In general, secularism refers to the division of governmental and religious issues. On the other hand, the idea is given a deeper significance in an Islamic perspective. According to Ali Abdul Raziq, Islam does not specifically control politics or the government because it is a comprehensive religion. He makes the case in his well-known book Al-Islam wa Usul al-Hukm (Islam and the Foundations of Government) that Muslims are free to select the form of government that best fits their needs, regardless of historical precedent or the Qur'an or Hadith. This includes the khilafah and other political institutions. His point of view sought to make a distinction between the dynamic and practical workings of politics and the spiritual and ethical lessons found in religion.
In the Egyptian hamlet of Al-Gharbiya, in 1888, Ali Abdul Raziq was born into a well-known clerical family. His father, Sheikh Abdul Raziq, was a well-respected religious leader, and the family had a long history of academic excellence. Ali Abdul Raziq shown an intense interest in religious and scientific subjects from a young age.
One of the most esteemed and ancient Islamic educational institutions in the world, Al-Azhar, is where Ali received his initial education. He had a conventional Islamic education at Al-Azhar and developed into a skilled scholar. At Oxford University in England, where he pursued his studies further, he was introduced to Western political and philosophical ideas, which subsequently shaped his opinions on the interplay between religion and state.
Egypt was ruled by the British at the start of the 20th century, and the fall of the Ottoman Empire in 1924 had left the Islamic world in disarray. Considered a symbol of Muslim unity, the centuries-old Turkish-led caliphate vanished overnight, creating a void in both politics and ideology. This led to a contentious discussion on how Muslims ought to set up their political lives in the contemporary day.
There was conflict in Egypt between conservatives who wished to uphold Islamic customs within the framework of the government and nationalists who desired freedom and reform from the colonial system. It was in this context that Ali Abdul Raziq made his opinions known, ones that went against the grain and provided fresh insight into the place of Islam in politics.
The contentious book "Al-Islam wa Usul al-Hukm" (Islam and the Foundations of Government) was written by Ali Abdul Raziq and published in 1925. Abdul Raziq made the case in this book that there is no set political structure that Muslims must adhere to. He contends that rather than establishing a specific state or governmental structure, the Prophet Muhammad disseminated religious doctrines that were primarily moral and spiritual in nature.
Furthermore, Ali Abdul Raziq underlined that the caliphate---which many Muslims regard as the cornerstone of the Islamic political system---is an artificial structure devoid of a strong foundation in religious writings. The work provoked intense discussions, received heavy condemnation from numerous traditional experts, and resulted in Al-Azhar endorsing Abdul Raziq.
