Islam and the Secular State

What should be the place of ShariaIslamic religious lawin predominantly Muslim societies of the world? In this ambitious and topical book, a Muslim scholar and human rights activist envisions a positive and sustainable role for Sharia, based on a profound rethinking of the relationship between religion and the secular state in all societies. An-Naim argues that the coercive enforcement of Sharia by the state betrays the Qurans insistence on voluntary acceptance of Islam. Just as the state should be secure from the misuse of religious authority, Sharia should be freed from the control of the state. State policies or legislation must be based on civic reasons accessible to citizens of all religions. Showing that throughout the history of Islam, Islam and the state have normally been separate, An-Naim maintains that ideas of human rights and citizenship are more consistent with Islamic principles than with claims of a supposedly Islamic state to enforce Sharia. In fact, he suggests, the very idea of an Islamic state is based on European ideas of state and law, and not Sharia or the Islamic tradition. Bold, pragmatic, and deeply rooted in Islamic history and theology, Islam and the Secular State offers a workable future for the place of Sharia in Muslim societies.