it wants more then that
How did ISIS form? When and where did ISIS begin?
If you want a long, well researched answer to this question, read this article: What ISIS Really Wants, from The Atlantic (my answer is just a summary of this article, so all credit to the original author).
Short Summary
In short, the group emerged from an extremist faction originally founded in 1999 that started to gain traction after the 2003 Iraqi invasion led by the U.S. (read Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant on Wikipedia for more detail).
The current leader is Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. His lineage, as a descendant of Muhammad's tribe, the Quraysh, supposedly gives him authority to act as a legitimate caliph (leader of the caliphate).
As the self-proclaimed worldwide caliphate, their mission is to establish Islam as the supreme form of government for all Muslims throughout the world. This means implementing all Islamic traditions as they were initially laid out by Muhammad and forcibly expanding their territory.
To the question of how much power they have, the answer is potentially more than any other extremist group to date. A number of factors, including their successful acquisition of territory and the lineage of their leader, give the movement a unique religious authority among a certain subset of Muslims. Their dissemination of propaganda has spurred quite a following from Muslims around the world, with large numbers migrating to the region to support the movement.
Religious Context
Here's some of the key take-aways I got from the Atlantic article referenced above. I'm just summarizing and quoting from it, so all credit to the original author.
1.ISIS, or the Islamic State, claims to be a legitimate caliphate, which is essentially a divinely-sanctioned political body whose laws and political ambitions are modeled after the original ruling order established by Muhammad. According to Islam, the caliphate is the only acceptable form of government, and it has political and military authority over all Muslims worldwide.
The group's religious tenets stem from "the jihadist wing of a branch of Sunnism called Salafism, after the Arabic al salaf al salih, the “pious forefathers.” These forefathers are the Prophet himself and his earliest adherents, whom Salafis honor and emulate as the models for all behavior, including warfare, couture, family life, even dentistry."
Some of the laws and practices of this medieval form of government, which are specifically laid out in the Koran, include crucifixion, slavery, stonings, amputations and beheadings. ISIS seems determined to emulate this form of government with unwavering devotion. This means slaughtering or enslaving anyone who does not worship and believe as they do.
2.In addition to the enforcement of the laws mentioned above, the establishment of a valid caliphate requires baya'a (allegiance) to the caliphate, and migration to its territories if possible.
Accordingly, ISIS strives to spread propaganda far and wide to recruit followers and convince them of their duty to pledge allegiance to the caliphate and support its agenda. Thousands of Muslims from around the world have reportedly responded to this call and migrated to the area to join the movement.
3.The Islamic State sees itself as being instrumental in fulfilling Muhammed's prophecies concerning events leading up to the apocalypse. These prophecies include great battles and conquests of war initiated by Islam, culminating in a final battle in Jerusalem.
4.A key tenet of an established caliphate is the "'offensive jihad', the forcible expansion into countries that are ruled by non-Muslims.... The waging of war to expand the caliphate is an essential duty of the caliph."
So to sum it all up, they essentially believe that they are the fulfillment of Muhammad's apocalyptic prophecies, which call for all out war on all non-Muslims until the world ends.
source
https://www.quora.com/How-did-ISIS-form-When-...ISIS-begin
How did ISIS form? When and where did ISIS begin?
If you want a long, well researched answer to this question, read this article: What ISIS Really Wants, from The Atlantic (my answer is just a summary of this article, so all credit to the original author).
Short Summary
In short, the group emerged from an extremist faction originally founded in 1999 that started to gain traction after the 2003 Iraqi invasion led by the U.S. (read Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant on Wikipedia for more detail).
The current leader is Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. His lineage, as a descendant of Muhammad's tribe, the Quraysh, supposedly gives him authority to act as a legitimate caliph (leader of the caliphate).
As the self-proclaimed worldwide caliphate, their mission is to establish Islam as the supreme form of government for all Muslims throughout the world. This means implementing all Islamic traditions as they were initially laid out by Muhammad and forcibly expanding their territory.
To the question of how much power they have, the answer is potentially more than any other extremist group to date. A number of factors, including their successful acquisition of territory and the lineage of their leader, give the movement a unique religious authority among a certain subset of Muslims. Their dissemination of propaganda has spurred quite a following from Muslims around the world, with large numbers migrating to the region to support the movement.
Religious Context
Here's some of the key take-aways I got from the Atlantic article referenced above. I'm just summarizing and quoting from it, so all credit to the original author.
1.ISIS, or the Islamic State, claims to be a legitimate caliphate, which is essentially a divinely-sanctioned political body whose laws and political ambitions are modeled after the original ruling order established by Muhammad. According to Islam, the caliphate is the only acceptable form of government, and it has political and military authority over all Muslims worldwide.
The group's religious tenets stem from "the jihadist wing of a branch of Sunnism called Salafism, after the Arabic al salaf al salih, the “pious forefathers.” These forefathers are the Prophet himself and his earliest adherents, whom Salafis honor and emulate as the models for all behavior, including warfare, couture, family life, even dentistry."
Some of the laws and practices of this medieval form of government, which are specifically laid out in the Koran, include crucifixion, slavery, stonings, amputations and beheadings. ISIS seems determined to emulate this form of government with unwavering devotion. This means slaughtering or enslaving anyone who does not worship and believe as they do.
2.In addition to the enforcement of the laws mentioned above, the establishment of a valid caliphate requires baya'a (allegiance) to the caliphate, and migration to its territories if possible.
Accordingly, ISIS strives to spread propaganda far and wide to recruit followers and convince them of their duty to pledge allegiance to the caliphate and support its agenda. Thousands of Muslims from around the world have reportedly responded to this call and migrated to the area to join the movement.
3.The Islamic State sees itself as being instrumental in fulfilling Muhammed's prophecies concerning events leading up to the apocalypse. These prophecies include great battles and conquests of war initiated by Islam, culminating in a final battle in Jerusalem.
4.A key tenet of an established caliphate is the "'offensive jihad', the forcible expansion into countries that are ruled by non-Muslims.... The waging of war to expand the caliphate is an essential duty of the caliph."
So to sum it all up, they essentially believe that they are the fulfillment of Muhammad's apocalyptic prophecies, which call for all out war on all non-Muslims until the world ends.
source
https://www.quora.com/How-did-ISIS-form-When-...ISIS-begin
