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Is
Islam compatible with secularism? This question is quite
important in the present context, particularly in 21st century.
Both non - Muslims and orthodox Muslims feel that Islam
is not compatible with secularism. Fundamentalist Muslims
totally reject secularism as anti - Islamic and haram. Maulana
Maududi, founder of Jammat - e - Islami- e - Hind had said,
while leaving for Pakistan in 1948, that those who participated
in secular politics were raising flag of revolt against
Allah and his Messenger. The Saudi Ulama too denounce secularism
as strictly prohibited in Islamic tradition.
The
fundamental Hindus, on the other hand, say that Muslims
support secularism while in minority in any nation and oppose
it while in majority. But this is not wholly true. Some
Muslim countries like Saudi Arabia and others do reject
secularism but all Muslim majority countries do not.
For
example, Indonesia does not reject secularism though its
85 % population comprises of Muslims. However, by and large,
it is true that many Muslim majority countries opt for Islamic
state or at least make Islam as state religion.
It
is important to note that there is some difference between
an Islamic state and Islam being a state religion.
In
Islamic state all laws must strictly conform to Islamic
Shari ' ah but if a country declares "Islam as its religion",
it means that Islam is preferred to all other religions
and it enjoys itself more privilege than other religions
in the country. In 1948, Islam was declared as state religion
in Pakistan, but Pakistan did not become as Islamic state
until Zia- ul-Haq declared it to be an Islamic state in
late seventies. He then began to enforce Shari ' ah laws
in Pakistan.
Islam
is declared to be incompatible with secularism because in
a secular state there is no place for divine laws, and secular
laws are unacceptable to Islam. Also it is believed that
in Islam religion and politics can not be separated. On
these grounds secularism is totally rejected by orthodox
Muslims. They also think that secularism is atheistic, and
atheism has no place whatsoever in Islam.
Islam
strongly emphasizes faith in Allah. These are some of the
grounds, which make orthodox Muslims uneasy with the very
word secularism. Islam emphasizes life hereafter and secularism
means only those matters which pertain to this world. There
is no place for the world hereafter as far as secular philosophy
is concerned.
We
would examine here whether these assertions are true and
whether Islam is really incompatible with secularism. Firstly,
we should make a distinction between what is theological
and what is historical. The concept that religion and politics
can not be separated is more historical than theological.
In fact the Holy Qur 'an, as we have pointed out elsewhere
too does not give any concept of the State; it only gives
the concept of the society.
The
Qur 'an is concerned with morality rather than polity. An
upright conduct, justice, truth, benevolence, compassion
and human dignity are very basic to the Holy Scripture.
It repeatedly asserts these values. Thus it clearly means
that these values are very fundamental to an Islamic society
rather than to a state.
The
view that religion can not be separated from politics in
Islam is due this primary concern with these Islamic values.
It was thought by early Islamic 'Ulama and jurists that
is religion was separated from politics, the rulers would
totally neglect these fundamental Islamic values and would
totally neglect these fundamental Islamic values and would
behave in a manner which would only satisfy their greed
for power.
In
fact in those days there was no concept of secularism as
a philosophy of humanism. The 'Ulama were afraid that if
religion and politics were separated there would be absolutely
no check on the conduct of the rulers. In fact, one does
not find clear articulation to this effect (that religion
can not be separated from politics in Islam) in any early
Islamic source. This formulation itself is 19th century
origin when colonial powers began to impose secular laws
in Islamic countries i. e. the laws which were not basically
derived from Shari 'ah.
Ref:
Islam and Modern Age, October 2000
by Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer
to
be continued....
Mohammad, Mysore.
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