2 Submission to Allah

Orientation to Submission

Islam begins with a simple but profound reality: every created thing is already under the power, knowledge, and control of Allah. Submission to Allah is the conscious, willing, and loving acceptance of this reality. It is to choose, with awareness and intention, what the rest of creation does by its very nature: to be under the command of its Lord.

The Qur’an repeatedly reminds us that nothing in the heavens and the earth escapes Allah’s dominion and management.

“To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. All are devoutly obedient to Him.”
Qur’an 30:26

In this verse, Allah describes all things as “devoutly obedient,” meaning that the universe as a whole cannot escape His will. Submission in Islam is not about forcing oneself into something strange or unnatural. It is about returning the human heart and human choices to the harmony that everything else already lives in.

Islam as a religion is then the name for choosing to live by this submission. It is the path that teaches how to submit with knowledge, sincerity, and balance.

The Reality Behind the Word “Submission”

The word “Islam” itself is built from roots that carry meanings of peace and safety that come through yielding and surrendering. When we speak of “submission to Allah” we are describing the core of Islam, not a side theme.

Allah reveals that He is pleased only with this path of willing surrender.

“Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam.”
Qur’an 3:19

“And whoever desires other than Islam as religion, never will it be accepted from him, and he will be in the Hereafter among the losers.”
Qur’an 3:85

These verses tell us that the acceptable way of life with Allah is not simply a set of rituals, labels, or cultural habits. It is a state of heart and a pattern of conduct that accepts Allah’s right to be worshiped, obeyed, and loved above all.

Submission is not humiliation in front of creation. It is honor in front of the Creator. The Qur’an shows that this submission does not weaken the believer. It frees the believer from the worship of anything else.

“Have you seen the one who takes as his god his own desire? Then would you be responsible for him?”
Qur’an 25:43

Every person will submit either to Allah or to something else, such as desires, people, wealth, or status. The one who chooses Islam chooses to submit only to Allah and refuses to be a slave to created things.

Submission as the Essence of Worship

In Islam, worship is not only praying, fasting, or giving charity. Worship is every act, word, and feeling that is directed to Allah with love, hope, and fear. The center of worship is the heart’s surrender. The actions that follow are its fruits.

Allah states clearly that the purpose of our existence is to worship Him.

“And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.”
Qur’an 51:56

This worship can only be real if it is built on submission. A person may physically bow in prayer, but if the heart refuses Allah’s command, then the act is missing its true spirit. The Prophet ﷺ summed up why he was sent in terms of calling people to worship Allah alone.

The Prophet ﷺ said: “I have been commanded to fight the people until they testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establish the prayer, and pay the zakah. If they do that, their blood and wealth are protected from me except by right of Islam, and their reckoning is with Allah.”
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī

The testimony that there is no god but Allah is the verbal declaration of submission. It is the promise that a person will direct worship, obedience, and loyalty exclusively to Allah. All other pillars of Islam flow from this inner surrender.

Submission of the Heart, Tongue, and Limbs

Submission to Allah is an inner state that must appear in outward life. The Qur’an criticizes those who claim belief only with their tongues but whose hearts are not truly submitted.

“The bedouins say, ‘We have believed.’ Say, ‘You have not believed; but say [instead], ‘We have submitted,’ for faith has not yet entered your hearts.”
Qur’an 49:14

This verse shows that a person may outwardly enter the social body of Islam by apparent submission, while true faith is deeper and enters the heart gradually. Submission therefore has levels.

At the most basic level, there is:

1. Submission of the tongue, by saying what Allah loves, especially the shahadah that will be discussed in detail later.
2. Submission of the limbs, by obeying Allah in actions, such as prayer and charity.
3. Submission of the heart, by accepting Allah’s guidance without resistance, trusting His wisdom, and preferring His judgment over one’s own desires.

The highest aim is for all three to be in agreement. When the heart loves what Allah commands, the tongue declares it, and the body acts upon it, then the human being is truly in a state of Islam.

Submission and Human Freedom

Many people hear “submission” and imagine loss of freedom. In Islam, the picture is different. The Qur’an teaches that the real chain is sin, and the real prison is the worship of desires and false gods.

“Have you seen the one who takes his own desire as his god, and Allah lets him go astray despite knowledge, and seals his hearing and his heart and places over his vision a veil?”
Qur’an 45:23

When a person follows every desire, they become controlled by those very desires. Submission to Allah, by contrast, limits some choices but opens true dignity and inner freedom. The Prophet ﷺ described himself and the believers using the word “servant” of Allah as an honor, not as a shame.

“Glory be to Him who took His servant by night from al-Masjid al-Haram to al-Masjid al-Aqsa...”
Qur’an 17:1

The one that Allah calls His servant in this verse is Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Being Allah’s servant is praised, because it means belonging to the One who is perfect and absolute, not belonging to anything low or temporary.

Submission as Love, Fear, and Hope

Submission in Islam is not cold or mechanical. It is filled with emotion and relationship. The Qur’an calls the believers “those who love Allah more intensely.”

“But those who believe are stronger in love for Allah.”
Qur’an 2:165

The believer submits out of recognition of Allah’s mercy and kindness. Love then brings readiness to obey. Along with love there is fear of displeasing Allah and hope in His mercy.

“Inform My servants that I am indeed the Forgiving, the Merciful, and that My punishment is the painful punishment.”
Qur’an 15:49–50

Submission that is balanced will avoid the extremes of relying only on hope and ignoring Allah’s commands, or focusing only on fear and forgetting His mercy. It is a surrender that rests on knowing who Allah is, a topic that will be developed separately when discussing the names and attributes of Allah.

Submission and Following the Prophet ﷺ

Allah has not left people to guess how to submit. He sent prophets so that submission could be seen in human form. For this community, the complete example is the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

“Say, [O Muhammad], ‘If you love Allah, then follow me, Allah will love you and forgive your sins. And Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.’”
Qur’an 3:31

In this verse, Allah linked love for Him to following the Prophet ﷺ. This following is itself a practical shape of submission. A believer does not invent their own religion. They accept that Allah knows best how He wants to be worshiped and that He revealed this through His Messenger.

The Prophet ﷺ also connected entering Paradise with general obedience to Allah and His Messenger.

The Prophet ﷺ said: “All my nation will enter Paradise except those who refuse.” They said, “O Messenger of Allah, who would refuse?” He said, “Whoever obeys me will enter Paradise, and whoever disobeys me has refused.”
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī

Here, refusal is described as disobedience. Submission is obedience. To obey the Messenger is to obey Allah, because the Messenger only conveys Allah’s command.

The Universality of Submission

Submission to Allah is not something new or unique to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. The Qur’an teaches that all previous prophets called their people to the same principle of surrender to Allah alone. Although the laws of each prophet could differ in details, the core of submission was the same.

“And We did not send before you any messenger except that We revealed to him that, ‘There is no deity except Me, so worship Me.’”
Qur’an 21:25

Submission is therefore the shared religion of all messengers in its essence. It unites the stories of Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad, peace be upon them all, under one message of turning fully to Allah.

The Qur’an even describes the followers of earlier prophets who truly obeyed them as “Muslims” in the sense of people who submitted to Allah.

“When his Lord said to him, ‘Submit,’ he said, ‘I have submitted to the Lord of the worlds.’ And Abraham instructed his sons [to do the same] and [so did] Jacob, ‘O my sons, indeed Allah has chosen for you this religion, so do not die except while you are Muslims.’”
Qur’an 2:131–132

Here Abraham and Jacob, peace be upon them, speak of submission as the chosen way of life. The details of their laws were different, but the surrender of the heart to the one Lord was the same.

Submission and Identity

When a person accepts Islam, they are not simply joining a group. They are choosing a new center for their life. Submission to Allah becomes the measure by which choices are made, priorities are set, and loyalties are formed.

The Qur’an speaks of this identity as a favor from Allah.

“But Allah has made faith beloved to you and has beautified it in your hearts and has made hateful to you disbelief, defiance, and disobedience. Those are the rightly guided.”
Qur’an 49:7

This transformation is part of submission. Allah places love for faith in the heart and makes disobedience heavy and disliked. The believer then carries the name “Muslim,” which literally means, “one who submits.” It is not just a label, but a description of how the person stands before Allah.

The Prophet ﷺ also expressed that the most honored people in this life and the next are those closest to Allah in submission and piety, not those with special race, tribe, or wealth.

The Prophet ﷺ said: “Allah does not look at your bodies nor your forms, but He looks at your hearts and your deeds.”
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim

The heart that is submitted to Allah, and the actions that follow from that heart, are what truly matter. This is the core meaning of being a Muslim.

Submission as a Lifelong Journey

Submission to Allah is not a one-time moment. It begins with the testimony of faith, but it continues as a journey of deepening trust, obedience, and love. The Qur’an shows that even the most pious believers constantly ask Allah to keep them firm.

“Our Lord, do not let our hearts deviate after You have guided us, and grant us mercy from Yourself. Indeed, You are the Bestower.”
Qur’an 3:8

This prayer reveals that hearts can shift. Submission grows when a person learns more about Allah, remembers Him often, repents from mistakes, and renews intention. It weakens when a person follows sin, neglects worship, and forgets the Hereafter.

The Prophet ﷺ used to teach the companions to ask Allah for steadfastness.

The Prophet ﷺ used to say often: “O Turner of the hearts, keep my heart firm upon Your religion.”
Sunan at-Tirmidhī

This shows that even the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, the best of creation, would call on Allah to preserve his state of submission. For the believer, this becomes a model. Submission is not self-claimed perfection. It is constant effort with reliance upon Allah.

The Inner Peace of Submission

Many people search for meaning, stability, and calm. In Islam, this deep tranquility is a fruit of sincere submission. The Qur’an ties peace of heart directly to remembrance of Allah, which is a central expression of surrender.

“Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts find rest.”
Qur’an 13:28

When a person accepts that Allah is in control, that His wisdom surrounds all things, and that their duty is to obey and trust Him, they are freed from many forms of anxiety. This does not mean they feel no sadness or pain, but it means they have an anchor.

The Prophet ﷺ described a remarkable state of the believer whose submission is complete.

The Prophet ﷺ said: “How amazing is the affair of the believer, for all of his affair is good. This is not for anyone except the believer. If something good happens to him, he is grateful, and that is good for him. If something bad befalls him, he is patient, and that is good for him.”
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim

Gratitude in ease and patience in hardship are both forms of surrender to Allah’s decision. When a person lives this way, all circumstances become a path to Allah, and inner peace becomes possible even in outward difficulty.

The Ultimate Outcome of Submission

The final result of submission to Allah is not limited to this worldly life. The Qur’an repeatedly joins faith and righteous deeds with the promise of Paradise and Allah’s pleasure.

“Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds, and have humbled themselves to their Lord, those are the companions of Paradise; they will abide therein eternally.”
Qur’an 11:23

Humbling oneself to Allah is the same as submitting to Him. The believers who live like this are described as inhabitants of Paradise. On the Day of Judgment, the honor of their submission will be fully revealed, when Allah calls them in peace.

“O reassured soul, return to your Lord, well-pleased and pleasing [to Him]. So enter among My servants, and enter My Paradise.”
Qur’an 89:27–30

This address is the completion of the entire path of Islam. The soul that is “reassured” is the one that has lived in conscious surrender, trusting and loving its Lord. Submission that began with the tongue and heart in this world will then be rewarded with nearness to Allah and eternal safety.