Secularism vs Religion : An Improper Fight ?

The problem with the secularists is that they don't understand history, even though they may read it. They don't understand the pulse of time, and most importantly, they don't understand religion, even though they may study it for the sake of studying their enemy. They don't understand human, though they gain expertise in human psychology. I'll clarify these points shortly.

Looking at the human history, it has always been and still is religion that dominates changes, though it may be in positive or negative way. On the other hand, Secularism seems to have lived only for a short period of time, compared to the known history of man. And after the event of 9/11, religion seems to be taking its place back on the table of discussion. Why is that ? This simple observation, a little looking at the past, does not trigger thought in them. That is why they are failing. They are failing everywhere.

Now don't get me wrong – because I am saying that secularism is failing everywhere, which also implies that the USA is failing, the Britain is failing, and their allies are failing. Yes, they are failing, but we have failed to perceive it. I'll get to that point later on.

The first and simples overview of my point is : secularism can't fight religion. Well, now don't get me wrong again – because we've known that secularism has fought religion and religious countries and authorities for hundreds of years, and they are still fighting – with weapons, without weapons. Yet I say, yes – secularism can't fight religion. That is where the failure of secularism comes. What the secularists are trying to do is, they are fighting us in a battlefield where we are not present. They are fighting religion, in the battlefield of secularism. But you can't fight religion with secularism ! You fight religion with religion ! The failure to understand this simple fact, along with the failure of understanding the very innate nature of human being, makes their victory short lived.

Now, let's first put this very clear : the aim of the secularists is to live an immoral life of luxury and comfort, without the religious people intervening any thing they do. If religious people do not disturb them in doing so, they (secularists) do not disturb them either. But if the religious people stand up, then they try to fight back. Now what do they fight with ? They fight religion with secularism. That is where they fail before the battle begins. Because the battle takes place in two different fields. So, which part wins depend on the very subject they are fighting to win : human.

Of course, without human, there would be no battle – nothing. Secularists try to win the hearts of people with secularism. They induce the desires in human so as to gain more and more people in their immoral life style. On the other hand, the religious people try to bring out the good in people, the sense of righteousness and sense of God in people.

Both the things that the two combatants try to induce / bring out are present in human being, i.e., desire and righteousness. Then it seems to be a proper fight, does it not ? One is trying to induce desires of man, the other is trying to bring out the innate nature and need of surrendering to The Superior, God.

The failure of secularism is, it does not address both, while religion handles and talks about both of them. Secularism simply dismisses any sense of righteousness, existence of morality and pretends that they don't exist. This pretense leaves a vacuum in the followers and adopters of secularism. The vacuum that secularism has is the absence of righteousness. Secularism doesn't talk about it at all ! But the psychological need of being moral and just is still there in human. This vacuum, in course of time, becomes the major driving force of turning back to religion.

Coming to religion, they (secularists) find their satisfaction with something “complete”, addressing every human psychological need. Religion addresses human desires to do wrong, commit sin, and also addresses the wish to do good and to surrender to God almighty. Religion talks about both by prohibiting the wrongs, and encouraging the right and just things. That is why the secularists, who find religion as a complete code of life, don't ever get back to secularism, as we see it happening around the world.

Secularism, by its very nature, is a failure. If the west really wanted to fight religion (by which I mean Islam, because all other religions along with secularism and every other forces on earth are fighting Islam), they would have approached with religion. Instead, they went to fight us in a battlefield where we are not present.

Yes, for religion, when it starts losing it's firm control and command, practice of justice, and the most important aspects of religion – secularism starts crawling in. They enter human mind by inducing their desires for immoral activities.

Now, this may happen any time. So, for the establishment or for the existence of any Islamic state, the practice of religion and faith among it's people is the first thing to do. This is the prerequisite of establishing an Islamic government, and this is the condition for the existence of an Islamic government. (Or let's say, religious state and government). Because it is not arms and militia on which an Islamic government makes its base, but an Islamic government is based on people. And surely, Islam is not a tyranny.

This is a simple view to secularism compared to religion. Of course, there are other aspects, but I hope I have highlighted a less discussed view to it.

Another thing I would like to add to the end of the article is : no matter in what cause, whoever that fights using lie, has failed before they have begun. Because falsehood in itself cannot last longer, and must perish. On the other hand, those who fight using truth, no matter what the cause is, it will be established someday. Because truth itself is the basis of everything : basis of every existence and even the very basis of falsehood. As the definition of falsehood is “opposite of truth”, without truth, there wouldn't even exist any falsehood.

Allah says in Quraan :

“And say: "Truth has (now) arrived, and Falsehood perished : for Falsehood is (by its nature) bound to perish." “ (Surah -At-Tawba, 17:81)

So, yes, those who are fighting for truth, they have already won, in this life or the next, no matter the battle has ended or not.

Nure Alam

September 22, 2013.