Praise be to Allah.
Secularism is a new philosophy and a
corrupt movement which aims to separate
religion from the state, and focuses on
worldly matters, and worldly desires and
pleasures; it makes this world the only goal
in life, and forgets and ignores the
Hereafter. It pays no attention to deeds
pertaining to the Hereafter. The words of
the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) may be applied to the secularist:
“Wretched is the slave of the dinar and the
slave of the dirham and the slave of the
khameesah (a kind of luxurious garment
made of wool with patterns). If he is given
he is pleased and if he is not given he
becomes discontent. May he be wretched
and doomed, and if he is pricked with a
thorn may it not be pulled out (i.e., may he
have no help to remove it).” Narrated by al-
Bukhaari (2887).
This description includes everyone who
criticizes anything of the teachings of Islam
in word or deed. The one who rules
according to man-made laws and abolishes
the rulings of sharee‘ah is a secularist; the
one who permits forbidden things such as
adultery, alcohol, music and usurious (riba-
based) transactions, and believes that
forbidding them is harmful to people and is
narrow-mindedness which causes people to
miss out on some benefits, is a secularist.
The one who ban or objects to the carrying
out of hadd punishments such as executing
the murderer and stoning or flogging the
adulterer and the drinker of alcohol, or
cutting off the limbs of the thief or bandit,
and claims that carrying out these
punishments is inhumane, or that it is cruel
and abhorrent, also comes under the
heading of secularism.
With regard to the Islamic ruling concerning
them, Allah, may He be exalted, says,
describing the Jews (interpretation of the
meaning):
“Then do you believe in a part of the
Scripture and reject the rest? Then what is
the recompense of those who do so among
you, except disgrace in the life of this world”
[al-Baqarah 2:85] .
Whoever accepts whatever suits him of the
religion, such as laws on personal and
family matters, and some acts of worship,
and rejects whatever does not suit him, is
included in this verse.
Similarly, Allah, may He be exalted, says
(interpretation of the meaning):
“Whosoever desires the life of the world and
its glitter; to them We shall pay in full (the
wages of) their deeds therein, and they will
have no diminution therein.
They are those for whom there is nothing in
the Hereafter but Fire; and vain are the
deeds they did therein. And of no effect is
that which they used to do”
[Hood 11:15-16] .
The aims of the secularists are focused on
worldly accumulation and pleasures, even it
it is haraam and even if it prevents them
doing the obligatory duties. Thus they are
included in this verse and in the verse in
which Allah, may He be exalted, says
(interpretation of the meaning):
“Whoever wishes for the quick-passing
(transitory enjoyment of this world), We
readily grant him what We will for whom We
like. Then, afterwards, We have appointed
for him Hell, he will burn therein disgraced
and rejected, ( far away from Allah’s Mercy)”
[al-Isra’ 17:18] .
And there are other similar verses and
hadeeths. And Allah knows best.
by Shaykh ‘Abdullah ibn Jibreen (may Allah
have mercy on him).