666 _______________________________________________________ DOI : https://doi.org/10.33258/birci.v2i4.683 The Relationship between Religion and State According to the Perspective of K.H. Zainal Arifin Abbas Rizki Pristiandi Harahap 1 , Syahrin Harahap 2 , Hasan Bakti Nasution 2 1 Ph.D Student in State Islamic University of North Sumatera, Medan, Indonesia 2 Lecturer in State Islamic University of North Sumatera, Medan, Indonesia rizkituasan@gmail.com Abstract: In-depth study of the relationship between religion and the State (Politics) until now is considered to be very relevant, because until now and even in the future this issue has the potential to continue to have heated debates and could become the root of conflict from various groups, both at the level world countries, large institutions as well as in small communities in every corner of the village. Because the issue of both relation is still considered to be turbulent with diverse human understandings, K.H. Zainal Arifin Abbas, known as an Islamic politician and charismatic Islamic thinker from North Sumatra, negated that ideally the relationship between Religion and State should be integrated in each country, because according to him this relationship is interlocked, in religious teachings (Islam) teaches a lot of the concept of ethics in the state or (politics), then in carrying out political activities very much needed ethics or ways of doing politics. Keywords: Politics; religion; state; K.H. Zainal Arifin Abbas. I. Introduction When viewed globally and universally the relationship between Religion and State until now has been judged as if it had not found a common ground (discourse). Because in some countries in the world there are still conflicts because of this relationship issue, even though these two relationships can be said to be blood relations. Of course human nature has diverse thoughts so that these two relationships are still seen in a variety of choices, some view the relationship of Religion and State as one (integral), some view as separately (secular), and there are also some view as not united and not separate (symbiotic). All of these view paradigms are certainly considered to have advantages and disadvantages for every community that adheres to it. Even in Indonesia itself as a country that has many religions, ethnicities, and cultures (Multiculturalism) considered not to have a uniform view of their choices in seeing these two relationships even though Islam as the majority religion is adopted. From the lower classes of Indonesia society in general and among Muslims in particular still continue to reap the pros and cons, it means that not all are able to accept integratedly, even more some community groups and some Muslims, some consider that the paradigm of their perspective in viewing the relationship between religion and State is separate (secular), by saying that religion is basically holy or clean from negative process issues while politics is considered dirty or can do any activity by doing various ways without regard to the process of how to achieve it, so that it can lead to controversial opinions among various groups of people, there is also another part of the community opinion that says that this relationship can trigger a source of disunity among fellow children, or vice versa there also those who assess this relationship are able to strengthen relations between one another in establishing harmony between people in the context of the nation and state. Indonesia is well known by all countries of the world about its diversity or multi- religion, ethnicity, and race, it means that the Indonesian people are not only inhabited by one religion but many religions, tribes and customs exist. Quantitatively, it is undeniable that