Hafez ibn Abd-al-Rahim

Hafez ibn Abd-al-Rahim was an Iraqi-born member of the Islamic State (ISIS). In 2017, he was part of an ISIS effort to obtain a copy of the Necronomicon.

ISIS was aware that a copy in the original Arabic was located in the Special Collections of the library of Miskatonic University, in Arkham, Massachusetts. ISIS decided to take advantage of the interlibrary loan system, coercing one Professor Gamal al-Zubi of Al-Azhar University in Cairo to request Miskatonic's copy. Hafez himself traveled to Arkham on a fake Egyptian passport with documents sign by the professor.

Upon his arrival at the campus, the radicalized Hafez was disgusted (and perhaps a little aroused) by the sight of young women who were not covered to ISIS standards. In short order, he spoke with a circulations clerk, identified himself as the professor's graduate student, "Ahmad Goma", and was directed to the Special Collections section.

Here he met with the head of Special Collections, Wilbur Armitage. Armitage satisfied himself that Hafez's paperwork was authentic, and took him to the Necronomicon. Armitage presented the book, which was held closed by a belt. Hafez was horrified by the realization that the book was bound in human flesh. Armitage warned Hafez not to unbuckle the book until he'd delivered it to Professor al-Zubi, otherwise Armitage could not answer for Hafez's safety. Hafez agree, and then asked to look inside the book. While Armitage didn't want to, it was a fair request, and undid the belt.

Hafez quickly read through, confirming that it was in archaic Arabic. However, he was soon horrified by the text itself, as well as the way the words began to run and glow and seem to take on a life of their own. He begged Armitage to close it. Armitage did, and Hafez put the book in his backpack. He noticed that the book felt quite heavy at first, then seemed to grow lighter as he left the campus.