The Meaning of "Islam"

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Source: Al-Kauthar magazine, Issue no.11, Volume 1, September 2000. Issued by Imam Ali Foundation - London

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Introduction

"ISLAM" is derived from the Arabic root 'salama' (i.e. peace, purity, submission and obedience). In the
religious sense, Islam means "submission to the will of God andobedience to His law".

Everything in the world, except man and jinn is totally obedient to God and submissive to His laws (i.e. they are in the state of Islam).

إسلام

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ISLAM

Man possesses the quality of intelligence and choice, thus he is invited to submit to the good will of God and obey His law (i.e. become a Muslim).The religion of Islam is not named after a person as in the case of Christianity which was named after Jesus Christ (AS). Buddhism after Gotama Buddha, and Confucianism after Confucius. Nor was it named after a tribe like Judaism after the tribe of Judah and Hinduism after the Hindus.

Islam is the true religion of "Allah (God)" and as such, its name represents the central principle of Allah's religion: the total submission to the will of Allah (God).The name of God's religion was chosen by Allah (God)
Himself and clearly mentioned in His final revelation to man:

حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَيْتَةُ وَالْدَّمُ وَلَحْمُ الْخِنْزِيرِ وَمَا أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ اللّهِ بِهِ وَالْمُنْخَنِقَةُ وَالْمَوْقُوذَةُ وَالْمُتَرَدِّيَةُ وَالنَّطِيحَةُ وَمَا أَكَلَ السَّبُعُ إِلاَّ مَا ذَكَّيْتُمْ وَمَا ذُبِحَ عَلَى النُّصُبِ وَأَن تَسْتَقْسِمُواْ بِالأَزْلاَمِ ذَلِكُمْ فِسْقٌ الْيَوْمَ يَئِسَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِن دِينِكُمْ فَلاَ تَخْشَوْهُمْ وَاخْشَوْنِ الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الإِسْلاَمَ دِينًا فَمَنِ اضْطُرَّ فِي مَخْمَصَةٍ غَيْرَ مُتَجَانِفٍ لِّإِثْمٍ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

[Quran 5.3] ...This day have I perfected for you your religion and completed My favor on you and chosen for you Islam as a religion;...

Nowhere in the Bible will you find Allah (God) saying to Prophet Moses' people or their descendants that their religion is Judaism, nor to the followers of Christ that their religion is Christianity. Islam dates back to the age of Adam and its message has been conveyed to man by God's Prophets and Messengers including
Abraham. Moses, Jesus and Mohammed.

مَا كَانَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ يَهُودِيًّا وَلاَ نَصْرَانِيًّا وَلَكِن كَانَ حَنِيفًا مُّسْلِمًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ
إِنَّ أَوْلَى النَّاسِ بِإِبْرَاهِيمَ لَلَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُ وَهَـذَا النَّبِيُّ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ وَاللّهُ وَلِيُّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

[Quran 3.67] Abraham was not a Jew nor a Christian but he was (an) upright (man), a Muslim, and he was not one of the polytheists.

[3.68] Most surely the nearest of people to Abraham are those who followed him and this Prophet(Muhammed (SAW)) and those who believe and Allah (God) is the guardian of the believers.

Islam's message has been restored and enforced in the last stage of the religious evolution by God's last Prophet and Messenger Mohammed (SAW).

The Purpose of Life
 
A Muslim believes that the purpose of life is to worship Allah (God).Worshipping Allah (God) does not mean we spend our entire lives in constant seclusion and absolute meditation. To worship Allah (God) is to live life according to His commands, not to run away from it. To worship Allah (God) is to know Him, to love Him, to obey His commands, to enforce His laws in every aspect of life, to serve His cause by doing right and shunning evil and to be just to Him, to ourselves and to our fellow human beings.

Status of Human Beings

وَلَقَدْ كَرَّمْنَا بَنِي آدَمَ وَحَمَلْنَاهُمْ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ وَرَزَقْنَاهُم مِّنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَفَضَّلْنَاهُمْ عَلَى كَثِيرٍ مِّمَّنْ خَلَقْنَا تَفْضِيلاً

[Quran 17.70] And surely We have honored the children of Adam (Mankind), and We carry them in the land and the sea, and We have given them of the good things, and We have made them to excel by an appropriate excellence over most of those whom We have created.

A Muslim believes that human beings occupy a distinguished position in the hierarchy of all known creatures, because they alone are gifted with rational faculties and spiritual aspirations as well as powers of action.

A Muslim also believes that every person is born Muslim, but the environment around him affects his purity. Every person is born free from sin. When the person reaches the age of maturity and if he is sane, he becomes accountable for all his deeds and intentions. Man is free from sin until he commits sin. There is no inherited sin, and no original sin. 

Salvation
 
A Muslim believes that man must work out his salvation through the guidance of Allah (God). In order to obtain salvation, a person must combine faith and action, belief and practice. Faith without doing good deeds is as insufficient as doing good deeds without faith.Also, a Muslim believes that Allah (God) does not hold any person responsible until he has shown him the Right Way. If people do not know and have no way of knowing about Islam, they will not be responsible for failing to be Muslim.

God created Islam for you.