This way of thinking became more problematic when it emphasized the use of jihad as the highest form of “rejection” of the thaghut. The dissemination of this thought, particularly through the digital realm, became a powerful tool for recruiting new members and supporters — until today.

The doctrine outlining that the ultimate expression of faith was through fighting the enemies of faith (the thaghut) became a dangerous virus spreading throughout the extremist community. This was because in attacking the thaghut there was little concern for ordinary Muslims caught up in the crossfire — the most important thing was to fight against the thaghut.

For a group of extremists who were obsessed with jihad and martyrdom, the theology and ideology espoused by Aman gave them greater freedom in selecting targets that were within their capability. They no longer had to attack foreigners or the US allies, but instead could target other religious communities and everyone involved in helping support the ongoing rule of those who did not implement Islamic law, namely the Indonesian government.

This gave rise to a spate of attacks from 2010 onward, including a series of attacks targeting the police in Cirebon, West Java; Bima, West Nusa Tenggara; Surakarta, Central Java; and Jakarta from 2010 to 2013.

Then, in 2014, many “truth seekers” online, namely those that shared Abdurrahman's views, found a new home in IS' “false caliphate”. Many of IS' propaganda releases were in accordance with Abdurrahman's thinking. As a result, Aman and his followers flocked to pledge their allegiance to IS and its leader at the time, Abu Bakar al Baghdadi.

The “proof” offered by the existence of IS' caliphate as well as their pledge of allegiance to the nascent statelet provided a stronger justification for IS supporters' acts of terrorism. They could claim to be acting as “soldiers of the caliphate”, when perpetrating attacks in Indonesia and each of their attacks would receive official recognition as an IS attack.

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