How Islamic Is ISIS?

The emergence of ISIS has again unleashed a debate on how “Islamic” a terrorist group is, with some analysts claiming its ideology is rooted in Islamic sources and history and others denying any connections to Islam. This chapter argues that ISIS should be viewed as a religious cult that has an apparent but slight connection with Islam. Through its ideology and actions, it has placed itself outside the broad mainstream of the Islamic tradition. Analysis of its claims regarding two key concepts, the caliphate and jihad, demonstrates just how extreme its positions are. ISIS claims it is fulfilling a religious mandate by establishing a caliphate, but this institution does not have its origins in the Qur’an or the teachings and practice of the Prophet Muhammad. As for ISIS’s claims on jihad, mainstream Muslim thought rejects ISIS’s expansive list of enemies and the indiscriminate means it uses to fight them.