What does the separation of religion from politics mean in this letter, and is it obligatory for the religious scholar to engage in politics or not?
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The questioner : What does the separation of religion from politics mean in this letter, and is it obligatory for the religious scholar to engage in politics or not?
The Shaykh : The separation of religion from politics means that the ruler does whatever he wishes, believing that the state will be established by it, whether it agrees with the Shari'ah or not, even if it is at the expense of religion. This is because separation means distinguishing between two things and setting a limit between them. Accordingly, the ruler looks at what he sees as beneficial, even if it contradicts the Shari'ah.
There is no doubt that this is a false and erroneous statement, and that religion is politics and politics is part of religion. However, we mean by politics just politics, not unjust politics. I provide evidence for what I say by stating that Islam came to reform people in their dealings with one another, with their Lord, and with other people. It established rights for Allah and rights for people, for parents, close relatives, wives, Muslims in general, and even for non-Muslims, Islam established known rights for them according to the scholars. It established causes and conditions for war, and causes and conditions for peace. It established punishments for crimes, some of which are fixed and some are left to the opinion of the Imam, among other things that clearly indicate that Islam as a whole is politics. The origin of the word politics is taken from the shepherd who takes care of the animals, attends to what benefits them, and repels what harms them. This is politics. When we examine religion, we find it to be in this sense. The Prophet, indeed, Allah the Exalted prescribes for His servants matters that are required, without which their lives would not be straight, and forbids them from matters that corrupt their general or private conditions.
Therefore, the truth is that religion as a whole is politics. We assert that anyone who separates politics from religion and builds his politics on what he sees and what his soul desires, his politics is defective and corrupts more than it reforms. If it reforms one aspect according to his limited vision, it corrupts many aspects. This is indicated by examining the conditions of these people who built their politics on their desires and opinions and became distant from Islam. The examiner finds that all these policies are corruption, or mostly corruption, and that if they reform one aspect, they corrupt others.
Therefore, we say that separating politics from religion is an erroneous matter, and it is obligatory for whoever wants to reform himself and reform others not to govern anyone except in accordance with Islam.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : This letter reached us from Morocco. It is from the lady Khadijah from Morocco to the program Nur 'ala al-Darb.
The Shaykh : The separation of religion from politics means that the ruler does whatever he wishes, believing that the state will be established by it, whether it agrees with the Shari'ah or not, even if it is at the expense of religion. This is because separation means distinguishing between two things and setting a limit between them. Accordingly, the ruler looks at what he sees as beneficial, even if it contradicts the Shari'ah.
There is no doubt that this is a false and erroneous statement, and that religion is politics and politics is part of religion. However, we mean by politics just politics, not unjust politics. I provide evidence for what I say by stating that Islam came to reform people in their dealings with one another, with their Lord, and with other people. It established rights for Allah and rights for people, for parents, close relatives, wives, Muslims in general, and even for non-Muslims, Islam established known rights for them according to the scholars. It established causes and conditions for war, and causes and conditions for peace. It established punishments for crimes, some of which are fixed and some are left to the opinion of the Imam, among other things that clearly indicate that Islam as a whole is politics. The origin of the word politics is taken from the shepherd who takes care of the animals, attends to what benefits them, and repels what harms them. This is politics. When we examine religion, we find it to be in this sense. The Prophet, indeed, Allah the Exalted prescribes for His servants matters that are required, without which their lives would not be straight, and forbids them from matters that corrupt their general or private conditions.
Therefore, the truth is that religion as a whole is politics. We assert that anyone who separates politics from religion and builds his politics on what he sees and what his soul desires, his politics is defective and corrupts more than it reforms. If it reforms one aspect according to his limited vision, it corrupts many aspects. This is indicated by examining the conditions of these people who built their politics on their desires and opinions and became distant from Islam. The examiner finds that all these policies are corruption, or mostly corruption, and that if they reform one aspect, they corrupt others.
Therefore, we say that separating politics from religion is an erroneous matter, and it is obligatory for whoever wants to reform himself and reform others not to govern anyone except in accordance with Islam.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : This letter reached us from Morocco. It is from the lady Khadijah from Morocco to the program Nur 'ala al-Darb.