Islam and Secularism is a landmark work of modern Islamic thought by Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas, one of the most influential Muslim scholars of the contemporary age. This edition brings his ideas to Hindi-speaking readers.
The book examines the rise of secularism from within its Western intellectual and Christian background, and traces how 'the secular', 'secularization', and 'secularism' came to shape the modern world. Al-Attas argues that this outlook is foreign to the worldview of Islam, and he draws a careful distinction between the Western idea of 'religion' and the Islamic concept of din - a complete way of life rather than a private belief.
From this critique the author turns to what he calls the dilemma facing Muslims: a loss of adab and a confusion in knowledge. In response he sets out a constructive vision - the 'dewesternization of knowledge' and a philosophy of education built around ta'dib, the cultivation of the good and rightly-ordered person. Chapters explore the nature of man, the nature of knowledge, and the aim of education, closing with recommendations and an appendix on the Islamization of the Malay-Indonesian world.
Rigorous and closely argued, and grounded throughout in the Qur'an and the Islamic intellectual tradition, this is a serious work of scholarship rather than light reading. It is intended for students and teachers of Islamic thought, philosophy, and education, and for any reader wishing to understand the Islamic response to secular modernity.
Key themes include the meaning of religion (din) in Islam; the origins and critique of secularism; the relationship between knowledge, education, and worldview; the concept of ta'dib and adab; and the intellectual challenges facing Muslims in the modern world.
