Divisions of the world in Islam

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Islam is a universal religion and is believed to be the rightful law for all humankind, therefore "recognizes no boundaries for its kingdom."[1] Accordingly, the world in whole should be governed by Islam, seen in Islamic theology as the only rightful religion. This aspiration divides the world in classical Islamic law, to the three major divisions of the world which are dar al-Islam (lit. territory of Islam), denoting regions where Islamic law prevails,[2] dar al-sulh (lit. territory of treaty) denoting non-Islamic lands which have concluded an armistice with a Muslim government,[3] and dar al-harb (lit. territory of war), denoting non-Islamic lands where Islamic law does not prevail yet.[4] Muslims are imposed to spread the rightful law and sovereignty through jihad, by initiating war and thereso transfering the regions of dar al-harb into dar al-Islam. Within these jihadic wars, Muslims are imposed to convert, subject, or eliminate the non-Muslims, whatever needed in order to establish islamic sovereignty over the Dhimmi.[5] It is a sin to not send an army of Muslims to terrorise the Kuffar, once or twice a year until only Muslims or those who submit to Islam remain, in offensive jihad. Expelling Kuffar from Muslim lands is defensive jihad.[6]

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.[7] According to Abou El Fadl, the only dars the Qur'an 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".[8]

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.[4] 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.[9]

  1. ^ Khadduri, Majid (1955). War and Peace in the Law of Islam. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins press. p. 46.
  2. ^ Dar al-Islam The Oxford Dictionary of Islam
  3. ^ Dar al-Sulh The Oxford Dictionary of Islam
  4. ^ a b "Dar al-Harb", The Oxford Dictionary of Islam
  5. ^ Parvin, Manoucher; Sommer, Maurie (February 1980). "Dar al-Islam: The Evolution of Muslim Territoriality and Its Implications for Conflict Resolution in the Middle East". International Journal of Middle East Studies. 11 (1): 1–21. doi:10.1017/S0020743800000246. ISSN 1471-6380.
  6. ^ Azzam, A. DEFENSE OF THE MUSLIM LANDS The first Obligation After Iman. Islamic Books. p. 1. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
  7. ^ Abdel-Haleem, Muhammad (8 Sep 2010). Understanding the Qur'ān: Themes and Style. I. B. Tauris & Co Ltd. p. 68. ISBN 978-1845117894.
  8. ^ Abou El Fadl, Khaled (January 23, 2007). The Great Theft: Wrestling Islam from the Extremists. HarperOne. p. 227. ISBN 978-0061189036.
  9. ^ 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.