Progressive western historians have a marked tendency to ignore the millennium and a half-long history of Islamic and Arab imperialism. This spread through the imposition of the Arabic language. The core of the Arab-Muslim irredentist demand that Israel be destroyed is a direct expression of this imperialist Islam from its first century, argues Richard Landes in Fathom:
Point of No Return — Bataween — July 28, 2024
The reason why the Arab world, and the Muslim-Arab world in particular, find Israel categorically unacceptable goes back to the doctrine of Dar al-Harb, Dar al-Islam. The land between the river and sea became a key part of the exploding Arab-Muslim empire Dar al-Islam in the 7th century. Fast forward some 14 centuries, and the dissolution of the Caliphate in 1924 (the first Nakba) put an end to Dar al-Islam formally. In the eyes of the West, Islam, the millennia-long foe, had been put in its place.
But this triumphalist vision of a world ultimately entirely submitted to Allah (through Islam) lived on, taking on a more modern form, more powerful and effective than the Ottoman basket case. Hassan al-Banna formed the Muslim Brotherhood (1927), a multi-generational plan to revive true Islam, fight the forces of secular modernity making inroads in the Arab world whose progress al-Banna saw as a regression to the Jahaliyya, i.e. the Ignorance of the pre-Islamic Arab world. He sought a long-term, multi-generational goal of a new salvific and eventually global Caliphate in which Muslims ruled according to Sharia: Where there was Dar al-Harb, there shall be Dar al-Islam.
For al-Banna, his triumphalist followers and sympathisers, the demotion of Islam in the eyes of the nations that had occurred through the military and cultural success of Western imperial-colonialists, threatened the very religion itself: a declaration of war on all shapes of Islam. For them, Islam must dominate. Few forces today that seek global hegemony are so open about their imperial ambitions.
In the minds of supremacists like al-Banna, therefore, the creation of Israel was a further catastrophe in this long war on Islam, the loss of territory in the heart of what was and should be Dar al-Islam, and a denial of Muslim imperial claims. The core of the Arab-Muslim irredentist demand that Israel be destroyed, is a direct expression of this imperialist Islam from its first century. Free infidels are anathema to Islam's triumphalist sovereignty. We cannot concede a grain of sand to Jews. For Abul Ala al-Maududi, the most systematic thinker of modern Islam explained, Jews must exist in the state of submission. The purpose for which the Muslims are required to fight is to put an end to their sovereignty and supremacy.[1] To have the dissolution of the Caliphate followed two decades later by a Jewish state in the heart of what should be Dar al-Islam was a continuation of the same war against all shapes of Islam. For triumphalist Muslims like al-Banna, Islam necessitated dominion. Its demotion on the world stage was an existential threat. Hence, losing the battle with the Jews threatened to be an unmitigated disaster, utter humiliation on a global scale in response to which, in complete confidence in their impending victory, the Arab League promised historic massacres. To lose would fatally wound triumphalist Islam's need for visible dominion. To Muslims such as these, Israel was a blasphemy against the Prophet (PBUH). An intolerable degradation. Another nakba. Indeed, The Muslim Brotherhood, initially a weak movement, only came into its own in the fight against Zionism.[2]
This hard zero-sum mentality—if you win (anything) I lose; in order for me to win you must lose (everything)—has characterised one of the dominant currents in Arab attitudes toward Jews in the modern period.
What is Dar al-Islam (From ChatGPT-AI)
Dar al-Islam (Arabic: دار الإسلام) is a classical Islamic legal and theological concept that refers to territories where Islam is the dominant religion and where Islamic law, or Sharia, prevails. It has played a crucial role in the development of Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh), as we'll as in political and social theory within the Islamic world.
The term "Dar al-Islam" can be understood by breaking down its two key components:
Historical and Classical Significance
In Islamic jurisprudence, particularly during the classical period (7th to 15th centuries), Muslim scholars used Dar al-Islam to distinguish areas that we're governed by Islamic law from those that we're not. Its counterpart is Dar al-Harb (the Abode of War), which describes territories not ruled by Muslims and where Islamic law does not apply.
Islamic scholars from different schools of thought generally agreed on the following characteristics of Dar al-Islam:
Modern Interpretations of Dar al-Islam
In modern times, the concept of Dar al-Islam has evolved. Today, Islamic scholars and political thinkers are divided over how relevant or applicable the distinction between Dar al-Islam and Dar al-Harb is in contemporary geopolitics. Modern nation-states, international law, and the concept of sovereignty have complicated traditional classifications. However, in certain religious, academic, and political contexts, Dar al-Islam retains significance.
Key Views in Modern Contexts:
Dar al-Islam in Practice
Historically, the Islamic Caliphate represented the largest and most prominent manifestation of Dar al-Islam. Under the Abbasid Caliphate, for example, territories spanning from Spain to India we're part of Dar al-Islam. These regions we're united under Islamic law, and Muslims could travel, trade, and practice their religion freely across these lands.
However, over time, as Muslim empires fragmented and colonialism divided the Islamic world, the political and territorial unity of Dar al-Islam weakened. The collapse of the Ottoman Empire in the early 20th century, which had been the last major caliphate, marked a significant end to the historical concept of Dar al-Islam as a political entity.
Contrasting Terms
To fully understand Dar al-Islam, it is important to know the contrasting terms:
Conclusion
The concept of Dar al-Islam has been central to Islamic thought, defining the relationship between Islamic governance, law, and society. While its application and relevance have evolved over time, it remains a key framework in understanding historical Islamic civilization and certain modern political ideologies. Its interpretation varies, from a geographical reality to a more abstract or spiritual idea, reflecting the diversity of perspectives within the Muslim world.