What do you know about secularism?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and prayer are upon the messenger of Allah and his family and company.

Definition of secularism:

Secularism refers to many meanings including; universality, worldly, and separating religion from the state, policy or life. This word (secularism) is a western terminology refers to the victory of (knowledge) over the Christian church that fought development by the name of the religion. Therefore, secularism according to the western people means to separate religion from life affairs and to isolate it in the conscience and the church.

Secularism is a wrong concept:

Secularism (according to this concept) is considered wrong concept in Islam. It means isolating the religion from the affairs of life, while Islam is a comprehensive religion came to regulate all life affairs and guide humankind to the pleasure of this life and the pleasure of the hereafter too. Separating the religion from life affairs and getting it away from policy, economy, family, society, education … etc, is considered in Islam as disbelief, seeking the days of ignorance, hindering people from the path of Allah and violating the limits ordained by Allah. Therefore, we should call secularism “the new Jahelia (ignorance)”.

Secularism’s name makes some people think that knowledge and religion are two opposites fighting each other. It also makes them think that there is no connection between religion and life affairs, and that; your being religious means that you are backward ignorant. This is completely wrong because the religion (Islam) is the religion of knowledge, pleasure and prosperity. It is known for the western people (in addition to the Muslims themselves) that Islam is the religion that had opened to them the horizons of knowledge, invention, development and civilization.

The first reason for secularism (ignorance) is what the priests of the Christian church had done when they combated development and civilization in the west claiming that the religion (their distorted religion) prohibits experiment science, invention and the scientific discoveries.

Secularism’s history and basis:

As we mentioned earlier; secularism is a pure western idea, and its history is part of the western history. The following is summary of secularism’s history:

At the end of the tenth century; the religious and social corruption, which is caused by the priests of the Christian church and its distorted teachings, crossed all limits. Europe suffered from the humbug priests and popes and their sway and obsession by the name of the religion and the God.

Muslim civilization was prospered in this period (and in the next periods) in Andalusia, east and Morocco. It was spreading its beneficial knowledge, true religion and just rule regime. The Muslim state in Europe, Andalusia, was the place of knowledge, thought and freedom. The western nobles started sending missions to study sciences in the Islamic universities of Andalusia. Hence, they were influenced by the enlightened Muslim mentality, and returned to their people knowing that the church and its people are deceitful seek to impose their tyranny over the citizens.

Those, who had been influenced by the Muslims, began to face the church and its distorted religion. They announced their scientific and geographic discoveries that were prohibited by the church. Therefore, the priests got angry, and dispute (lasted for centuries) aroused between the men of the church and the men of science. For centuries, the people of the church continued to declare as disbelievers, kill, burn and confiscate the discoverers. Moreover, the church had established inquisitions for chasing anyone in Europe has Islamic ideas. This dispute continued for centuries and ended by isolating the church and its people from interfering in life and state affairs. The long bloody dispute had been ended by the first decisive victory of the church opponents during the French revolution.

As a result of the status of the church and its distorted religion (that it had roused disorder by its name), it was natural for the revolution to isolate the distorted religion (which fought knowledge) from life and state, confine it to the church and prevent its men from tyranny. Then, revolution transmitted to the other western states, because they did not believe in Islam; the religion of knowledge, truth and justice.

This phenomenon had controlled over the whole lands of Europe. It was raising the slogans of disbelief and moral chaos as a kind of stubbornness to the church. This ignorant idea (no relationship between religion and knowledge, and religion is against knowledge) was the common idea in the west in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. At the beginning of the twentieth century, there were signs of conciliation between the church and the pioneers of secularism (the movement of ignorance) ended by great concessions from the two parties till the political Christian parties entered the field of policy in some western countries. The true religion (Islam) proved to the whole world that it is the religion of knowledge. On the other hand, all the branches of knowledge proved that they do not bear any kind of hostility toward Islam; instead they accompany it and reveal to the humankind its invaluable essence.

The history of secularism in the Muslim world:

The idea of secularism began to invade the Muslim world from more than one hundred years ago; however it was not enabled until the beginning of this century (the twentieth century) when it was practiced on the level of the state that had been established upon the debris of the Othmanic caliphate. Then, it was transmitted to the rest of the Muslim world. The following are some of the major elements that enabled the appearance of “The new ignorance” among Muslims

1. Many Muslims strayed from the right creed (Aqeeda), heresy and whims became familiar and those who understand the religion became few.

2. Colonialism; the western countries did their best to isolate Islam from life and policy and substituted it by western infidel secular approaches.

3. Non-Muslim minorities, such as the Christians, Jews, communists and other associations and parties, they all cannot enjoy their stray and corruption unless there is a slogan like the slogan of secularism. Therefore, they agreed upon propagating it till the simple and naive Muslims have been deceived.

4. The western great development in the field of the experimental sciences and the military power impressed many Muslims and made them think that it is a result of this modern ignorant movement (secularism). Without any thinking, they believed the allegation of the disbelievers_ that religion is a hinder for science. Moreover they thought that their countries will not be developed before separating religion from life and state affairs. Actually, this is ignorance all Muslims faced its consequences.

5. The traitors in the Muslim world, those who had been deceived by the western development and those who had secular trends gained authority and power in many Muslim countries by the support of their masters (in the west).

The most prominent ignorant (secular) trends in Islam:

1. Secularism in Turkey:

Secularism had appeared in Turkey by Mustafa Kamal Ataturk upon the debris of the Othmanic caliphate. It had launched fierce and organized war against Islam by taking the following steps:

a) Canceling the Islamic caliphate, because it is a mean for uniting Muslims, which is considered a threat to the west, and the modern ignorance (secularism) combats it.

b) Combating Islam and all its symbols in Turkey and every Muslim country, and raising an ignorant generation rejects the religion and chastity.

c) Combating the Arabic language (the language of Islam) and preventing talking in it or writing by its Alphabet; they substituted it by the Turkish language and Latin alphabet.

d) Canceling all the Islamic symbols that declare the Islam of the Turkish people (e.g. Azan, congregational prayer, reciting the Holy Quran, wearing turbans … etc.)

By this way, Turkey went in this direction to seek honor, power and glory; however they received humility, degradation and weak instead. This is Allah’s promise to Muslims; whenever they seek honor, power and glory from other than Islam, they would find humility, degradation and weak instead. However He almighty says about the disbelievers: “Whoever desires the life of this world and its adornments - We fully repay them for their deeds therein, and they therein will not be deprived. (15) Those are the ones for whom there is not in the Hereafter but the Fire. And lost is what they did therein, and worthless is what they used to do.” [Hud 11:15-16]

Transliteration: Man Kāna Yurīdu Al-Ĥayāata Ad-Dunyā Wa Zīnatahā Nuwaffi 'Ilayhim 'Amālahum Fīhā Wa Hum Fīhā Lā Yubkhasūna (15) 'Ūlā'ika Al-Ladhīna Laysa Lahum Fī Al-'Ākhirati 'Illā An-Nāru Wa Ĥabiţa Mā Şanaū Fīhā Wa Bāţilun Mā Kānū Yamalūna

2. Secularism in Egypt and some Arab countries:

Secularism has begun in Egypt in the third decade of the twentieth century (during the period of the British colonialism) as an ideological trend. Egypt took many steps in this way at this period and many people from various aspects of life called for secularism, such as:

a) Qasem Amen; in the aspect of morals and family.
b) Taha Hussain PhD; in the aspect of culture, literature, and thought.
c) Sheikh Ali Abdel-Raziq; in the aspect of policy and legislations.

There were many others such as Salama Mosa, Saad Zaghloul and Lotfy El-Sayed. However these strong trends did not affect the Egyptian people and the Egyptian state until the occurrence of the revolution that was led by Jamal Abdel-Nasser in 1952 and established secularism. The most prominent steps that had been taken by 1952 revolution for enabling secularism in Egypt were:

a) Praising the Arabic nationalism as a substitute to Islam for uniting the Arab.

b) Adopting socialism as a regime of economy substitutes Islam’s rules and legislations, and propagating it as an exalted goal to the state and people.

c) Searching for cultural and intellectual substitutes and searching for other creeds for the Egyptian people like Pharaonism instead of Islam. Moreover, they had dug up the seeds of the previous ignorant ways to be new bases for the Egyptian people.

d) Converting people’s enthusiasm from fighting in the way of Allah to fighting for nationalism, socialism, freedom and Arabism.

e) Getting rid of the Islamic legislation and substituting it by Almithaq (the charter) to be the main source of legislation in the state, then it had been followed by human made laws still work.

f) Exporting the revolution along with its socialism and secularism and non-Islamic slogans to the Arab and underdeveloped countries. This had already occurred and paved the road to raising other ignorant (secular) slogans.

By this way, secularism had been established in Egypt and some Arab countries, which walked in the ignorant (secular) coming current.

The same occurred in the rest of the Muslim world in Asia and Africa. The occupiers had planted this trend in these countries till it became the nature of the Muslim world nowadays.

Secularism in the view of Islam:

In legislation, secularism means to separate religion from the state or life as a whole. This means to rule by other than what Allah has ordained. The scholars of Aqeeda (creed) had decided the following:

1. If ruling by other than what Allah has ordained had occurred while the ruler (whether it is a person or group) thinks that Allah’s legislations are not valid or worthy or that the human made laws are better and more comprehensive; then this is disbelief.

2. If it occurred as a result of ignorance or weakness while still believing that Allah’s legislations are better and worthy; then this is disobedience of Allah, sin and injustice. Muslim must repent from such thing and return to Allah.

In the creed, secularism means disbelief or rejecting Islam and deserting its legislations; this is the manifest disbelief.

As for the morals; secularism means chaos, the familiarity of illegal sex and mocking religion, chastity and righteousness; this is manifest error and corruption.

Seculars in the Muslim world are known for their mocking Islam and who abides by it, they also are known for the appearance of their evil deeds and behaviors.

They are known for propagating the evil deeds (e.g. drinking alcoholics, illegal mix between men and women … etc,) combating chastity and religion, imitating the western life style and admiring the disbelievers and who got strayed from the right path.

The relationship between the Muslims and non-Muslims as it is mentioned in the Holy Quran:

Allah almighty has clearly articulated, in His book, how must be the relationship between the Muslims and non-Muslims. He prevented the Muslims from trusting non-Muslims or taking them as advisors, consultants, protectors, helpers or friends.

Allah almighty says: “O you who have believed, do not take as intimates those other than yourselves,”

Transliteration: Yā 'Ayyuhā Al-Ladhīna 'Āmanū Lā Tattakhidhū Biţānatan Min Dūnikum

Then He declared the reason by saying:

1. For they will not spare you [any] ruin. They wish you would have hardship.
2. Hatred has already appeared from their mouths
3. And what their breasts conceal is greater. We have certainly made clear to you the signs, if you will use reason. (118)
4. Here you are loving them but they are not loving you
5. While you believe in the Scripture - all of it.
6. And when they meet you, they say, "We believe."
7. But when they are alone, they bite their fingertips at you in rage. Say, "Die in your rage. Indeed, Allah is Knowing of that within the breasts." (119)
8. If good touches you, it distresses them;
9. But if harm strikes you, they rejoice at it.
10. And if you are patient and fear Allah, their plot will not harm you at all. Indeed, Allah is encompassing of what they do. (120)
[Al-Imran 3:118-120]

Transliteration: Yā 'Ayyuhā Al-Ladhīna 'Āmanū Lā Tattakhidhū Biţānatan Min Dūnikum Lā Ya'lūnakum Khabālāan Wa Ddū Mā Anittum Qad Badati Al-Baghđā'u Min 'Afwāhihim Wa Mā Tukhfī Şudūruhum 'Akbaru Qad Bayyannā Lakumu Al-'Āyāti 'In Kuntum Taqilūna (118) Hā'antum 'Ūlā'i Tuĥibbūnahum Wa Lā Yuĥibbūnakum Wa Tu'uminūna Bil-Kitābi Kullihi Wa 'Idhā Laqūkum Qālū 'Āmannā Wa 'Idhā Khalaw Ađđū Alaykumu Al-'Anāmila Mina Al-Ghayži Qul Mūtū Bighayžikum 'Inna Allāha Alīmun Bidhāti Aş-Şudūri (119) 'In Tamsaskum Ĥasanatun Tasu'uhum Wa 'In Tuşibkum Sayyi'atun Yafraĥū Bihā Wa 'In Taşbirū Wa Tattaqū Lā Yađurrukum Kayduhum Shay'āan 'Inna Allāha Bimā Yamalūna Muĥīţun (120)

These are applicable to all non-Muslims, whether they were people of book (Christian and Jews), pagans, communists, those who deserted Islam by seeking ruling by other than the rule of Allah, or those who raise the slogans of ignorance such as the nationalists.


Written by:
Abu Moaweia (Nawaf Al-Shwaib)

This material is cited from “The summary of contemporary religions and trends”

Compiled by:
Nasser Abdullah Al-Qefary & Nasser Abdel-Karim Al-Aql

Wathakker website



Translated by Wathakker.info website