Shafaq News
The dispute that erupted in Baghdad’s Dora district last week, ending with the sudden death of Sheikh Abdul Sattar al-Qurghuli, has sharpened accusations against the Madkhali, a Salafi movement whose influence in Iraq is both growing and divisive.
Doctors said al-Qurghuli’s death was caused by a heart condition, but the confrontation has revived debate over whether the Movement promotes stability through its doctrine of obedience or deepens division by sidelining competing Sunni voices.
Other accounts for the Sheikh's death have surfaced – Mustafa al-Bayati, Head of Baghdad’s Al-Adamiyah Imams’ Council, told Shafaq News that al-Qurghuli was “assaulted inside the mosque by extremists from the Madkhali trend." Sheikh Dhakir al-Hasawi, Imam of Mosul’s al-Nuri Mosque, went further, describing the incident as a “deliberate assassination attempt” and warning that the group could become “more dangerous than ISIS” if left unchecked.
By contrast, Sheikh Ahmad Dahham, assistant preacher at the same Dora mosque, said al-Qurghuli had long suffered from heart problems and collapsed following a verbal dispute, denying any attack.
Iraq’s National Security Council in May 2025 classified the Madkhali as a threat to community peace, though political pressure later eased enforcement. Following al-Qurghuli’s death, the Joint Operations Command formed a committee — including the Interior Ministry and National Security — to investigate, after several suspects were detained.
Read more: Death of Baghdad Imam amid mosque dispute: WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR?
Origins and Doctrine
The movement takes its name from Saudi cleric Rabee al-Madkhali, known for advocating unconditional obedience to rulers and rejecting political activism. His writings dismiss elections, protests, and rebellion as destabilizing, while labeling armed uprisings against authority as grave sins.
Madkhalis portray themselves as defenders of order who reject jihadist violence. Yet their rhetoric against fellow Sunnis — often branding them as heretical or seditious — has fueled disputes as much as it claims to suppress them.
Their presence in Iraq grew after the 2003 US-led invasion, when the collapse of state institutions created space for competing currents. Alongside Islamists, jihadists, and traditional Salafis, Madkhalis gained footholds in Baghdad, al-Anbar, and Nineveh. Over time, they secured access to mosques through the Sunni Endowment, a development that has split congregations, especially during Friday sermons.
Sermons and Discourse
Madkhali preachers in Iraq echo global themes: loyalty to rulers, rejection of political movements like the Muslim Brotherhood, and denunciation of jihadist groups such as al-Qaeda and ISIS. They also oppose federalism and decentralization, framing them as disguised efforts to divide the country.
Beyond the pulpit, adherents run active online platforms that spread fatwas and polemics, often intensifying rivalries before they spill into neighborhoods.
The sect’s relations with other Sunni currents remain fraught. Iraq’s Salafi Movement has distanced itself, accusing Madkhalis of deepening rifts. Political Islamists regard them as obstacles to reform, while jihadists depict them as collaborators with governments.
This alignment with state authority has provided the Movement with protection, but also fueled resentment in local communities.
For Iraqi authorities, the Madkhali Movement is both an asset and a liability. While its doctrine of obedience aligns with state security interests, its efforts to dominate mosque pulpits and its confrontations with rivals risk inflaming tensions within the Sunni community.
Written and edited by Shafaq News staff.