People generally believe that religion and secularism are quite opposed to each other—religion is anti-secularism and secularism is anti-religion. However, a deeper study shows that this kind of thinking is completely unfounded. Instead, secularism is a great blessing for religion. One can understand this fact simply by applying the well-known saying: “It is in comparison that we understand”.

History tells us that during previous centuries, religion was always under attack; it is a recent phenomenon that religious people enjoy freedom. In previous centuries, religious people were like a deprived class, but now religion is flourishing everywhere in the world. What is the reason for this change?

It is due to modern secularism. Secularism is the dominant thinking of the modern age. And it is due to this secularism that religion is finding greater acceptance in modern society.

The fact is that the previous age was an age of persecution—persecution of political opponents; persecution of women; persecution of slaves; and, of course, religion was included in this list of persecution. Then, after the advent of modern science, secular thinking emerged; gradually it became the dominant thinking of the present world. If the previous age was an age of persecution, the present age is an age of secularism.

Secularism has brought a great intellectual revolution. Secularism is a kind of compromise that is based on practical realities. Secularism is not a religion; it is simply a practical adjustment between different groups of society.

According to the Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics, secularism is a policy of non-interference in religious matters. A secular scheme in political administration implies that all common issues, like infrastructure, irrigation, city planning, etc., will be managed by the state; and all other ‘non-political fields’, are open to one and all. Religious people may enjoy complete freedom in fields such as moral reform, spirituality, and education—especially informal education.

This secular scheme is highly appreciable and practiced happily by many religious people. The administration of a multicultural and multireligious society is a great responsibility. It is good that all these responsibilities are given to secular departments; so one is free to avail the opportunities present in modern times in other fields.

Source: Spirit of Islam July 2013