Abstract

LOPEZ-FARJEAT, Luis Xavier  and  GANEM GUTIERREZ, José Alfonso. Religion and Territory in al-Fārābī’s Political Philosophy. Estud. Asia Áfr. [online]. 2023, vol.58, n.2, pp.315-341.  Epub June 26, 2023. ISSN 2448-654X.  https://doi.org/10.24201/eaa.v58i2.2834.

This article explores the use of the terminological pair dār al-islām/dār al-ḥarb, first, from the Islamic juridical perspective. Then, the discussion is focused on the relationship between religion (milla), nation (umma), and territory (maskan), in al-Fārābī’s political philosophy. It is highlighted that, in al-Fārābī’s approach, the dichotomy dār al-islam/dār al-ḥarb does not appear. The absence of that distinction suggests that for the philosopher religious identity is not a pre-requisite for a political community and its geographical demarcation. Therefore, it is argued that al-Fārābī’s philosophical approach rules out the division of nations based on their religious identity. Beyond the differences between legal science and philosophy, the article examines the conceptualization of al-Fārābī’s territory and its consequences for political philosophy.

Keywords : al-Fārābī; dār al-islām; dār al-ḥarb; Islamic political philosophy.