Combating Secular Extremism
Whereas some people may ask “how do we combat Islamic extremism?” the first question that should be asked is “what is Islamic extremism and is it a bad thing?” This question must be asked, because the term ‘Islamic Extremism’ not only is attached to a negative preconception, but is used to refer to a reality and people which aren’t in truth ‘extreme’, this smacks of a prejudice unbefitting a society that believes that individuals and ideas are ‘innocent till proven guilty’.
Islam is a comprehensive way of life. It is an ideology that contains a specific viewpoint to life (the establishment of man’s purpose in life in the affairs of life) which forms an ideal and a basis for human society and whose solutions to human problems naturally and purposefully manifest themselves in the forms of Political, Economical, Ruling, Educational and Social systems as well as peoples universal rights.
If Islam is understood as such, then those who call for this way of life, comprehensively and ideologically and who reject systems built on the philosophic compromises between man’s life and his purpose in life (Secularism) and the ruling system of it- Democracy (a self-interest based selection by the majority- of a minority to rule the people), are actually in fact, being true to their beliefs and making a principled stand for them.
These people should not be labeled ‘extremists’ by a others who misunderstand them and their ideas but rather their should be labeled ‘Ideological’, like others who hold the ideology of Communism or Capitalism. Would it be fitting to call a Communist- an atheist extremist? (Because dialectical materialism and materialism is based on atheism) or would it be fitting to call a Capitalist- a Secular extremist?
These other ideologies propagate the comprehensive implementation of their core creeds and the rejection of others so why can’t the Muslims do the same?
The REAL problem is not the Muslims who stay true to their comprehensive way of life, it is the Muslims who have adopted Secularism and fused it with Islam using Islamic principles taken out of context, so that Islam becomes compatible with western ideology and restricted to merely being a religious set of beliefs with no further political impact locally or globally and Muslims integrate into artificial nationalities which sever them from considering the affairs of Muslims in other parts of the world.
The Messenger of Allah (saw) said:
“He who wakes up in the morning and does not think of the affairs of the muslims is not one of us” (Sahih muslim)
These ideas are the real problem and Muslims should make their utmost efforts to intellectually combat them and those who champion them.
The Messenger of Allah (saw) also said,
من أحدث في أمرنا هذا ما ليس منه فهو رد‘Whoever brings something that is not from our affair (Islam), it is rejected.’ (Sahih Bukhari)
