Is Islam a religion and a state, and is a secularist or liberal who calls for the separation of religion and state and says that Islam should be restricted to rituals only considered an infidel and apostate? And does the verse "There shall be no compulsion in [acceptance of] the religion" mean that a Muslim has the right to apostatize from Islam and choose another religion?
Whoever believes that Islam is only suitable for receiving rulings on acts of worship, but not on transactions, or its rulings without crimes and hudud (punishments), has believed in part of the Book and disbelieved in part of it. This is clear disbelief and manifest apostasy. Islam is a religion and a state, encompassing all types of civil, penal, economic, commercial, and international rights. As for the issue of judging someone who identifies with liberalism or secularism as an unbeliever, one must differentiate between liberalism and liberals. Liberalism, in its true nature, contains principles of disbelief, such as the marginalization of Sharia and the removal of religion from the sphere of social influence. However, judging a liberal requires detailing their intent by it and the extent to which it contains principles of disbelief, then establishing proof, fulfilling the conditions for declaring someone an unbeliever, and ensuring the absence of any impediments to such a declaration.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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