Islam's Response to Contemporary Issues — Page 237
Political Peace 237 As far as the Christians are concerned, this issue should have stood resolved once for all when Jesus as , gave his historic reply to the Pharisees: Then he said to them: Pay back, therefore, Caesar’s things to Caesar, but God’s things to God. 11 These few words are profoundly rich with wisdom; all that need be said has been. Religion and statecraft are two of the many wheels of the wagon of society. It is, in reality, irrelevant whether there are two, four and eight wheels as long as they keep their orientation correct and revolve within their orbits. There can be no question of mutual conflict or confrontation. In total agreement with its earlier Divine teachings, the Holy Quran elaborates this theme by clearly demarcating the sphere of activities of each component of society. It will be over-simplifying the matter if one conceives that there is no meeting point or common ground, which religion and the state share with each other. They do indeed overlap, but only in a spirit of cooperation with each other. There is no intent to monopolise. For instance, a large part of moral education in each religion becomes an integral part of legislation in every state of the world. In some states, it may constitute a small part; in others a relatively larger part of the law. The penalties prescribed may be mild or harsh but religious disapprovals against many crimes, which are penalised, are always traceable without reference to religion. Though they may be in disagreement with many secular laws, yet, as far as people belonging to