Divisions of the world in Islam

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In classical Islamic law, there are three major divisions of the world which are dar al-Islam (lit. 'territory of Islam'), denoting regions where Islamic law prevails,[1] dar al-sulh (lit. territory of treaty) denoting non-Islamic lands which are at peace or have an armistice with a Muslim government,[2] and dar al-harb (lit. territory of war), denoting lands that share a border with dar al-Islam and have not concluded an armistice.[3] Muslims regard Islam as a universal religion and believe it to be the rightful law for all humankind. Despite this, other religious groups are permitted to have their own courts of law under Islamic rule.[4] Muslims are imposed to spread Sharia law and sovereignty through lesser jihad against dar al-harb. According to Islam, this should first be attempted peacefully through Dawah. In the case of war, Muslims are imposed to subject[clarification needed], or eliminate fighters until they surrender or seek peace.[5]

The Arabic singular form dar (دار), translated literally, may mean "house", "abode", "structure", "place", "land", or "country". In Islamic jurisprudence it often refers to a part of the world. The notions of "houses" or "divisions" of the world in Islam such as dar al-Islam and dar al-harb does not appear in the Quran or the hadith.[6] According to Abou El Fadl, the only dars the Quran speaks of are "the abode of the Hereafter and the abode of the earthly life, with the former described as clearly superior to the latter".[7]

Early Islamic jurists devised these terms to denote legal rulings for ongoing Muslim conquests almost a century after Muhammad. The first use of the terms was in Iraq by Abu Hanifa and his disciples Abu Yusuf and Al-Shaybani. Among those in the Levant, Al-Awza'i was leading in this discipline and later Al-Shafi'i.

The concept of dar al-harb has been affected by historical changes such as the political fragmentation of the Muslim world.[3] The theoretical distinction between dar al-Islam and dar al-harb is widely considered inapplicable, and many contemporary Islamic jurists regard the Western world as part of the former, since Muslims can freely practise and proselytize their faith in Western countries.[8]

  1. ^ Dar al-Islam The Oxford Dictionary of Islam
  2. ^ Dar al-Sulh The Oxford Dictionary of Islam
  3. ^ a b "Dar al-Harb", The Oxford Dictionary of Islam
  4. ^ "Religious Minorities Under Muslim Rule". Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  5. ^ Yazdani, Abbas (December 2020). "The culture of peace and religious tolerance from an Islamic perspective". Veritas (47): 151–168. doi:10.4067/S0718-92732020000300151. ISSN 0718-9273.
  6. ^ Abdel-Haleem, Muhammad (8 Sep 2010). Understanding the Qur'ān: Themes and Style. I. B. Tauris & Co Ltd. p. 68. ISBN 978-1845117894.
  7. ^ Abou El Fadl, Khaled (January 23, 2007). The Great Theft: Wrestling Islam from the Extremists. HarperOne. p. 227. ISBN 978-0061189036.
  8. ^ Hendrickson, Jocelyn (2009). "Law. Minority Jurisprudence". In John L. Esposito (ed.). The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Islamic World. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on March 26, 2016.