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Classical jurists had divided the world
into dar al-Islam (the abode of peace) and dar al- harb (the abode of
war). Dar al-Islam refers to territories in which Muslims are free and
secure and dar al-harb is the opposite of dar al-Islam, and refers primarily
to non-Muslim territories hostile to Muslims and dangerous to their freedom
and security. It can be said that their division was practical in the
circumstances of their time because the geo-political reality they faced
in the early age of Islam from the surrounding mighty empires, their overall
concept of the world could not have been much different than this bi-polarity.
Moreover as described by Dr. Tariq Ramadan the division was necessary
for at least two reasons: “first, by marking out the Islamic territories,
the scholars were able to point out what the essential conditions making
a space or a nation Islamic were and what the rulings determining the
political and strategic relations with other nations or empire were. Second,
it allowed them to establish a clear distinction, as regard legal issues,
between the situation of Muslims living inside the Islamic world and those
living abroad or those who traveled often such as traders (and who thus
required specific ruling)” [To be a European Muslim by Dr. Teri
Ramadan, pp-123, 124]
Apart from these two, another term, dar al-ahd alternatively called dar
al-sulh (the abode of treaty), was coined by ash-Shafii to indicate non-Muslim
territories involved in treaty agreement giving sovereignty to a Muslim
state but maintaining local autonomy. [Toward an Islamic Theory of International
Relations, by Dr. Abdul Hamid Abu Sulayman, pp-20]
Another term, dar al-aman (the abode of security), was also there in the
classical fiqh which seems very near to dar al-ahd. Dar al-aman refers
to the states of security and peace with which Muslims had no belligerent
relation.
About this classification of the world the following observations can
be made:
1. The concept of dar al-Islam, dar al-harb and dar al-ahd cannot be found
either in the Quran or in the Sunnah. Dr Tariq Ramadan writes: “
In fact they were a human attempt, historically dated, to describe the
world and to provide the Muslim community with a gauge to measure the
world by adapted to their reality. So it is not at all obligatory for
us to uphold these concepts.”[To be a European Muslim by Dr. Tariq
Ramadan, pp-130]
2. There was disagreement among classical jurists about the specific parameters
that define a dar (abode). Some scholars gave emphasis to government whereas
others emphasized on population. Some other scholars (of Hanafi school,
like Sarakhsi) considered the question of security and protection prior
to considering nature of law and government. This causes a divergence
of opinion among contemporary scholars too. In a Fiqh seminar in 1992
held in Paris , the scholars took various positions in defining the countries
that can be called as dar al-Islam in the current world. Those who refer
to population are of the opinion that Muslim countries are still to be
considered as dar al-Islam, whereas others state that, countries with
government, which clearly do not respect Islamic teachings, cannot be
called dar al-Islam any longer. On the other hand, Dr. Tariq Ramadan shows
that if one takes into account the parameters considered by some scholars
of Hanafi school, i.e. those based on safety and security, one may conclude
that the appellation dar al-Islam is applicable to almost all western
nations where Muslims are sometimes safer regarding the free practice
of their religion rather than many Muslim countries with strict dictators.
But this type of conclusion cannot at all said to be correct. The reason
behind these conceptual confusions and erroneous conclusion is that we
are trying to apply old concepts, which seems far removed from our own
time. It is not at all methodologically correct to apply old concepts,
which do not fit to contemporary reality. [To be a European Muslim by
Dr. Tariq Ramadan, pp-125-127]
3. The concept of dar al-ahd may seem to be useful and suitable to the
current reality of the world. But Dr. Tariq Ramadan writes: “Even
the third concept (abode of treaty or dar al-ahd) introduced by ash-Shafii
is not sufficient to draw us out of the binary vision of the world. This
appellation brings to fore that some countries whilst not Islamic from
a political point of view, have nonetheless signed peace or collaboration
treaties with one or more Islamic countries.” So it can be said
that the concept of dar al-ahd is related to two other concepts (i.e.
dar al-Islam and dar al-harb), i.e. to involve in a agreement we have
to know the nature of the two parties involving in the agreement, which
again leads to the confusing concept of dar al-Islam and dar al-harb.
[Ibid, pp-127, 128]
4. Dr. Ramadan writes: “It is an era of diversity and complexity
and mix which can no longer be encapsulated into a twofold and simplistic
vision. …… Today we are witnessing a strong current of globalization;
it is difficult to refer to the notion of dar (abode) unless we consider
the whole world as an abode. Our world has become a small village and,
as such, it is, henceforth, an open world.” [Ibid, p-130, 147]
5. Dr. Ramadan writes: “Muslim population are now scattered all
over the world. Migration has been important and, in spite of most restrictive
regulations, it seems that population movement are to continue: by now
millions of Muslims have settled in the West. Their fate is linked to
that of the society they live in, and it is unthinkable to draw a line
of demarcation between them and the “non-Muslims” on the sole
considerations of space.”[Ibid, p-148]
6. Dr. Ramadan writes: “In our world it is no longer a matter of
relations between two distinct “abodes”. It is rather a question
of relations between human beings belonging and referring to different
civilizations, religions, cultures and ethics. It is also a question of
relations between citizens, in continuous interaction with the social,
legal, economic or political framework, which structures and directs the
space they live in. This complex process, which is a feature of globalization,
over-rides the factors which previously made it possible to define the
different “abodes”.”[Ibid, pp-148]
7. Dr. Ramadan writes: “The old binary geographical representation,
with two juxtaposed worlds which would be face to face, in relative balance,
no longer has anything to do with the reality of hegemony and areas of
influence regarding civilization, culture, economy and subsequently of
course politics. Westernization, the legitimate daughter of pluridimensional
globalization, can be far better expressed through the notion of centre
(the West and its relay capitals in the South) and periphery (the rest
of the planet), than by the representation of two “abodes”
living the reality of a “con-frontation”.” [Ibid, pp-148]
8. The prophet said that entire world is a mosque and pure. So wherever
a Muslim, says shahada and is able to perform religious duties in freedom
and security, he/she is at home. Dr. Ramadan says that reformist scholars
and thinkers like al-Afghani, Abduh, Iqbal and al-Banna were also in support
of this opinion. This opinion can be taken as a ground for taking a new
look at the world to meet the current reality. [Ibid, pp-144]
9. Dr. Taha Zabir Al Alwani opined that this division of world into immutable
regions of war and peace diminishes the possibility of a genuine civilizational
dialogue. [“Globalization: Centralization not Globalize”,
The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences, IIIT, US, Vol. 15, No.
3, Fall 1998, p vii]
Truly those terms always tend to refer to a state of conflict or at least
to a temporary banishment of conflict (by treaty) which not all facilitate
dialogue between civilizations.
From the observations above it is quite evident that old concept does
not fit our reality. The world has taken into a new shape, which has led
the contemporary scholars to reconsider the issue in accordance with the
new reality. But there is no consensus among the scholars in identifying
and defining the present the world.
Some minority scholars uphold the traditional division. On the other hand
the great majority of scholars use the term dar al-ahd and dar al-Islam.
Dr. Tariq Rmadan writes: “The majority scholars use the Shafii concept
of dar al-ahd (the abode of treaty) or dar al-amn (the abode of security)
in defining the Western countries, stating that these are the most appropriate
terms to define our current situation when we are witnessing treaties
between nations (directly or through the United Nations) and the fact
that fundamental Muslim rights are protected in these Western countries.
However, they continue to consider those countries where Muslims are majority
as dar al-Islam even if their governments are illegitimate and dictatorial
l and even if Islamic teachings and rulings are neglected.” They
hold that those countries should be considered as dar al-Islam with a
hope of reform. This opinion is supported by numerous scholars like well-known
Dr. Yusuf al-Qardawi, Mustafa az-Zarqa, Abdul Fattah Abu Ghuddah. [Ibid,
pp-141, 142]
But some other scholars are interested to use completely new terms. For
example Faysal Mawlawi writes: “We are not, in the West, in the
abode of war but we are either in the abode of treaty or in the abode
of dawah to God. If we want to keep the (traditional) fiqh classification
of the world with the abode of Islam, the abode of War, and the abode
of treaty, thus, we are in the West, in the abode of treaty. If, on the
other hand, we state that old fiqh classification is no longer applicable
to our current situation – and this is the opinion we prefer –
then we say based on this, that we are in dar ad-dawah as the Prophet
and the Muslims were in Makkah before the Hijra. Makkah was neither dar
al-Islam nor dar al-harb but a dar ad-dawah and the entire Arabian Peninsula
was, in the eyes of Muslims, dar ad-dawah.” [Quoted by Dr. Tariq
Ramadan in “To be a European Muslim”, pp-143]
Dr. Taha Jabir al Alwani suggested to move us away from the traditional
division of the world into three separate realms of peace (dar al-Islam),
war (dar al-harb) and treaty (dar al-sulh). He said, “ Instead,
we must identify with Fakhr al Din al Razi, who divided the world into
two realms: dar al-ijabah (the land of acceptance, where people accepted
Islam and Islamic values are practiced) and dar al-dawah (the land of
invitation, to which dawah is presented and its people are invited to
Islamic values and practices). This view of the world removes the potential
for conflict and emphasizes the role and possibilities of cooperation,
understanding, and dialogue.” [“Globalization: Centralization
not Globalism”, The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences,
IIIT, US, Vol. 15, No. 3, Fall 1998, p vii]
Dr. Tariq Ramadan used another term dar ash-shahada in defining the Western
countries. He writes: “ Called dar ash-shahada, space of testimony,
Western countries represent an environment within which Muslims are sent
back to the essential teachings of Islam and promoted to ponder over their
role: considering themselves as shuhada alan-nas (witnesses before mankind),
as the Quran puts it, should lead them to avoid the reactive and overcautious
attitude and to develop a feeling of self-confidence, based on a deep
sense of responsibility.” [To be a European Muslim, by Dr. Tariq
Ramadan, pp-149, 150]
All these modern contributions are useful and represents progress of realistic
thought by Muslim scholars in the field of International Relations ( As
–Siyar ). The classification “Darul Ahad - Darul Islam “
( for Muslim and Non- Muslim countries ) or the classification “
Darul Ijaba- Darud Dawah “ or “ Darul Islam- Darush- Shahada
“ are acceptable in the Islamic and present day perspectives. However,
I find the terms Darud Dawah or Darush Shahade relate to one function
only of Muslim citizens in Non- Muslim countries , they do not express
the status of the state in a comprehensive sense , these terms do not
explain fully how the state deals with all kinds of citizens including
religious minorities . I, therefore , propose the following classification
which takes into consideration the spirit of all the recent conceptualisations
in the field but also expreeses the status of the states, Muslim and Non-
Muslim, in a comprehensive way. I have not used the word DAR and it is
not necessary that we have to use this word.
Proposed Classification
1. Muslim states which accept Islam as basis of their policy and also
ensure civil, political and human rights ( including religious rights
) of all citizens
2. Muslim states which do not acknowledge Islam as basis of their policy
and Muslim states which do not fully ensure human rights ( including religious
rights )of all citizens,
3 .Non-Muslim states who grant human rights ( including religious rights
) to Muslims and other minorities,
4. Non- Muslim states who do not fully grant the human rights (including
religious rights ) to Muslims and other minorities.
In a just international order in the light of Islam ,States in the 2nd
category (Muslim states which do not acknowledge Islam as basis of their
policy and do not ensure human and religious rights of all citizens) and
4th category (Non- Muslim states who do not guarantee the human and religious
rights to Muslims and other minorities.) have to be asked ( through the
UN system and requirements of international and multilateral protocols
and conventions ) to comply with human and religious rights of all citizens.
Any action against defaulting state has to be taken only under the international
system.I consider the above as Islamic and Just
*Chairman, Bangladesh Institute of Islamic Thought.( in co-operation with
Shakil Abdullah, my student, who has just graduated ). Your comment may
be sent to e-mail no; sahannan@sonarbangladesh.com for further development
of ideas.
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