Muhammad Hassan Qadrdan Qaramaleki
Foreword:
In line with the idea of reviewing some of the newly emerging issues from the viewpoint of the Holy Quran, the Department of Quranic Research of the Institute for Islamic Culture and Thought (IICT) intends to present a series of thematic interpretations of the Quran in a new style.
As one of the most important areas of the Quranic research is the relationship of Quran with the newly emerging issues, and there is a need to carry out a serious research into these questions, the Department of Quranic Research aims at reviewing and assessing these issues, including the Quran and Secularism with a Quran-oriented viewpoint.
The term “secularism” has different readings (or interpretations) upon which to locate a specific relationship with Holy Quranic verses and certain doubts emerge on the interference of religion in secular life, politics and government.
Secularism and its foundations have been given attention by many western and Muslim intellectuals, but so far no basic research has been conducted on the relationship of secularism with the Quran. Thus, efforts were made by the Department of Quranic Research to conduct a serious research on this topic. In line with this idea, the respectable scholar, Hojat al-Islam Mohammad Hassan Ghadrdanmaleki, one of the specialists in Quranic research was invited to cooperate.
The present research will elaborate the precise relation between the Quran and secular life, politics, government, and will argue that the Quran is incompatible with secularism.
The preliminary stage of this research was started in 2003 and ended in 2004. The work was evaluated by Mr. Mohammad Ali Asadi Nasab and Dr. Gholamreza Behrooz Lak. Moreover, it was carefully considered and finally approved by the respected Scientific Committee comprised of Mohamad Hadi Marefat, Ali Akbar Rashad, Mahmood Abdollahi, Mahmood Rajabi, Seyed Mohammad Gharavi, Abdolhossein Khosropanah, Mohammad Faker, Ali Nasiri and Mohammad Ali Rezaie Esfahani . We would hereby like to express our sincere thanks to all the distinguished scholars and respectable authors mentioned, as well.
Since the theme “The Quran and Secularism” is a new topic and demands further research, all researchers are invited to provide us with any constructive, corrective and supplementary views to complete the work.
May Almighty God accept this Quranic work and forgive any wrongdoing.
