Pledges of allegiance: deciphering the function and evolution of ‘bay’ah’ within al-Qaida

The ritual of bay’ah, or ‘pledging allegiance’, a cornerstone of Islamic political tradition, continues to shape how jihadist movements respond to leadership transitions and organizational challenges. This study examines three questions: How has bay’ah evolved within al-Qaida from Osama bin Laden’s leadership (1996–2011) to Ayman al-Zawahiri’s era (2011–2022)? How do jihadist leaders frame bay’ah in response to organizational challenges? What motivational mechanisms sustain follower commitment through bay’ah? Drawing on social movement theory’s framing approach, the analysis draws on primary sources including allegiance pledges, leadership communiqués, and ideological treatises to map bay’ah across three dimensions: diagnostic (defining grievances), prognostic (prescribing solutions), and motivational (binding followers through religious duty). The findings show that bay’ah is a crucial element of jihadist resilience, demonstrating how religious rituals function as organizational mechanisms that maintain authority, enforce norms, and attempt to solve problems.