Divisions of the world in Islam


In classical Islamic law, the major division are dar al-islam, denoting regions where Islamic law prevails, dar al-sulh denoting non-Islamic lands which have concluded an armistice with a Muslim government, and dar al-harb, denoting adjoining non-Islamic lands whose rulers are called upon to accept Islam.
The Arabic singular form dar, 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. According to Abou El Fadl, the only dar 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".
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 Shafi'i.
The concept of dar al-harb has been affected by historical changes such as the political fragmentation of the Muslim world, and has little significance today. The theoretical distinction between dar al-Islam and dar al-harb is widely considered inapplicable, and many contemporary Islamic jurists regard the West as part of the former, since Western Muslims can freely practise and proselytize their faith.

Major religious divisions

Dar al-Islam

Dar al-Islam refers to the territory where security is available for Muslims and shari'ah is implemented; absence of either would usually meant it was . It is the area of the world under the rule of Islam, literally, "the home of Islam." These are usually Islamic cultures wherein Muslims represent the majority of the population, and so the government promises them a privileged status.
The classical doctrine of all four schools clearly include "", referring to the political implementation of the Islamic ruling system. However, some contemporary scholars exploit this term and try to redefine "Islamic rule" via crude means such as prayers or call to prayers.
Responding to such claims, the contemporary scholar Fattani in his book Ikhtilaf al-Darayn wa Atharuhu fi Ahkam al-Munakahat wa al-Mu'amalat condemns such views arguing:
It is a known fact that the rules of Islam cannot manifest except when Muslims have authority . The authority of non-Muslims is not enough because they do not defend the rules of Islam. Hence, it is for this reason that the rules of Islam cannot manifest except that amount which the authority permits. As for criminal law, it is not hidden that the rules of non-Muslims is predominant. Therefore it is not sufficient that some aspects of spiritual-Islamic-law manifests in a country due to the kindness of the non-Muslim authority for that country to become Dar al-Islam.
Fattani clarifies "Islamic rule" by detailing three key components which the classical scholars had agreed upon for a land to be deemed dar al-Islam - all three arise from Qur'anic verses:
"Those when given authority on earth establish the prayer, render the zakah and enjoin what is good and forbid what is bad …" ;
"Allah has promised to make those of you who believe and do righteous deeds leaders on earth as He has made those before them, and will establish their faith which He has chosen for them and change their fear into security. They will serve Me and not associate any one with Me."
The three components comprise:
1. The authority, in terms of leadership and military, belongs to Muslims who serve Allah alone and uphold Islam;
2. Security for Muslims
3. Implementing the shari'ah and its insignias, which are defined as:
In summary, jurists focused on security and the implementation of shari'ah in any territory for it to qualify as dar al-Islam.
Dar al-Islam, or house/abode of Submission, is also known and referred to as Dar al-Salam, or house/abode of Peace. The term appears in the Quran in 10.25 and 6.127 as a name of Paradise.
According to Abu Hanifa, considered by some to be the originator of the concept, the requirements for a country to be part of Dar al-Islam are:
  1. Muslims must be able to enjoy peace and security with and within this country.
  2. The country should be ruled by a Muslim government.
  3. It has common frontiers with some Muslim countries.
However, some narrated traditions of the Messenger have indicated that Muhammad himself . Moreover, even among scholars others Abu Hanifah was not the earliest to use the terms among scholars of Islam. The showing these term is from the Hanafi school of thought by the jurists al-Shaybani in his al-Siyaar al-Kabir and Abu Yusuf in his Kitab al-Kharaj.

Dar al-Harb

Dar al-Harb. Dar al-Harb is a term classically referring to those countries which do not have a treaty of nonaggression or peace with Muslims.
According to Majid Khadduri, the fundamental distinction between Dar al-Islam and Dar al-Harb was introduced after the defeat of the Umayyad Caliphate at the Battle of Tours in 732 which prevented the expansion of Islam to the north, while at the same time the expansion of the caliphate to the east had been halted.
Wahbah al-Zuhayli argues that the concept of Dar al-Harb is mostly historical: "The existence of Dār al-Islām and Dār al-Ḥarb in contemporary times is rare or extremely limited. This is because Islamic countries have joined the United Nations covenant that stipulates that the relationship between nations is peace and not war. Therefore non-Muslim countries are Dār al-‘Ahd …"
There is little if any dissension regarding the definition of dar al-harb, although jurists have phrased it in different ways.
The Hanafi jurists al-Shaybani and Abu Yusuf for instance defined dar al-harb as:
"A country in which non-Muslim law is manifest."
Dar al-harb revolves around the absence of Muslim law and the dominance of non-Muslim law in any given country.
If dar al-Islam is a country which implements shari'ah through authority and provides security for Muslims, then dar al-harb does not.
It is quite easy to justify the conclusion that the West is not dar al-Islam, but rather dar al-harb.

Dar al-'Ahd, Dar al-Sulh

Dar al-'Ahd or Dar al-Sulh are terms used for territories that have a treaty of non-aggression or peace with Muslims.
This designation can be found in the Quran, where Muslims are directed on how they should act in war:
"Excepting those who join a people between whom and you there is a treaty, or such as come to you with hearts reluctant to fight you, or to fight their own people. Had Allah wished, He would have imposed them upon you, and then they would have surely fought you. So if they keep out of your way and do not fight you, and offer you peace, then Allah does not allow you any course against them."