Dar al-Islam
Encyclopedia
The idea of geographical divisions along religious lines i.e. the dur is neither mentioned in the Qur'an
nor in the sayings of the Prophet (called Hadith
), which are considered the primary sources in Islamic jurisprudence. However, the idea was first suggested by the early Sunni Muslim
jurist Imam Abu Hanifa, founder of the Hanafi
school of Fiqh
.
In Fiqh
, the notion of dur (Arabic
دور), usually translated as divisions of the world or "houses", is a conceptualization of the entire world as comprising either "Muslim territory" or "non-Muslim
territory". The singular form dar (دار), translated literally, may mean "house", 'structure", "place", "land" or "country".
such as Dar al-Islam and Dar al-Harb does not appear in the Qur'an or the Hadith
. This geo-political house of divisions was more acutely framed by another early Islamic scholar, Ibn Taymiyyah, who issued a treatise and a religious edict on the subject in response to the Mongol
invasions of Muslim
lands during the 13th and 14th centuries.
Contemporary Islamic scholars have pointed out the inapplicability of this early philosophical division of the world given its lack of scriptural backing and its reflection of an early Muslim response to geo-political realities that simply do not exist today in a globalized world of international law.
to refer to those countries where Muslims can practice their religion freely. These are usually Islamic cultures wherein Muslims represent the majority of the population, and so the government promises them protection. Most Dar al-Islam areas are surrounded by other Islamic societies to ensure public protection.
Muslim scholars maintain and believe that the labeling of a country or place as being a part of Dar al-Islam revolves around the question of religious security. This means that if a Muslim practices Islam freely in his place of abode despite that the place happens to be secular or un-Islamic, then he will be considered as living in the Dar al-Islam.
Dar al-Islam is also known and referred to as Dar al-Salam, or house/abode of Peace. The term appears in the Koran in 10.25 an 6.127 as a name of Paradise
.
According to Abu Hanifa, considered to be the originator of the concept, the two requirements for a country to be part of Dar al-Islam are:
If the former does not apply then physical means such as Jihad
can be used to correct the situation and in the latter case, individuals are required to do hijra
to where they can practice their religion.
sources; a person from "Dar al-Harb" is a "harbi" (Arabic
:حربي)) is a term classically referring to those countries where the Muslim law is not in force, in the matter of worship
and the protection of the faithful and Dhimmis. Territories that do have a treaty of nonaggression or peace with Muslims are called dar al-ahd or dar al-sulh.
In Reliance of the Traveller
, point w43.2, a hadith is referred to containing the exact word Dar al-Harb. Scholars have, nevertheless, disagreed on its reliability as is commented in Reliance of the Traveller.
(Arabic: دار الهدنة "house of calm"): The land of non-believers currently under a truce, which is a respite between wars. A truce is bought by tribute by harbis. If the harbis refuse to pay tribute in exchange for the truce, hostilities are resumed. Furthermore, only treaties that conform to Islamic prescriptions are valid; if these conditions are not fulfilled, the treaty is worthless.
"house of treaty") was invented to describe the Ottoman Empire
's relationship with its Christian
tributary
states.
Today, the term refers to those non-Muslim governments which have armistice or peace agreements with Muslim governments. The actual status of the non-Muslim country in question may vary from acknowledged equality to tributary states.
period, era of ignorance of divine guidance.
More recently, the term dar al-Dawa has been proposed by Western
Muslim philosophers to describe the status of Muslims in the West.
The term dar al-Dawa may be used in conjunction with, or in opposition to, the older terms dar al-Islam and dar al-Harb, from which it is derived, or simply be seen as just another sub-category of dar al-harb.
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Islamism:
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Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
nor in the sayings of the Prophet (called Hadith
Hadith
The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....
), which are considered the primary sources in Islamic jurisprudence. However, the idea was first suggested by the early Sunni Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
jurist Imam Abu Hanifa, founder of the Hanafi
Hanafi
The Hanafi school is one of the four Madhhab in jurisprudence within Sunni Islam. The Hanafi madhhab is named after the Persian scholar Abu Hanifa an-Nu‘man ibn Thābit , a Tabi‘i whose legal views were preserved primarily by his two most important disciples, Abu Yusuf and Muhammad al-Shaybani...
school of Fiqh
Fiqh
Fiqh is Islamic jurisprudence. Fiqh is an expansion of the code of conduct expounded in the Quran, often supplemented by tradition and implemented by the rulings and interpretations of Islamic jurists....
.
In Fiqh
Fiqh
Fiqh is Islamic jurisprudence. Fiqh is an expansion of the code of conduct expounded in the Quran, often supplemented by tradition and implemented by the rulings and interpretations of Islamic jurists....
, the notion of dur (Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
دور), usually translated as divisions of the world or "houses", is a conceptualization of the entire world as comprising either "Muslim territory" or "non-Muslim
Kafir
Kafir is an Arabic term used in a Islamic doctrinal sense, usually translated as "unbeliever" or "disbeliever"...
territory". The singular form dar (دار), translated literally, may mean "house", 'structure", "place", "land" or "country".
Origins
The notions of "houses" or "divisions" of the world in IslamIslam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
such as Dar al-Islam and Dar al-Harb does not appear in the Qur'an or the Hadith
Hadith
The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....
. This geo-political house of divisions was more acutely framed by another early Islamic scholar, Ibn Taymiyyah, who issued a treatise and a religious edict on the subject in response to the Mongol
Mongol Empire
The Mongol Empire , initially named as Greater Mongol State was a great empire during the 13th and 14th centuries...
invasions of Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
lands during the 13th and 14th centuries.
Contemporary Islamic scholars have pointed out the inapplicability of this early philosophical division of the world given its lack of scriptural backing and its reflection of an early Muslim response to geo-political realities that simply do not exist today in a globalized world of international law.
Dar al-Islam (House of Islam)
Dar al-Islam ( literally house/abode of Islam; or Dar as-Salam, house/abode of Peace; or Dar al-Tawhid, house/abode of Union) is a term used by Muslim scholarsUlema
Ulama , also spelt ulema, refers to the educated class of Muslim legal scholars engaged in the several fields of Islamic studies. They are best known as the arbiters of shari‘a law...
to refer to those countries where Muslims can practice their religion freely. These are usually Islamic cultures wherein Muslims represent the majority of the population, and so the government promises them protection. Most Dar al-Islam areas are surrounded by other Islamic societies to ensure public protection.
Muslim scholars maintain and believe that the labeling of a country or place as being a part of Dar al-Islam revolves around the question of religious security. This means that if a Muslim practices Islam freely in his place of abode despite that the place happens to be secular or un-Islamic, then he will be considered as living in the Dar al-Islam.
Dar al-Islam is also known and referred to as Dar al-Salam, or house/abode of Peace. The term appears in the Koran in 10.25 an 6.127 as a name of Paradise
Jannah
Jannah , is the Islamic conception of paradise. The Arabic word Jannah is a shortened version meaning simply "Garden". According to Islamic eschatology, after death, one will reside in the grave until the appointed resurrection on . Muslims believe that the treatment of the individual in the life...
.
According to Abu Hanifa, considered to be the originator of the concept, the two requirements for a country to be part of Dar al-Islam are:
- Muslims must be able to enjoy peace and security with and within this country.
- It has common frontiers with some Muslim countries.
If the former does not apply then physical means such as Jihad
Jihad
Jihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
can be used to correct the situation and in the latter case, individuals are required to do hijra
Hijra (Islam)
The Hijra is the migration or journey of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE. Alternate spellings of this Arabic word are Hijrah, Hijrat or Hegira, the latter following the spelling rules of Latin.- Hijra of Muhammad :In September 622, warned of a plot to...
to where they can practice their religion.
Dar al-Harb (House of war)
Dar al-Harb (Arabic: دار الحرب "house of war"; also referred to as Dar al-Garb "house of the West" in later OttomanOttoman Turkish language
The Ottoman Turkish language or Ottoman language is the variety of the Turkish language that was used for administrative and literary purposes in the Ottoman Empire. It borrows extensively from Arabic and Persian, and was written in a variant of the Perso-Arabic script...
sources; a person from "Dar al-Harb" is a "harbi" (Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
:حربي)) is a term classically referring to those countries where the Muslim law is not in force, in the matter of worship
Ibadah
The Arabic word ibadah or ibada, usually translated "worship", is connected with related words literally meaning "slavery", and has connotations of obedience, submission, and humility. In terms of Islam, ibadah is the ultimate obedience, the ultimate submission, and the ultimate humility to Allah ...
and the protection of the faithful and Dhimmis. Territories that do have a treaty of nonaggression or peace with Muslims are called dar al-ahd or dar al-sulh.
In Reliance of the Traveller
Umdat al-Salik wa Uddat al-Nasik
Umdat as-Salik wa 'Uddat an-Nasik is a classical manual of fiqh for the Shafi'i school of Islamic jurisprudence...
, point w43.2, a hadith is referred to containing the exact word Dar al-Harb. Scholars have, nevertheless, disagreed on its reliability as is commented in Reliance of the Traveller.
Dar al-Amn (House of safety)
Dar al-Amn (Arabic: دار الأمن "house of safety") is a term proposed to describe the status of Muslims either in the West or other non-Muslim societies. The term dar al-Amn may be used in conjunction with, or in opposition to, the older terms dar al-Islam and dar al-Harb, from which it is derived. This region usually refers to countries where Muslims have the right to practice their religion. Many countries with Muslim minorities have been declared as Dar al-Amn at different points in time. For example, India has been declared as Dar al-Amn.Dar al-Hudna (House of calm)
Dar al HudnaHudna
Hudna is an Arabic term meaning a temporary "truce" or "armistice" as well as "calm" or "quiet", coming from a verbal root meaning "calm". It is sometimes translated as "cease-fire"...
(Arabic: دار الهدنة "house of calm"): The land of non-believers currently under a truce, which is a respite between wars. A truce is bought by tribute by harbis. If the harbis refuse to pay tribute in exchange for the truce, hostilities are resumed. Furthermore, only treaties that conform to Islamic prescriptions are valid; if these conditions are not fulfilled, the treaty is worthless.
Dar al-'Ahd (House of truce)
Dar al-'Ahd (Arabic: دار العهد "house of truce" or Dar al-SulhSulh
Sulh is an Arabic word which means "peace" as opposed to war. It is derived from the same root as Arabic word musalaha meaning reconciliation.-Usage:...
"house of treaty") was invented to describe the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
's relationship with its Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
tributary
Tribute
A tribute is wealth, often in kind, that one party gives to another as a sign of respect or, as was often the case in historical contexts, of submission or allegiance. Various ancient states, which could be called suzerains, exacted tribute from areas they had conquered or threatened to conquer...
states.
Today, the term refers to those non-Muslim governments which have armistice or peace agreements with Muslim governments. The actual status of the non-Muslim country in question may vary from acknowledged equality to tributary states.
 |
| Islamic flags, known as the Flag of Islam ('Alam Alam For the organization ALAM, see Association of Licensed Automobile ManufacturersAlam can be an Arabic surname or it can also mean flag, sign, or world.-Al'am as flag or sign:... al-Islam) or Flag of Shahada ('Alam Alam For the organization ALAM, see Association of Licensed Automobile ManufacturersAlam can be an Arabic surname or it can also mean flag, sign, or world.-Al'am as flag or sign:... al-Shahada) feature a script of the first Kalimah Kalimah The Kalimah literally translates as "the word". In the Islamic context, it translates to "the word of Islam." It is a centrepiece in the faith of Muslims... , the Shahada Shahada The Shahada , means "to know and believe without suspicion, as if witnessed"/testification; it is the name of the Islamic creed. The shahada is the Muslim declaration of belief in the oneness of God and acceptance of Muhammad as God's prophet... . White flags with black lettering represent 'Dar al-Salam/Islam' (such as the Taliban), and black flags with white lettering represent 'Dar al-Harb/Kufr' (such as the ICU). |
Dar al-Dawa (House of invitation)
Dar al-Dawa (Arabic: دار الدعوة "house of invitation") is a term used to describe a region where the religion of Islam has recently been introduced. Since the population had not been exposed to Islam before, they may not fit into the traditional definition of dar al-Harb. On the other hand, as the region is not yet Muslim, it cannot be dar al-Islam either. The most frequent use of the term dar al-Dawa is to describe Arabia before and during the life of Muhammad commonly referred as JahiliyyahJahiliyyah
Jahiliyyah is an Islamic concept of "ignorance of divine guidance" or "the state of ignorance of the guidance from God" or "Days of Ignorance" referring to the condition in which Arabs found themselves in pre-Islamic Arabia, i.e. prior to the revelation of the Qur'an to Muhammad...
period, era of ignorance of divine guidance.
More recently, the term dar al-Dawa has been proposed by Western
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
Muslim philosophers to describe the status of Muslims in the West.
The term dar al-Dawa may be used in conjunction with, or in opposition to, the older terms dar al-Islam and dar al-Harb, from which it is derived, or simply be seen as just another sub-category of dar al-harb.
See also
- UmmahUmmahUmmah is an Arabic word meaning "community" or "nation." It is commonly used to mean either the collective nation of states, or the whole Arab world...
- CaliphateCaliphateThe term caliphate, "dominion of a caliph " , refers to the first system of government established in Islam and represented the political unity of the Muslim Ummah...
- DhimmiDhimmiA , is a non-Muslim subject of a state governed in accordance with sharia law. Linguistically, the word means "one whose responsibility has been taken". This has to be understood in the context of the definition of state in Islam...
- SulhSulhSulh is an Arabic word which means "peace" as opposed to war. It is derived from the same root as Arabic word musalaha meaning reconciliation.-Usage:...
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Islamism:
- Pan-IslamismPan-IslamismPan-Islamism is a political movement advocating the unity of Muslims under one Islamic state — often a Caliphate. As a form of religious nationalism, Pan-Islamism differentiates itself from other pan-nationalistic ideologies, for example Pan-Arabism, by excluding culture and ethnicity as primary...
- Islamic studiesIslamic studiesIn a Muslim context, Islamic studies can be an umbrella term for all virtually all of academia, both originally researched and as defined by the Islamization of knowledge...
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Additional reading
- Western Muslims and the Future of Islam, by Tariq RamadanTariq RamadanTariq Ramadan is a Swiss academic, poet and writer. He is also a Professor of Contemporary Islamic Studies in the Faculty of Oriental Studies at Oxford University...
- Fatwa on TerrorismFatwa on TerrorismFatwa on Terrorism is a 600-page , 512-page Islamic decree by scholar Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri which demonstrates from the Quran and Sunnah that terrorism and suicide bombings are so unjust that their evil is un-Islamic. The English edition was published in the UK by Minhaj-ul-Quran Publications....
and Suicide Bombings, by Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri
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