To begin with, it was a powerful motivation to the supporters of Islamic State Movement (ISIS) when it has declared establishing of caliphate, or known as Islamic state on the territories where they have controlled in Iraq and Syria, also announced that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is the leader or as a caliph, the leader for all Muslims everywhere (www.bbc.com, 2014). According to that, the main objective of establishing a caliphate is to set up a state governed under strict Islamic law and expand its authority to all regions (Lister, 2014). Abu Omar, one of the ISIS’s fighter said “We are getting stronger every day in Sham and Iraq but it will not end there, of course, one day we’ll defeat all the Taghut regimes and bring back Islam to the whole region, including al-Quds (Jerusalem)” (as cited in Lister, 2014), it is shown that they are trying to expand its territories to all states including Palestine and then merge them to be under one Caliphate.
In order to achieve the goal, the idea of Jihad has been used as a motive to other Jihadist and Muslim youths to join the movement. According to ISIS, jihad is an obligation for Muslims (Waldeck, 2015). In the same way, as a result of misinterpreting of Jihad by the ISIS, Barrett noted that (as cited in Waldeck, 2015) they believe it is honourable to be part of a battle, because they found in several hadith predicted that Syria is the land of jihad, a battle between Muslim armies will be arise there, and lead to the end of times. This will be great opening them to die as martyrs and gain the Jannah or Paradise.
Since the growing of Islamic state movement, many youths are influenced by the wrong understanding idea of Jihad. The word Jihad did not only mean holy war or fighting and using armed against others, it also to strive to become better people (Mushamir, 2016).
Moreover, Moten and Islam (2011) cited in the book that Islam is the religion of peace and freedom, it is revealed to mankind with intention of giving a peaceful life. Muslims are responsible for treating all Muslims and non-Muslims kindly and justly, protecting innocent people and needy. It is clear that killing innocent man is a big sin and major crime. Even in war, Islam prohibited to kill woman, children, non-combatant men, not even allowing to destroy religious places and cut trees. Islam greatly promotes non-violent and peaceful building values. There are several verses in the Quran that emphasized the importance of tolerance and kindness to other people. This is completely contrasted with the ISIS’s operation and its methods in battle. In the article wrote by Al-Dawoody (2015) mentions that ISIS regularly kills Muslims and non-Muslims even when they have not taken up arms against them, using aggressive ways, resuscitation of slavery, unprecedented, unimaginable, and shocking degree of brutality attack to the enemies without tolerance and mercy. For example, killing children, uncountable incidents of beheadings, repression of woman such as preventing them from attending public schools, and raping them, torturing by different forms including torture through beatings, burying people alive, decapitating people with knives, and waterboarding. It is important to note that, these kind of brutal actions have been violated in the Islamic law.
Furthermore, there are numerous Muslims affiliate to the group including Malaysian youth and university student as a result of lack the knowledge and awareness toward this issue and as well misunderstanding of what is actual Islamic teaching in the Quran and Hadith, especially on interpretation of the concept of Jihad. Thus, there are about 450 Indonesians and Malaysians, including children and women under fealty to Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq and Syria today (Mushamir, 2016). They have been misled to the group without surely knowing who they are, and unrealized that how do they brutally against others, what is their real ideology. Therefore, Amidi Abdul Manan, the president of Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia (ABIM) said that “parents and teachers had to ensure youths understood that jihad, or holy struggle, did not mean taking up arms and using force against others” and he continued that “They must explain that jihad means to strive, and should be practised in all aspects of our lives. If we strive to become better people, and understand Islam, that is already jihad” and Ustaz Mohammad Mustaqim from the Federal Territories Mufti’s Office, he also described that ISIS is not representing Islam, they are a terrorist group who uses the name of Islam for violent means (as cite in Mushamir, 2016).
