Relationship between Religion and Politics in Islam — Page 4
The Relationship Between Religion & Politics 4 ourselves better understood by others, and to try to understand others better. That is the purpose of free dialogue, and I am so glad that you have undertaken this noble task, because the world today does need it very much in every sphere of life. As far as the question on which I am desired to speak, I must apologise first of all, by pointing out that both these subjects are very vast, and perhaps in the limited time at our disposal, it will not be possible to do justice to even a single subject. So I propose that after I have finished on the first aspect, that is ‘Shariah and Politics—the Law of Shariah and Imposition of Shariah Law in any Country’, when I have finished speaking, if we find more time, then I would turn to the other subject; otherwise, we should like to leave it at that, because then it will give you opportunity to contribute your views, and to ask any questions if you so desire. Anyway, I will try to be brief, but also one has to be compre- hensive. The Shariah law is now a question which is very hotly debated among Muslim countries. Enactment of Shariah Law in Pakistan Recently, Pakistan has been the seat of this hot—sometimes violent—controversy about the Shariah. It is understood gener- ally that if the majority of a country is constituted of Muslims, then the Muslims have a right—rather, an obligation—to enact Shariah law. It is argued that if they believe in the Holy Quran and if they believe also that the Holy Quran is a comprehensive Book which relates to every area of human activity and directs man as to how he should conduct himself in every sphere of life, then it