The Secularization of Islam: A Reading of the Qurayshi Stance on the Prophetic Call

Whoever contemplates the Prophetic biography and the history of the conflict between truth and falsehood realizes that Quraysh did not initially demand the total termination of Islam. Rather, their diligent pursuit was summarized in what may be termed the secularization of Islam; that is, transforming it from a manifest, governing religion into a secluded, individual ritual.

This Jahili demand was manifested in their continuous attempts to impose conditions that ensured the survival of the pagan system, most notably:

• That he leave them and what they worship, neither criticizing their gods nor their moral and social systems.

• That he not manifest his faith nor proclaim his call openly among the people, so that religion remains confined to the hearts or closed houses.

This was documented in the purified Prophetic Sunnah, as recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari within the context of the negotiations and pressures exerted, where the demand was: «...and that he not manifest it [publicly]».

This path clarifies a major reality: that the secularization of religion is but another face of its destruction. A religion that is prevented from appearing and influencing reality is a paralyzed religion that loses its essence and the purpose for which it was revealed.