The Islamic State in its Multiplicity: An Investigation on the Evolving Meaning of the Islamic State from the Early Saudi (18 th Century) to Islamic Stat

The purpose of this research is the analysis of the religious and political mechanisms behind the creation of Islamic State. This thesis is divided in three major sections First, I examine Islamic State's statehood claims in the context of Islamic laws and customs concerning justice, tribal life, laws of war, territorial division, religious beliefs, slavery, and leadership assignment. I then compare the influence of the Salafi and Wahhabi ideologies on Islamic State and Saudi Arabia. Finally, I correlate Islamic State's path toward statehood with the religious and political formation of the Saudi Arabian state. I conclude that Islamic State is a hybrid political entity with both nationalism and an Islamic-inspired ideology as parents. Moreover, I found out that the nationalist and religious hybrid that gave birth to Islamic State is present in the Saudi Arabian state. This leads me to conclude that Saudi Arabia is a manifestation of Islamic State's religious and nationalistic goals.