Internet: Dar-al-Harb or Dar-al-Islam?

[OldLahori]

How should one classify the virtual society that exists on the Internet? Dar-al-harb?

[FahdArshad]

Glass half full version: Cyberspace allows the decidedly un-Islamic nation-state system to melt away and fosters the growth of the Muslim Ummah.

[FahdArshad]

In medieval legal sources (compiled roughly between the eighth and eleventh centuries), jihad generally referred to a divinely sanctioned struggle to establish Muslim hegemony over non-Muslims as a prelude to the propagation of the Islamic faith. Islamic legal scholars divided the world into two spheres: Dar al-Islam (land of Islam), where Islamic law applied, and Dar al-Harb (land of war), where the absence of Islamic law presumably fostered anarchy and immorality. The Islamic state’s duty was to reduce Dar al-Harb–through peaceful means if possible, through war if necessary–until it had been incorporated into Dar al-Islam.

http://www.cqpress.com/context/articles/epr_jihad.html

Do we still want to prescribe to such a confrontational version of Islam? I don’t mean to say that Muslims should give up the internal Jihad or even Jihad within Muslim societies (in terms of improving adherence to the basic tenets of Islam), but if the Prophet (PBUH) could peacefully co-exist with other cultures, isn’t that the way to go?

[OldLahori]

I was under the impression that we should not invoke different versions of Islam. There is only one Islam, and all we need to do is agree upon what that is.

[PakistaniAbroad]

[quote]
and all we need to do is agree upon what that is.
[/quote]

Good luck.

people don't follow 'Islam'. they follow Islam as interpreted by one of the several 'Imams'.

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This Space For Rent

[Andhra]

Interesting!!! THe article sayts Dar-al-Islam concept has no mention in Koran or Hadith!!

[Scratch]

[quote]
Originally posted by OldLahori:
**all we need to do is agree upon what that is.

**
[/quote]

Yea sure. I wish you all the best.

And internet is Dar-al-Harb of course. Why do we even ask such question?!!!

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So what you wanted to See good has made you blind
And what you wanted to Be yours has made it Mine
So don't you lock up Something that you
Wanted to see fly
Hands are for shaking No not tying
I sure don't Mind a change But I fell on black Days
How would I know That this could be My fate

[This message has been edited by Scratch (edited February 08, 2002).]

[OldLahori]

The reason I asked this question is simple: Muslims need to think in terms of integerating into this "Global Village" as Muslims. It was easy to define the World into two camps when travel was difficult. Internet is an example where we have to deal with "everyone" and dividing into camps is not easy. On one hand it is allowing us to interact as one Ummah as never before, but on the other hand it is pitting us against quite hostile concepts. As an example, I read somewhere that the Middle East was the largest consumer of Pornography from Europe. So as we learn to deal with the advantages and disadvantages of the internet, we can also think about how to deal with this Global Village that we are being thrust into.