A Study of Ibn Taymiyya's and Abu Muhammad Maqdisi's Opinions on Dar al-Islam and Dar al-Kufr

One of the current concepts in social jurisprudence is the concepts of Darul Islam (abode of Islam) and Darul Kufr (abode of unbelief). Many Muslim scholars have classified human societies based on this binary division of the territory of Islam and territory of unbelief or infidelity, and by extension, they have made mention of numerous rules and concepts regarding the places and people residing there. Ibn Taymiyya, the originator and founder of Salafi mind has offered a new classification. In addition to Darul Islam and Darul Kufr, he has also introduced Dar Murakkaba. Following him, however, Abu Muhammad Maqdisi who is also one of the intellectual leaders of Salafim (best known as the spiritual mentor of Jordanian jihadist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the initial leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq) has been highly influenced by Ibn Taymiyya. He has accepted Ibn Taymiyya's classification of lands and territories, and he issues verdicts based on the same classification. As well, regarding Darul Islam and Darul Kufr, Ibn Taymiyya and Abu Muhammad Maqdisi are of the view that the criterion for an abode to be called that of Islam or disbelief is the number and majority of people. Darul Kufr is the same as Dar al-Harb without any differences between them. If we look at the textual sources as well as the words of Muslim scholars, it becomes clear that the division of lands into three territories such as Darul islam, Darul Harb and Dar Murakkaba is incorrect for the countries. As well, not only majority but also other criteria such as the practice of religious rites can be a criterion for considering a land as the abode of Islam or the above of unbelief not to mention the fact that the use of the term Darul Harb (House of War) for all non-Muslim countries is wrong.