What is the viewpoint of Islam on Secularism? The stance of the scholars on this matter is against secularism. They refer to secularism as irreligiousness. But I think this view is the result of ignorance. This reflects the saying, "People are enemies of what they are ignorant of." Secularism is not an issue of belief or religion. Secularism is a matter of settlement. The Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics accurately describes it as a 'policy of non-interference in matters of religion'. The essential point is that for thousands of years, people have witnessed conflicts. So, to put an end to these conflicts, people devised a solution in the form of secularism, that is, secular democracy.  It means that every person has the freedom to practice their religion and beliefs, and as long as they do not resort to violence, they also have the freedom to propagate their religion. However, when it comes to the socio-political system, it should be determined through a democratic process. It means that every five years, there is an election where the majority of people elect the government, which then governs. That is a way of settlement.  Secularism is neither a religion nor a belief; it fully aligns with the principles of Islam.

In the past, because religion and state were not separate, there was a lot of restriction. It was a time of religious persecution, so you could not adopt any other religion besides the official religion. I think this is a very good thing. So, regarding socio-political matters, through democracy, a new team comes into power every five years, and subsequently, another team takes over to continue the process. People should have the freedom to practice their religion. Because of secularism we are able to work here without any obstruction. If there were no secularism in India, we wouldn't be able to do our work. I consider secularism a boon for myself.