On December 4, Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi–Zarqawi’s former mentor and one of the world’s most influential Jihadi ideologues–spoke briefly to the al-Ansar Paltalk chat group. In his brief remarks, Maqdisi appears to distance himself from the Jihadi revisionists:
For you and me I prescribe the fear of God, working for the sake of this religion, and being its helpers in the time before the victory (al-fath). God, powerful and mighty, says: “Those of you who spent and fought before the victory are not equal (to those who didn’t); you are greater in rank than those who spent and fought afterwards” (Q 57:10). Today, brothers and friends, you see the nations assailing us and there is no doubt that we are like the Companions of the Prophet (PBUP) before the victory. I beseech God to hasten the victory for the people of Islam and the people of monotheism.
Action for the sake of the religion at a time like this…the one who aids (the religion) and tries to assist it, establish it, and raise its banners–there is no doubt that he is greater in rank than those who act after the victory. I prescribe for you and for myself constancy in this religion and working to aid it and raise its banner and to always be concerned with steadfastness–to be steadfast in (the religion) and in the truth and to not turn back, turn toward those who retreat, or turn toward those who fall away. We must always remember the hadith of the Prophet (PBUH): “A group in my umma will always manifest the truth. Those who oppose them cannot harm them, neither can those who abandon them, until the command of God is fulfilled.”
Despite Maqdisi’s appeals to constancy, I wouldn’t take his rhetoric at face value given that he has made clear efforts to shift the course of Jordanian Jihadism in a different direction, as I and Abu Rumman have pointed out. Maqdisi’s primary audience is militants, so he has to engage in a very careful balancing act. Compare this to Sayyid Imam, who can dispense with such subtleties since Jihadis are not his primary audience.
Document (Arabic): 12-5-08-shamikh-transcript-and-audio-of-maqdisi-paltalk-session