The Concept of the “Islamic Caliphate” Since the Prophet Muhammad Till “The Islamic State”

Abstract

The concept of the Islamic Caliphate is tightly connected to Islam and the activity of the Prophet Muhammad. The formation of the ruling system became the most important part of the history of Islam. The legitimacy of the institution of the Prophet’s successor or Caliph became a subject of debate and political controversy, giving rise to Sunnism and Shiism in Islam.

Over the centuries, the form of the Caliphate as a state institution based on Islam has changed, but the turning point was in 1924 when the Kemalists’ Conference announced the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire and the establishment of the Republic of Turkey. Muslim fundamentalists met this Conference with great concern because, in their view, the history of the Islamic Caliphate ended with the abolition of the institution of the Caliphate.

In modern times, the idea of an Islamic Caliphate has been seized by the leaders of radical Islamist groups and is often used for their own political purposes.

The article analyzes the concept of the Islamic Caliphate, its formation, and its history of development. Unlike the classical Islamic Caliphate, the institution of the Caliphate of Islamist radicals was based on the Sayyed Qutb statehood, which differs from the classical concept. The analysis of these similarities and differences is presented in the article.