Religionization of Politics versus Secularization of Politics: An Islamic Alternative

The relation between religion and politics is a question of extended background having received a variety of responses. The issue of the epistemological foundations of the issue and the logical possibility of the formation of Islamic politics is, however, a quite recent topic which has drawn the attention of a lot of contemporary analysts. Two main approaches can be distinguished in the field of the Islamic political discourse which believes in the integration of religion and politics. One is the rejection of secular arguments altogether towards deducing the possibility of Islamic Politics . The other goes beyond the criticism of secularism and talks of the necessity of establishing Islamic politics . This article deals with the second approach explaining the epistemological foundations of the Islamic politics and introducing the idea of how to make politics accord with religious law. Thus, understanding and practice of politics in a religious society is essentially impossible without reference to its initial foundations.

Keywords:

Islam , politics , secularism , Sharia (Islamic Law) , power , society , government