The Islamic Personality by Sheikh Taqīuddīn An-Nabahānī

The “dar” in the language is the halting place, the house and the land. The “dar” is used in the language upon the tribe, and the land of war (dar al-harb) is the land of the enemy. There is no disagreement that the land of the disbelievers in which the disbelievers reside and rule therein by disbelief is the land of war and the land of disbelief. Similarly there is no disagreement that the land of the battlefield which the Muslims took as booty wherein they have not yet established the rules of Islam is the land of war and the land of kufr even if it were under the hand of Muslims. This is why the fuqaha (jurisprudents) say: ‘If the booty is divided in the land of war, it is allowed for the one who took his portion to dispose it via trade and otherwise.’ The word ‘dar al-kufr’ and ‘dar al-harb’ have one meaning which is used upon the land of the enemy and the land of the battle. Similarly there is no disagreement that the land of Islam (Dar al-Islam) is the land that submits to the rules of Islam and Muslims rule in it, whether its inhabitants are Muslims or dhimmis. The fuqaha also say that Dar al-Kufr becomes Dar al-Islam by the appearance of the rules of Islam in it; however they differed as to how Dar al-Islam becomes Dar al-Kufr. Some mujtahideen said that Dar al-Islam does not become a Dar al-Kufr except by three conditions: firstly, the appearance of the rules of kufr in it. Secondly, that it comes to border the Dar al-Kufr. Thirdly, that there does not remain in it any Muslim or dhimmi secured by the first security which is the security of Muslims. This statement is not based upon evidence; rather it is merely the description of the reality of the land. The reality (dhahir) is that when there occurs fighting between Muslims and disbelievers and the disbelievers take the land of Muslims so the war continues upon it, in this situation it is considered that the Dar al-Islam became a Dar al-Kufr and has been conquered. Some mujtahideen said that the Dar al-Islam becomes a Dar al-Kufr by the appearance of kufr therein. The reason of this statement is that our saying Dar al-Islam and Dar al-Kufr is related to Islam and to kufr. The land is only related to Islam or kufr by the appearance of Islam or kufr in it just as Paradise is called the abode of peace (dar as-salaam) and the Fire is the abode of destruction (dar al-bawar) due to the existence of peace in Paradise and destruction in the Fire. The appearance of Islam or kufr is by the appearance of their rules so if the rules of kufr appear in a land it has become a Dar al-Kufr and the relationship is correct. Accordingly the land becomes a Dar al-Islam by the appearance of the rules of Islam within it without other conditions, and similarly it becomes Dar al-Kufr by the appearance of the rules of kufr within it.

As long as the matter relates to the reality of the land, then the question of the land being bordered to the Dar al-Kufr i.e. Dar al-Harb or not has no place in its consideration since all the frontiers of the Islamic lands border the Dar al-Harb i.e. Dar al-Kufr. Despite this, they are Dar al Islam by the Ijma’a of the Sahabah. If this was a condition then all the frontiers would become Dar al-Kufr. Also, the failure to consider the security, the security of Muslims, in deeming that land a Dar al-Islam leads to considering the Islamic lands submitting to the authority of disbelievers and their security when they rule by Islam as a Dar al-Islam even though the Muslims are under the security of disbelievers not the security of Muslims. The truth is that in considering the land as Dar al-Islam or Dar al-Kufr, two matters must be looked into: firstly, the rule by Islam and secondly the security by the security of Muslims i.e. by their authority. If the land augments these two elements i.e. it rules by Islam and the security is by the security of Muslims i.e. by their authority, then it becomes a Dar al-Islam and changes from a Dar al-Kufr to a Dar al-Islam. Whereas if it loses one of the two, it does not become Dar al-Islam. Similarly if the Dar al-Islam does not rule by the rule of Islam then it is a Dar al-Kufr. The same if it rules by Islam but its security is not by the security of Muslims i.e. their authority as where its security is by the security of disbelievers i.e. their authority, then it also becomes a Dar al-Kufr. Hence all the lands of Muslims today are Dar al-Kufr because they do not rule by Islam. Similarly it remains a Dar al-Kufr where disbelievers establish therein a Muslim to rule by the rules of Islam but he is under their authority so his security is by their security; it remains a Dar al-Kufr. In order to change the Muslims’ land to Dar al-Islam, the rule of Islam must be established therein and its security should be the security of Muslims i.e. by their authority. Accordingly the reality of the lands indicates that it is described by kufr or Islam in consideration to the rule and in consideration of the security because it is a part of the requirements of the rule. If the Dar al-Islam loses the rule by Islam or the authority is not in the hands of Muslims, it becomes a Dar al-Kufr by losing any of these two. The condition of the land remaining a Dar al-Islam is its rule by Islam and its authority in the hands of the Muslims. As for the Dar al-Kufr, it does not become a Dar al-Islam except if it is ruled by Islam and its authority is in the hands of the Muslims; if these two matters are not augmented, it remains a Dar al-Kufr. The rule by Islam and the authority in the hands of the Muslims are both obligatory in relation to describing the land as being a Dar al-Islam.

In conclusion, the land’s being a Dar al-Kufr or a Dar al-Islam is realted to the reality of the land. The land in the language is applied upon the tribe, and the Dar al-Harb is the land of the enemy. We say Dar al-Harb and Dar al-Islam, and we say Dar al-Kufr and Dar al-Islam; both are of one meaning. This is because the Muslims are commanded with war i.e. fighting until the people say ‘There is no god but Allah’ or until they submit to the rules of Islam. If they submit to the rules of Islam, fighting is lifted from them even if they remain disbelievers. If they do not enter under the rules of Islam then they are fought. The cause of fighting them is their being disbelievers who do not respond to the da’wah, and the cause of stopping the fighting is their accepting the rules of Islam. If they are ruled by Islam and they remain disbelievers, the cause of stopping the fighting exists and ending the war is obliged which indicates that their rule by Islam is what changes their land from a Dar al-Kufr to a Dar al-Islam. So the rule of Islam is what the continuation or stopping of war depends upon which indicates that the description which specifies the land being a Dar al-Islam or a Dar al-Kufr is the rule by Islam. The meaning of its being a rule i.e. an authority is that the internal and external security is by it i.e. by the authority of Islam or else it has been separated from its description as a rule. Accordingly the rule by Islam and the security is that which is of its necessary (attributes) are the two matters which designate the description of the land as being a Dar al-Islam or a Dar al-Kufr. The evidence for this is also that if the Khilafah i.e. the head of State does not rule by Islam and rules by the rules of kufr, it becomes obligatory upon the Muslims to fight him until he rules by Islam. Similarly if the Muslims leave the rules of Islam; it becomes obligatory upon the Imam to fight them until they return to the rules of Islam. This is also explicit in that the rules of Islam results in war for the one who does not rule by it even if they were Muslims. This indicates the sign by which it is known that the land is a Dar al-Kufr, and the Dar al-Kufr and the Dar al-Harb are of one meaning based upon the relation of the land with a specific relationship and its attribute so the Dar al-Kufr is related to kufr and the land (itself) is not described with kufr but the description is from its rule. Similarly the Dar al-Islam is not described by Islam but only its rule is (so) described. In addition to (the fact) that the conquered land where all the people are disbelievers but is ruled by Islam definitely becomes a Dar al-Islam