The theory of secularism is based on the concept that every outward appearance of a person and every affair of a state must be separated from religion. Thus, according to secularism, a woman cannot wear hijab publicly, as it is the case in Turkey for example, because the secularist culture there bans women from displaying their religious identity in public. Similarly, a judge cannot rule by the law of Allah in a secularist state, because the courts there are required to follow secularist laws. The theory of secularism can actually affect the life of a Muslim in two different ways:
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(1) Believing in the theory of secularism: If any Muslim believes that the theory of secularism is compatible with Islam, or if he or she feels that this theory has got no problem, then there is a great probability that he or she has committed kufr. It’s pretty obvious that anyone who believes that it is OK to rule by laws other than the laws of Allah is committing kufr because such belief completely goes against the spirit of submitting to Allah, and such belief is in fact a rejection of the divine system. Allah said in the Quran:
It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have an option in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he has indeed strayed in a plain error. [33:36].
This is a very profound verse. The verse clearly indicates that anyone who has a different opinion about an issue after it has been decided by Allah and His Messenger is in manifest error. After such clear cut warning, is it possible for a Muslim to claim Muslimness and yet believe in the theory of secularism?
(2) Not believing the theory of secularism, but adopting secularist life-styles: Now a days, majority of the Muslims do not believe in the theory of secularism and reject it in their heart, but in actions, they adopt secularist life-style. For example, Saudi Arabia proudly says that the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah are its constitution, but we can find riba-based bank everywhere in the Kingdom.
So, here we can conclude that it is entirely possible that a state or a person may reject and disbelieve in the theory of secularism, but in real life, they may adopt secularist practices. This is a mismatch. Rejecting secularism in heart but adopting secularist practices in real life thus makes a Muslim MUNAFIQ.
Therefore, belief in what Allah and His Messenger brought to us is profoundly important, but demonstrating that belief thorough our actions is also equally important because demonstrating what you believe is also a part of faith. A story here to highlight what it means to obey Allah and His
Messenger will make it clear:
There was one black man named Julybib living in Medina during the time of the Messenger of Allah. One day he came to the Messenger of Allah and complained to him that he was not able to get married because of his physical appearance. The Messenger of Allah then took him to the house of the most beautiful girl of Medina and asked the father of the girl to give his daughter to Julaybib. The father hesitated and his wife started screaming after learning about this proposition of the Messenger of Allah. However, when the daughter learned about this issue, she gave herself in without any hesitation, citing that it would be extremely disrespectful and a sin to turn down the proposal of the Messenger of Allah, no matter what the appearance of the groom was. Subhanallah!! That girl understood the verse 33:36 that we have quoted above. She was the most beautiful girl of Medina and the man who asked for her hand was the ugliest at that time, and yet she did not hesitate even for a second. She not only believed in the verse of Allah, she also demonstrated her belief through her actions. The girl had the full Islamic right to turn down the proposal, yet she did not think about her right, lest she become among the hypocrites for disobeying something that the Messenger of Allah suggested. In return, what did she get? She got the dua of the Messenger of Allah. The Messenger of Allah himself prayed for this girl.
And today, we claim to be a Muslim. We claim to love Allah and His Messenger. We claim to reject the theory of secularism. Yet in our personal life, we adopt secularist lifestyle and that contradicts with Islam. Thus, even if a Muslim rejects the theory of secularism, but adopt the secularist practices, consciously or subconsciously, become hypocrites. That is why Allah has warned us in the following verse:
O you who believe! Fear Allah in the way He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims and hold fast to the Rope of Allah and be not divided. (3:102)
Allah is here giving us stern advice to all Muslims who are having mismatch between what they believe and what they practice. Allah wants us to die as true submitting slaves, and if we truly want to die as such, we have no other option except to leave our hypocritical and secularist practices from our lives.