Dar Al-Harb
/ˌdɑːr æl ˈhɑːrb/noun
A classical Islamic legal term for territories regarded by some jurists as outside the jurisdiction of Islamic rule.
Did you know?Dar al-harb was one category in a medieval juristic framework that also included Dar al-Islam, while many scholars and modern Muslims reject treating the binary as applicable to today’s nation-states.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*d-r
“Root associated with dwelling, habitation, or circulating among places”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
dār
“House, dwelling, abode, or territory”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
ḥarb
“War or armed conflict”
8th–10th Century
Arabic
dār al-ḥarb
““Abode of war,” a juristic designation for territory outside the political jurisdiction of the Islamic polity in some legal writings”
19th Century
English
Dar al-Harb
“English scholarly transliteration of the Arabic legal expression”
Modern English
English
dar al-harb
“A historical or contemporary term discussed in Islamic law, politics, and religious studies”