Secularism, its nature, history and consequences (2nd Part)
Secularism concept and definition:
For a correct and deep understanding of each movement and a correct understanding of its goals and demands, it is necessary to first conceptually examine the movement and the terms and definitions used in it, to be evaluated and expertized. This will give the researcher the ability to judge and make a decision about that movement, and a correct light will be instilled in him.
In this topic, at first, we examine and conceptualize the term “secularism”, which has become famous with the meanings of “secularism”, “separation of religion from politics” and “globalization”.
Definition of Secularism
Secularism is a Latin word that means worldliness, attention to material things, and materialism, but this word in Arabic language and in Arab-speaking circles has been wrongly translated into the word “al-ulamaniyah” which means “scientism” and scholarship, and the claimants this movement claims science, knowledge and wisdom and they believe that this movement is a leap towards science.
In fact, this word should not be translated as Ulmanism and any term that has a scientific aspect in the Islamic world, but its exact meaning and translation is “Al Ladiniyah” which means “irreligion” and “atheism”. Because the nature and truth of this movement has a major effort to marginalize religion from all areas of human life, especially politics and government.
This fact can be understood in the definitions given by the secular people and the founders of this movement and its missionaries, as well as through the history and the cause of its origin in the cultural, social and political sphere of Westerners.
“Encyclopedia of Britain” writes in the definition of the article (secularism): “This movement is a social movement whose purpose is to make people realize that they should pay attention to the hereafter and focus on this present world; Because the people of the Middle ages had a strong desire to turn away from the world and reflect on the nature of God and the Last Day, and in response to this desire, secularism presented itself to them through the growth of their human desires, and after this event, throughout history, secularism was a movement. He became against religion and religion, especially Christianity.”
Webster’s dictionary defines secularism as follows: “Secularism is an opinion that separates religion from the state, education and ethics, and that all these things are independent and far from the influence of the church and religious institutions, and that people believe that reason His source of salvation is not religion. And as a result of this belief, he should deny all occult and supernatural matters.
The “Oxford” dictionary also defines this article as follows: “This movement is a theory that believes that it is not appropriate for religion to be the basis of morality, education and values, and secularism means handing over the properties of the church and its institutions to governments to serve temporal affairs.
“New International Dictionary” defines it as follows: “Secularism is a trend in life that is based on the principle that religion and its values should not interfere in the government. Secularism is a kind of social system in the field of ethics, which is based on the idea of establishing moral and ethical values based on the standards of contemporary life and social acceptance, not on religion and its teachings.
Orientalist “Arthur Arbery” writes in the definition of this material: “Scientific and humanistic materialism and naturalistic and situational theory, all of them are different forms of irreligion and atheism, and irreligion is a characteristic of Europe and America.”
A definition that has become famous among Muslims:
Of course, the definition of secularism that has become famous in the books of contemporary Islamic authors, and it seems that this movement consists of “separation of religion from politics and the type of governance”, but in reality, this definition does not provide the correct meaning and meaning of this term to the audience.
Because this movement applies to all people and all behaviors that are not even related to the government, so from the Islamic point of view, it would be better if we call this movement the separation of religion from life. Because the general claim and true desire of this movement is the same, and they seek to remove religion from all parts of people’s lives.
From the definitions mentioned in this topic, it is clear that the movement of secularism has an opinion on all aspects of human life and in a way seeks a general transformation in the life of humanity, whether it is religious or moral, social or economic or other aspects of life.
