The relationship between religion and the state in Muslim countries has become a much debated and discussed issue among scholars of Islam and Muslim societies. A commonly stated view of many Western and Muslim scholars and Islamic activists is that Islam is not only a religion but also a blueprint for social order, and therefore encompasses all domains of life, including law and the state. It is then argued that this striking characteristic is what sets Muslim societies apart from Western counterparts that are based upon the separation of state and religion. This paper reports empirical evidence, which shows that institutional configurations form an important factor in mediating and articulating the nature of the relationship between religion, state and society in Muslim countries. The empirical evidence indicates that, in general, the trust in religious institutions and their public influence are greater in Muslim countries with differentiated institutional configurations than in those with undifferentiated ones. The paper offers some theoretical underpinnings for this and other findings.

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Riaz Hassan is Director of the International Centre for Muslim and non-Muslim Understanding.

© 2015. Keynote paper to be delivered at the 15th Annual International Conference on Islamic Studies on ‘Harmony in Diversity: Promoting Moderation and Preventing Conflicts in Socio-Religious Life’, to be held in Manado, Indonesia on 3-6 September 2015