6 أشهر في جرابلس اسمه الحقيقي حسام السيد المعروف أبو حمزة القرشي المتحدث السابق لداعش وكان" [The target of the Coalition airstrikes 6 months ago in Jarablus is named Husam al-Sayed, also known as Abu Hamza al-Qurashi, the former spokesman for ISIS.] (Tweet) (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2026 – via Twitter.
  11. 1 2 Jariri, Nihad (May 15, 2022). "لماذا يخفي داعش حقيقة ما حدث لمسؤول إعلامه أبو حمزة القرشي؟" [Why is ISIS hiding the truth about what happened to its media official, Abu Hamza al-Qurashi?]. Akhbar Al Aan (أخبار الآن). Retrieved 16 May 2026.
  12. ↑ "Islamic State names new leader, confirming US raid killed predecessor". The Guardian. 11 March 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2026.