Caliphate
A caliphate is a form of Islamic government led by a caliph, who is viewed as the successor to the Prophet Muhammad and the leader of the Muslim community. The method of selecting a caliph remains a point of debate among Muslims, with differing opinions on whether the position should be elected or inherited, depending on sectarian beliefs. Throughout history, several caliphates emerged, including the Rashidun, Umayyad, Abbasid, and Ottoman Caliphates, with the latter being the last established caliphate, which dissolved in 1924.
In contemporary times, extremist groups have sought to revive the concept of the caliphate, often through violent means and interpretations of Islam that are not representative of mainstream beliefs. Notable among these are Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), both of which have aimed to establish a global caliphate, although their ideologies and interpretations diverge significantly. Most Muslims do not support these radical interpretations or the violent tactics employed by such groups, emphasizing that the notion of a caliphate does not align with the practices of the broader Islamic community. The attempt to create a global caliphate by these extremist organizations has faced widespread opposition and military action from several nations.
Caliphate
A caliphate is a form of Islamic government. The head of state of a caliphate is a caliph or, in Arabic, khalīfah, meaning “successor." A caliph is considered the successor of Muhammad and the leader of the Islamic community. Debate exists within the Muslim faith regarding whether the caliph should be elected or appointed through heredity. The debate is based on the sect of Islam that the individual adheres to. There have been a series of caliphs and caliphates, with occasional breaks in time. Twentieth and twenty-first-century radial extremists have attempted to create a worldwide caliphate based on an extremist reading of Islam, but the effort has garnered little success.
Brief History
Muhammad was the first caliph of the Muslim world. The Rashidun caliphs ruled after Muhammad. Following the Rashidun Caliphate was the Umayyad Caliphate, the Abbasid Caliphate, and the Ottoman Caliphate. The Ottoman Empire and Caliphate dissolved after World War I. Radial extremists at the end of the twentieth century began to agitate for a new caliphate that would encompass Muslim communities around the world.
Upon the death of Muhammad in 632, Abū Bakr Siddique was named the caliph of the Muslim world. Abū Bakr was a caliph for approximately twenty-three months, when he developed a severe fever and died. Following Abū Bakr was the Umar ibn Khattab, followed by Uthmān ibn ʿAffān. Ali, Muhammad’s son-in-law and cousin, assumed the title of caliph following the death of Uthmān ibn ʿAffān. Ali was not widely accepted as the caliph, and with his death, the Rashidun Caliphate ended.
The Umayyad caliphate lasted from 661 to 750. Under the Umayyad Caliphate, the empire exceeded over five million square miles. The Umayyad Caliphate was overthrown by the Abbasid Caliphate. The Abbasids were a family from Mecca. The Abbasid Caliphate gave precedence to growth in science, technology, literature, and the arts. From 1258 to 1261, the caliphate was in disarray and no one person was in control. The Abbasid Caliphate ended with the sultans of the Ottoman Empire claiming the succession.
The Ottoman Caliphate, also known as the Ottoman Empire, was the last caliphate. The Ottoman Caliphate came to power in 1517 and ruled until 1924. During World War I, the Ottoman Empire forged an alliance with Germany. As a result, the Soviet Union, France, and Great Britain declared war on the Ottoman Empire. The end of the caliphate neared as power centralized in Western Europe and the United States. The caliphate was dissolved in 1924 by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the secular first president of the Turkish Republic.
Caliphate Today
At the end of the twentieth and beginning of the twenty-first century, the re-institution of the caliphate became the stated goal of a number of terrorist organizations based on an extremist interpretation of Islam. Osama bin Laden (1957-2011), a Saudi billionaire, founded Al-Qaeda, an organization whose mission was the establishment of a worldwide caliphate and the elimination of Western influence in the Middle East. Al-Qaeda, also known as the Base or Foundation, was the group proposed to be the foundation upon which other radial extremists would be able to continue the work of building a global caliphate.
Many different terrorist groups have contributed to this goal. Support for these organizations is primarily found in distressed areas of the Middle East and North Africa, though individuals in the United States and other Western countries have volunteered or been recruited to the cause. The goal of achieving a global caliphate is not supported by most Muslims. Even fewer believe that violence is justified in the course of establishing a global caliphate.
Al-Qaeda was the first modern terrorist group to attempt to establish a global caliphate. This was a secondary goal, the primary being removing all Western influence from the Middle East. Al-Qaeda began to mobilize its efforts toward a worldwide caliphate in the late twentieth century, when Osama bin Laden coordinated with other radial extremist terror groups, such as the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, to consolidate power and munitions. At the time, numerous small, independent groups had similar goals. Osama bin Laden consolidated these groups under the banner of Al-Qaeda. After launching multiple terrorist attacks on Western targets, Osama bin Laden was killed by US forces in a raid on his secret compound in Pakistan in 2011.
In 2014, the terrorist group Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), known as the Islamic State, declared Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (1971-2019) as the caliph of the new global caliphate and "leader for Muslims everywhere." ISIL had the same goal as that of Al-Qaeda, however, ISIL and Al-Qaeda remained divided by differences in interpretations of the Quran and other Islamic teachings. In 2015, Russia, the United States, Syria, Turkey, France, and Great Britain, among others, engaged in an airstrike and ground campaign dedicated to destroying ISIL and mitigating the ability of ISIL to continue spreading. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed by US forces in 2019. Only a few days later, the Islamic State named Iraqi militant Abu Ibrahim al-Hashemi al-Qurayshi (1976-2022) as the second caliph of the Islamic State. Under his rule, the terrorist organization gained support in Africa. During a raid on his compound by US forces in 2022, al-Qurashi detonated a bomb to avoid apprehension, killing himself and much of his family. The third caliph, Abu al-Hasan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, and the fourth, Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurashi, were killed less than a year into their roles. The fifth caliph, Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, took the role in August 2023.
The views of terrorist organizations are based on an extremist, radical interpretation of the Quran and do not reflect the views of mainstream Muslims or Islam. Al-Qaeda and ISIL, among other terrorist groups, adopted a policy and political agenda based on fear and violence, including bombings and the beheading of prisoners. Key aspects of the ISIL and Al-Qaeda platform include the subjugation of women and non-Muslims, extreme interpretation and enforcement of Sharia law, and a staunchly anti-Western position. The legitimacy of the ISIL caliphate is not recognized by any country.
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