The Islamic State has confirmed the deaths of its previous leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and prior official spokesman Abu al-Hassan al-Muhajir. A new speech has been released by al-Furqan Media from the new spokesman Abu Hamza al-Qurashi confirms these facts and also announces the appointment of one Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi as new Caliph.

Among the key points of this new speech:

- Confirmation that Abu al-Hassan al-Muhajir was from the Arabian Peninsula, which had been established in prior testimonies.

- Abu Ibrahim the new caliph is given similar 'caliph credentials' in his Qurashi lineage. He is also reputed to be a veteran of the jihad against the Americans (presumably in Iraq). He is also supposed to be knowledgeable in matters of religion (Arabic: عالم). The new caliph was appointed by appropriate consultation procedures but also in a hurry to prevent disunity and breaking of ranks.

- The mockery of U.S. president Donald Trump.

- The insistence that the jihad will continue and the Islamic State remains and expands. Familiar rhetoric.

Below is the full speech with the text printed in the weekly Islamic State newsletter al-Naba'.

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In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

'And whoso fulfils what he has pledged to God, He will bring him a great reward.'

Speech by the official spokesman for the Islamic State the muhajir Sheikh Abu Hamza al-Qurashi (may God protect him).

Praise be to God the Lord of the Worlds, who supports His monotheist servants, and prayers and peace be upon the one sent with the sword as a mercy to the worlds our Prophet Muhammad, and all his family and companies.

God the Blessed and Exalted has said: 'So let those who sell this worldly life for the Hereafter fight in the path of God and whoso fights in the path of God and is killed or overcomes, We will grant him a great reward' (al-Nisa' 74).

Oh Muslims,

Oh Mujahideen in the path of God

Oh soldiers and subjects of the Islamic State

We announce to you the death of the reviver Imam, the knowledgeable, working and God-fearing Amir al-Mu'mineen and Caliph of the Muslims, the mujahid Sheikh Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi: Ibrahim bin Awad al-Badri al-Husseini al-Qurashi (may God Almighty accept him). And we announce to you the death of the official spokesman for the Islamic State the mujahid Sheikh Abu al-Hassan al-Muhajir (may God accept him). They were both killed during the past days, and to God we belong and to Him do we return.

And Sheikh Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi- may God accept him- had assumed command of the believers, in succession to the mujahid Sheikh Abu Omar al-Baghdadi (may God accept him). So God (Exalted and Almighty is He) aided him to revive the jihad in Iraq, and to support the Muslims in al-Sham. Then He granted conquest of the land at his hands, and established the religion through him and protected the honour of the Muslims. And the Exalted granted him success to implement the rule of His Shari'a, and facilitated for him the revival of the Caliphate and the laws of the religion that had been impeded by the Tawagheet of the Arabs and the non-Arabs, and He brought together to him the dispersed mujahideen from the east and west of the earth, so he waged jihad through them against the disbelievers and apostates from all the false paths and creeds. And he endured the hardship and tribulation and the enemies' gaining of power, until God Almighty determined for him to be killed in His path, and he was steadfast on his religion, going forth and not turning back in flight, a mujahid against His enemies. We reckon him as such and God Almighty is his reckoner.

As for Sheikh Abu al-Hassan al-Muhajir (may God Almighty accept him), he was of the veterans of the muhajireen mujahideen in Iraq, and he was from the Peninsula of Muhammad (SAWS), who faced tribulation and affliction in the religion of God, so he endured and was steadfast and continued his jihad. And he assumed the place of the prior official spokesman the mujahid Sheikh Abu Muhammad al-Adnani (may God accept him) in the most difficult stages of the jihad against the Crusaders and apostates, just as he was the best minister and aide for the Amir al-Mu'mineen, and he continued upon that until he died. We ask God to make his place in the highest.

And implementing the Sunna of the noble Companions in hurrying to appoint the Imam, out of concern for the group of the Muslims and organizing its matters, the Majlis Shura of the Islamic State (may God make it mighty) took the initiative to convene immediately after being sure of the martyrdom of Sheikh Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (may God accept him), so the sheikhs of the mujahideen mutually agreed after consultation of their brothers and implementing the counsel of the Caliph of the Muslims (may God accept him) to pledge allegiance to the mujahid knowledgeable working God-fearing Sheikh Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi (may God Almighty protect him) as amir for the believers and Caliph for the Muslims. We ask God to grant him success, the right path, conquest and guidance, and for the Exalted and Almighty to aid him to complete what his predecessor brothers began before him and to provide him a just retinue of good, and grant conquest of the land at his hands and open up the hearts of the servants to him.

God the Blessed and Almighty has said: 'Those who pledge allegiance to you pledge allegiance to God. The hand of God is above their hands whoso annuls, annuls it against himself and whoso fulfils what he has pledged to God, He will bring him a great reward.'

So oh Muslims in every place, rush to pledge allegiance to the Amir al-Mu'mineen and gather around him, for he by God is one of the symbols of the jihad, and one of its 'ulama, and one of the amirs of war. He has precedence in supporting God's religion, fighting the Exalted's enemies. The fields of the tumult and places of men bear witness for him, for he fought against the protector of the Cross- America- and inflicted on it woes upon woes. So he is aware of its method of war and realizes its scheming deception. So do not rejoice oh America in the killing of Sheikh al-Baghdadi, and do not forget the cups of death and perishing at the hands of that man (may God accept him). Or do you not realize, America, that the Dawla today stands at the thresholds of Europe and Central Africa, and indeed is expanding and remaining by God's permission from east to west? Or do you not understand how you have become after your war on the Islamic State, or do you not consider how you have become the laughing stock of the nations, your fate ruled by an old clumsy man, who has one opinion in the evening and another in the morning? So do not rejoice a lot and do not be deceived, for there has come to you the one who will make you forget the shock of what you saw, and the cups of bitterness that you tasted by the permission of God Almighty. Indeed it is as though you will find that the finer [/sweeter] of them is what was at the hand of al-Baghdadi (may God accept him).

And we advise our brothers in all the wilayas to be patient and reckon in anticipation, and be steadfast on their religion and jihad, and adhere to the group of the Muslims and its Imam, and be keen to take revenge for their leaders and brothers against the disbelievers and apostates, and strive in their effort to implement the counsel of the Amir al-Mu'mineen (may God accept him) in his last audio speech to work to free the prisoners of the Muslims, remove oppression from the oppressed, insist on calling the people to this religion, and get near to the Lord (Exalted is He) through the blood of the idolaters, while being patient on that until they meet God Almighty as they are on their affair and jihad.

God the Blessed and Exalted has said: 'And how many a prophet fought and with him many religious scholars, but they did not despair for what afflicted them in the path of God and they did not grow weak and they did not submit. And God loves those who endure. And they only said: 'Our Lord, forgive us for our sins and faults in our affair and plant firm our feet and give us victory against the disbelieving people. So God brought them the reward of this world and the good reward of the Hereafter. And God loves those who do good'- (Al Imran 146-148).

And praise be to God the Lord of the Worlds.