Abdulrab Rasul Sayyaf[2][3][4][5] (/ɑːbˈduːl rəˈsuːl saɪˈjɑːf/ ⓘ ahb-DOOL ra-b rə-SOOL sy-YAHF; Pashto: عبدالرب رسول سیف; born 1946) is an exiled Afghan politician and former mujahideen commander.

He took part in the war against the Marxist–Leninist People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) government in the 1980s, leading the Afghan mujahideen faction Ittehad-al-Islami (Islamic Union).

[6] During the Soviet-Afghan War he had close relations with Saudi Arabia and helped mobilize Arab jihadist volunteers for the mujahideen forces.

"[14] Sayyaf was a member of the Afghan-based Ikhwan al-Muslimin, founded in 1969 by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and Dr. Burhanuddin Rabbani and having strong links to the original and much larger Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.

Sayyaf was a professor at the Shariat (Islamic law) faculty of Kabul University until 1973, when he plotted with his group to overthrow President Mohammed Daoud Khan.

[15] Being imprisoned by the Communist People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan in April 1978, he was freed in controversial circumstances by General Secretary Hafizullah Amin, who, coincidentally, was Sayyaf's distant relative.

Sayyaf further made a name change and growing his beard very long, which were symbols of his close relations with the royal Saudis and their Wahhabist tradition.

In 1980 Prince Turki bin Faisal invited the major mujahideen leaders to a conference in Taif and locked them in a jail until they agreed to accept Sayyaf's command, but they reneged on the agreement immediately after being freed.

Despite his growing wealth, he continued to live a spartan life, avoiding modern conveniences like mattresses and air conditioning; although he enjoyed a nightly game of tennis.

[19] Also, in these camps, Sayyaf trained and mentored the soon-to-be-infamous, Kuwaiti-born, future Al-Qaeda operative and senior commander and principle architect of the 9/11 attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, after being introduced by the latter's brother, Zahid, during the Afghan Jihad in 1987.

This is due to his probable role in assassinating Ahmad Shah Massoud two days before 9/11 and his connections to and mentoring of the perpetrators of 9/11, something acknowledged even in the official 9/11 commission report.

[23] Sayyaf, who was allied with the de jure Kabul government of Burhanuddin Rabbani, did not deny the abductions of Hazara civilians, but merely accused the Hezb-i Wahdat militia of being an Iranian agent.

"Those who know the constitution, the ulema [Islamic scholars], and the lawyers should be split into different groups so that the results of the discussion and debate will be positive, and closer to each other," said Sayyaf.

[38] In April 2019, Sayyaf was chosen by President Ghani to chair the four-day loya jirga for peace efforts, attended by 3,200 representatives in Kabul.