Al-Qaeda and ISIS are two of the most widely known terrorist organizations in the world. Both groups present themselves as Muslim organizations and claim that their activities are based on the teachings of Islam. Because of these claims, an important question has been discussed internationally for many years.

Do Al-Qaeda and ISIS truly represent Islam, or have they used religion to promote a violent political ideology? Research, historical evidence, Islamic law, and statements from respected Islamic institutions show that the ideology of these groups does not reflect the true teachings of Islam. Instead, they have misused religious language, symbols, and selected religious texts to justify their violent actions.

Al-Qaeda first emerged after the Afghan War but became known around the world after the September 11 attacks in the United States in 2001. Later, ISIS took advantage of the conflicts in Iraq and Syria and emerged as an even more violent and brutal organization. The group declared a so-called “Caliphate” and used social media to attract young people from different countries. Through professionally made videos, online magazines, coded messages, and emotional religious propaganda, ISIS tried to convince people that it represented the true message of Islam. In reality, however, this was far from the truth.

According to researchers, the greatest strength of Al-Qaeda and ISIS was not religion itself but their misuse of religion. They often quoted selected verses from the Qur’an and Hadith without considering their historical and linguistic context. They used these quotations to support their political goals and to give religious justification for their actions. However, Islamic scholarship does not accept such an approach. For centuries, Muslim scholars have emphasized that the Qur’an and Hadith must always be understood within their full context, together with Islamic law and history. Therefore, using isolated religious texts to justify violence goes against mainstream Islamic teachings.

Major Islamic institutions and international Islamic organizations have also rejected the ideology of Al-Qaeda and ISIS. In 2004, the Amman Message, signed by nearly two hundred respected Islamic scholars from different countries, clearly stated that declaring other Muslims as unbelievers without proper grounds (takfir) and promoting extremism in the name of Islam are against Islamic teachings.

The International Islamic Fiqh Academy, an institution under the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), has also declared that attacking innocent people, violating their lives, property, and dignity, is strictly against Islamic law. The Academy further stated that any direct or indirect support for terrorism is unacceptable.

Al-Azhar University in Egypt, one of the world’s most respected centers of Islamic learning, has repeatedly stated that the actions of ISIS and Al-Qaeda distort the moral and ethical teachings of Islam. Likewise, Darul Uloom Deoband in India announced in 2008 that Islam rejects all forms of terrorism, bloodshed, and the killing of innocent people.

Bangladesh’s mainstream Islamic scholars have taken the same position. In 2016, more than one hundred thousand scholars, muftis, and imams signed a historic anti-terrorism fatwa. The fatwa clearly stated that terrorism, suicide attacks, and the killing of innocent people in the name of Islam are forbidden (haram). It also declared that militant groups do not represent Islam. Similar initiatives in many Muslim-majority countries have played an important role in preventing violent extremism.

Research also shows that many of the victims of Al-Qaeda and ISIS have been Muslims themselves. In countries such as Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nigeria, and others, thousands of ordinary Muslims, imams, Islamic scholars, women, and children have lost their lives in attacks carried out by these groups.

They have attacked mosques, madrasas, markets, hospitals, and educational institutions. For this reason, it is impossible to describe their activities as an effort to protect Muslim communities. Instead, researchers argue that these organizations have used religious identity as a strategic tool to gain power, spread fear, and increase their political influence.

A close examination of the activities of Al-Qaeda and ISIS shows that they have violated almost every fundamental objective of Islam. Their attacks on civilians, hostage-taking, persecution of religious minorities, destruction of cultural heritage, and the spread of fear are all against Islamic values and ethics.

Even during times of war, Islamic teachings emphasize the protection of women, children, the elderly, the sick, places of worship, and people who are not involved in fighting. However, the actions of Al-Qaeda and ISIS show no respect for these principles.

Modern research has also found that many young people who joined extremist groups had only limited knowledge of Islam. Instead of learning from qualified scholars, they were influenced by social media, misleading videos, online propaganda, and emotionally charged speeches.

ISIS, in particular, used digital technology to spread its message across the world. The group presented war as an act of heroism, violence as a religious duty, and its so-called state as an ideal Islamic society. However, later reports by international human rights organizations and research institutions proved that most of these claims were false and did not reflect reality.

According to experts, military operations and law enforcement alone cannot defeat violent extremism. Long-term solutions require quality education, accurate religious knowledge, critical thinking, digital literacy, employment opportunities, and social justice.

Families, schools, religious leaders, the media, and civil society must work together to protect young people from extremist propaganda. Many countries have already achieved positive results through education, interfaith dialogue, community awareness, and technology-based programs that help prevent radicalization.

Although Al-Qaeda and ISIS have used a Muslim identity to spread confusion around the world, their claim to represent Islam is not accepted by international research, Islamic law, or the overwhelming majority of Muslims.

Leading Islamic institutions, respected scholars, and Muslim communities across the world have consistently rejected the violence and distorted interpretation of Islam promoted by these organizations. For this reason, Al-Qaeda and ISIS should not be viewed as representatives of any religion. Instead, they should be understood as violent extremist groups that misuse religion to achieve political and ideological goals.

The most effective way to prevent such extremist ideologies is through knowledge, proper religious education, justice, human values, and mutual respect. These principles can help protect people from misleading propaganda, strengthen peaceful communities, and contribute to building a safer, more tolerant, and more harmonious world.