The Islamic Secular

The relationship between Islam and the state (or, more broadly, the place of religion in the modern, “secular” world) remains a vibrant topic in academic and public discourse. However, the central categories in this debate—notably, “religion/religious,” “Islam/Islamic,” and “the secular/secularism”—are often contested or insufficiently defined. Their usage is further shaped by scholars’ interpretations of their historical origins or by assumptions about how these domains of thought and practice ought to function in modern societies.