The General Meaning of Islam
Al-ʿAllāmah Ṣāliḥ al-Fawzān
A short passage explanation that is to shun shirk and uphold tawḥīd in the name of Islām.
The term Islam refers to that which stands in opposition to shirk (associationism), kufr (disbelief), and all false religions. Therefore, if one mentions the religion of Islam, they intend the religion which opposes other religions, which are all categorized as being false and futile.
Linguistically, Islam means to submit and comply.
Religiously, it is submitting to the commands and orders of Allāh by declaring His oneness [in Lordship, the right to be worshipped, and His perfect names and attributes], displaying compliance to Him by engaging in acts of His obedience, and completely ridding oneself from shirk (associating partners with Allāh) and the polytheists..
It is impossible for the Muslim to submit to anyone besides Allāh. For this reason, whoever submits to anything besides Him is termed a mushrik (polytheist), and whoever refuses to submit to Allāh is considered arrogant. Allāh—the Most High—states:
بَلَىٰ مَنْ أَسْلَمَ وَجْهَهُ لِلَّهِ وَهُوَ مُحْسِنٌ فَلَهُ أَجْرُهُ عِندَ رَبِّهِ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
“Yes, but whoever submits himself to Allāh while being a doer of good, then his reward is with his Lord. On such shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.”
(Al-Baqarah, 2:112)
Islam is attesting to Allāh’s oneness with sincerity, yielding to Him by carrying out acts of His obedience and to declaring oneself innocent from shirk and the mushrikīn (those who associate partners with Allāh in any form of worship), detesting such people for associating partners with Allāh and showing animosity towards them for His sake.[1]
In this way, the term Islam encompasses the religion of every single messenger, as all of them were upon the religion of Islam [in creed but granted differing legislations[2]]. They all submitted themselves to Allāh’s commands and orders declaring His tawḥīd, yielded to Him in obedience, directed all acts of worship to Him alone, and shunned shirk and showed enmity to its people. Therefore, they were all Muslims, who upheld the religion of Islam, despite the judicial differences in their respective laws and legislations. This is because Islam is to submit to Allāh by worshipping Him in accordance with He has specifically legislated in every time period. Even if the legislations differ—as per Allāh’s wisdom and the benefit of the servants—they are all from Allāh and among His legislations.
Endnotes
[1] Translator’s note: Allāh said:
لَّا يَنْهَاكُمُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يُقَاتِلُوكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ وَلَمْ يُخْرِجُوكُم مِّن دِيَارِكُمْ أَن تَبَرُّوهُمْ وَتُقْسِطُوا إِلَيْهِمْ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُقْسِطِينَ
“Allāh does not forbid you—with respect to those who do not fight you because of religion and who do not expel you from your homes—from being kind towards them and behaving justly with them. Indeed, Allāh loves those who act justly.”
(Al-Mumtaḥanah, 60:8)
Al-ʿAllāmah Ṣāliḥ al-Fawzān explained: “Its meaning is that those who refrain from harming the Muslims amongst the disbelievers, by neither fighting against the Muslims nor expelling them from their homes, should be treated kindly and justly in worldly dealings. However, the Muslims should not harbour love for them in their hearts… maintaining relations and returning kindness are entirely separate and distinct from love and endearment.” Al-Irshād Ilá Ṣaḥīḥ al-Iʿtiqād: 299.
[2] See al-Māʾidah 5:48.
Source: Durūs min al-Qurʾān al-Karīm wa-al-Sunnah al-Muṭahharah: 63.
Translated by: Omar ibn Bilal
