Relationship between Religion and Politics in Islam — Page 18
The Relationship Between Religion & Politics 18 society has become hypocritical. There is hypocrisy in politics and society everywhere. And hypocrisy does not permit honesty to flourish. It does not permit the word of God to take root. That is the main problem. Question— I feel that we cannot really apply a law that came for older times to the modern times. Please explain. Answer— I have studied this question in depth. I believe that religion can be permanent and universal provided its principles are deep-rooted in the human psyche. The human psyche is unchangeable. And that is exactly what the Holy Quran claims. It says it is deen-ul-fitrah, meaning a faith or a law based on human nature. And also laa tabdeela li khalqillah, mean- ing that the creation of God and whatever He has created in you, the dispensation, the dispositions, etc. and the basic propensity to do something or not to do so, all these remain the same. Consequently, any law which is rooted in human psy- che, must also be universal and permanent. But, the Holy Quran does not stop there. It does not monopolise this truth. It goes on to say that all the religions, at their nas- cent stages and at the stages of their development, were fundamentally the same and they all carried such basic truths as were related to human nature. This is referred to by the Holy Quran as deenul-qayyimah. It says there are three fundamental features in every religious teaching: