Territory of Islam. Region of Muslim sovereignty where Islamic law prevails. The Hanafi school of law holds that territory conquered by nonbelievers can remain dar al-Islam as long as a qadi administers Islamic laws and Muslims and dhimmis are protected. During the colonial period the status of colonized territories was debated and Indian Muslims argued that British India was dar al-harb. There seemed to be no connection between the status of dar al-harb and an obligation to wage jihad against the British.