al-Ilmaniyya wa Mawqif al-Islam Minha

al-Ilmaniyya wa Mawqif al-Islam Minha (Secularism and Islam's Stance on It) is a contemporary Islamic treatise written by Dr. Hammoud ibn Ahmad al-Ruhayli, an associate professor at the College of Da'wah at the Islamic University of Madinah al-Ilmaniyya wa Mawqif al…+1. The study examines the origins, development, and intellectual tenets of Western secularism, details the mechanisms through which it entered the Islamic world, and articulates the theological and legal rulings concerning secular thought in Islam Majallat al-Jami'a al-Isl…+1. It was published in the Journal of the Islamic University of Madinah in issue 115 (1422 AH / 2002 CE) Namadhij min Taqniyat al-…+1.

Context and Purpose

The author frames the treatise as an analysis of an ideological current that entered the Muslim world to sever Muslims from their creed and align them with dominant contemporary Western thought Majallat al-Jami'a al-Isl…. Al-Ruhayli argues that the Arabic term for secularism (al-ilmaniyya) is deceptive because its outward phrasing misleadingly suggests an association with science (ilm), misleading people into accepting the ideology under the guise of intellectual and scientific progress Majallat al-Jami'a al-Isl…. He also highlights the modern implementation of Islamic law in Saudi Arabia across various sectors as empirical proof refuting secularist premises Majallat al-Jami'a al-Isl….

Structure and Contents

The work is organized into an introduction, five principal chapters, and a conclusion Majallat al-Jami'a al-Isl…:

• Introduction: Covers the significance of the subject, the outline of the research, and the methodological approach Majallat al-Jami'a al-Isl….
• Chapter One (Definition and Concept of Secularism): Divided into three subsections addressing the linguistic and conventional definitions of secularism, the deception behind its nomenclature, and its developmental stages and forms Majallat al-Jami'a al-Isl….
• Chapter Two (Causes of Emergence and Effects in the West): Comprises two subsections. The first outlines the historical conditions in Europe that gave rise to secularism, including clerical tyranny, the conflict between the Church and natural sciences, the French Revolution, the theory of evolution, the nature of Christian teachings, and the role of Jewish influence. The second subsection reviews its societal consequences in the West Majallat al-Jami'a al-Isl….
• Chapter Three (Islam’s Incompatibility with Secularism): Explains why the historical and religious circumstances that generated secularism in European Christendom—such as clerical distortion of scripture, ecclesiastical despotism, and the dichotomy between religion and state—do not apply to Islam, which possesses uncorrupted textual sources and encompasses both creed (aqida) and comprehensive legislation (sharia) Majallat al-Jami'a al-Isl…+1.
• Chapter Four (Transmission to the Muslim World and Its Detrimental Effects): Analyzes the conduits of secularism into Muslim lands, including doctrinal deviation, colonial rule, intellectual warfare, Orientalism, Christian missionary activity, non-Muslim minority dynamics, Western material advancements, and educational missions abroad, followed by a discussion of its detrimental social and religious effects Majallat al-Jami'a al-Isl….
• Chapter Five (The Islamic Ruling on Secularism): Outlines the legal and theological judgment on secularism, refutes its foundational pillars, and presents the case for the practical implementation of Islam in public life Majallat al-Jami'a al-Isl…+1.
• Conclusion: Summarizes the findings of the study, reiterating that secularism constitutes an ideology of pre-Islamic ignorance (jahiliyya) incompatible with Islam, and that separating religion from public affairs and governance constitutes major disbelief (kufr) al-Ilmaniyya wa Mawqif al…+1.

Method and Scholarly Apparatus

The author relies on textual evidence from the Quran and the Sunnah, providing verse citations and hadith source references, clarifying obscure vocabulary, and indexing citations Majallat al-Jami'a al-Isl…. The book includes indexes for Quranic verses, prophetic traditions and narrations, a bibliography of cited primary and secondary references arranged alphabetically, and a detailed table of contents Majallat al-Jami'a al-Isl…. In his methodological remarks, al-Ruhayli notes that citing diverse reference works for research purposes does not imply theological endorsement of their respective authors Majallat al-Jami'a al-Isl….