2.1 The Meaning of Islam

Islam is the name of the way of life that Allah has chosen for humanity. It is not a human invention or a cultural label, but a path of submission, peace, and obedience to the Creator. In this chapter, we will look at what the word "Islam" means, how it is used in the Qur’an and Sunnah, and what is unique about it as the religion that Allah is pleased with for His servants.

Islam in the Qur’an

Allah Himself names this religion "Islam" and explains that it is His chosen way for all people until the end of time.

"Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam."
(Qur’an 3:19)

"This day I have perfected for you your religion, completed My favor upon you, and have approved for you Islam as religion."
(Qur’an 5:3)

These verses show two important points. First, the only religion that is valid with Allah is Islam. Second, Islam is complete and perfected by Allah and does not need to be changed or updated by humans.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

"By the One in Whose Hand is the soul of Muhammad, whoever from this nation, or from the Jews and the Christians, hears about me, then dies without believing in what I have been sent with, he will be one of the people of the Fire."
(Muslim)

This shows that after the coming of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, Islam is the universal and final form of surrender to Allah.

The Core Meaning: Surrender, Obedience, and Peace

Linguistically, the word "Islam" is connected to the root letters s-l-m in Arabic, which carry meanings such as submission, surrender, safety, and peace. From this, we understand that Islam is the act of surrendering oneself to Allah with obedience, and through this surrender a person attains true peace and safety.

Allah describes Islam in terms of surrender to Him:

"And whoever submits his face to Allah while he is a doer of good, then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold."
(Qur’an 31:22)

Submitting one’s "face" here means turning oneself completely to Allah with intention, love, and obedience. The person who does this, while doing good deeds, has held firmly to what will never break.

True Islam is not merely an identity or a label. It is a living relationship with Allah that is built on three things that appear throughout revelation: surrender, obedience, and peace.

First, there is surrender to Allah. This means giving up resistance to His commands and accepting that He alone has the right to decide what is right and wrong.

Second, there is obedience to Allah. This means practically following His commands and avoiding His prohibitions, in belief, speech, and action.

Third, there is peace, both inward and outward. A person who truly submits to Allah finds inner peace because he aligns his life with the purpose for which he was created. Outwardly, Islam teaches peace with other people through justice, mercy, and good character. Allah describes the believers in a way that points to this inner and outer peace:

"Those who have believed and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah. Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts find rest."
(Qur’an 13:28)

Islam as Surrender of the Whole Life

Islam is not limited to certain rituals or spiritual moments. It is surrender of the whole life to Allah. Allah calls the believers to enter into Islam completely, not partially.

"O you who have believed, enter into Islam completely, and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy."
(Qur’an 2:208)

Entering Islam “completely” means that a person does not accept Allah’s commands in some matters and reject them in others. He does not separate between the "religious" part of life and the rest. Instead, belief, worship, family life, work, politics, manners, and all areas are influenced by the command of Allah and the example of His Messenger ﷺ.

The Prophet ﷺ described the meaning of submission in a simple and powerful way. When asked about Islam, he connected it directly to living in obedience to Allah through clear acts of worship:

"Islam is that you testify that there is no god worthy of worship but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, that you establish the prayer, give the zakah, fast Ramadan, and perform Hajj to the House if you are able to find a way to it."
(Muslim)

In this hadith, Islam is not presented as a mere idea but as a way of life that begins with correct belief and then shows itself in concrete worship.

Islam as the Religion Allah Accepts

Islam is unique because it is not a name created by its followers. It is the name that Allah chose for the path that leads to His pleasure. It is the only religion that He accepts from people, regardless of their ethnicity or background.

"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)

This verse shows that salvation is not about personal invention or cultural tradition. It is about following the way that Allah Himself has revealed. At the same time, Islam is not limited to one race or people. It is open to every human being.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

"There is no superiority of an Arab over a non-Arab, nor of a non-Arab over an Arab, nor of a white over a black, nor of a black over a white, except by taqwa (God-consciousness)."
(Ahmad)

This hadith reflects the universal nature of Islam. Its meaning is that the true value of a person in the sight of Allah is not based on lineage or color, but on how much he submits and is conscious of Allah.

Islam and the Internal State of the Heart

The meaning of Islam is not only outward obedience. It has a deep connection to the heart. True Islam begins when the heart surrenders to Allah with acceptance, love, humility, and trust. Outward deeds without this inner surrender are not the full reality of Islam.

Allah distinguishes between mere outward submission and real faith that has entered the heart:

"The Bedouins say, 'We have believed.' Say, 'You have not believed; but say, "We have submitted," for faith has not yet entered your hearts. But if you obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not deprive you of your deeds. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.'"
(Qur’an 49:14)

In this verse, "we have submitted" refers to outward Islam, while "faith has not yet entered your hearts" points to the deeper level of īmān that will be discussed more fully in its own section. For now it is enough to see that the word "Islam" covers a basic surrender that appears in action and acceptance of the laws of Allah, even while faith is still growing.

The Prophet ﷺ also indicated that the heart is central in the life of a Muslim:

"Indeed, in the body there is a piece of flesh. If it is sound, the whole body is sound, and if it is corrupt, the whole body is corrupt. Indeed, it is the heart."
(Bukhari, Muslim)

So the meaning of Islam includes an inner dimension, where the heart accepts Allah’s right to be worshipped alone and is willing to follow His guidance, and an outer dimension, where that inner surrender shows in behavior.

Islam as a Covenant and Identity

When a person enters Islam, he is not only accepting a set of beliefs. He is entering into a covenant with Allah and joining a community of believers that stretches across time and place. The Qur’an speaks about the believers as those who say "We hear and we obey":

"The only statement of the believers when they are called to Allah and His Messenger to judge between them is that they say, 'We hear and we obey.' And those are the successful."
(Qur’an 24:51)

This response, "we hear and we obey," is the essence of what it means to live as a Muslim. It is a declaration that Allah and His Messenger ﷺ have the ultimate right to decide, and that the believer’s role is to listen and follow.

The Prophet ﷺ summarized this spirit when he said:

"All of my Ummah 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."
(Bukhari)

So Islam as an identity is not just a birth label. It is the identity of one who chooses obedience over disobedience, and surrender over rebellion.

Islam and Inner Freedom

One of the deepest meanings of Islam is that by submitting to Allah alone, a person is freed from servitude to anything else. When a person does not submit to Allah, he ends up submitting to desires, other people, or worldly pressures. Islam calls a person to direct all surrender to the One who created him and knows him best.

Allah criticizes those who take their own desires as a kind of deity:

"Have you seen he who has taken as his god his own desire, and Allah has sent him astray upon knowledge..."
(Qur’an 45:23)

In contrast, the one who lives as a Muslim chooses Allah as his only Lord and authority. Through this, he gains inner strength and freedom from being controlled by the opinions and expectations of others.

A companion once said to the Persian leader, explaining the mission of Islam: Allah has sent us "to bring out whomever He wills from the worship of servants to the worship of the Lord of the servants, from the narrowness of this world to its vastness, and from the injustice of religions to the justice of Islam." The meaning here fits the Qur’anic description of Islam as a path from darkness to light.

"Allah is the ally of those who have believed. He brings them out from darknesses into the light."
(Qur’an 2:257)

Islam, then, is not meant to crush the human being but to lift him to his true honor, by connecting him directly to his Creator.

Islam and the Way of Peace with Allah and Creation

A person who truly lives the meaning of Islam seeks peace with Allah, with himself, and with the rest of creation as far as Allah has commanded. Islam calls us first to end our rebellion against Allah and to seek His forgiveness and pleasure. This is the foundation of true peace.

"And Allah calls to the Home of Peace and guides whom He wills to a straight path."
(Qur’an 10:25)

The Prophet ﷺ taught that a Muslim’s Islam should reflect in how he treats others:

"The Muslim is the one from whose tongue and hand other Muslims are safe, and the believer is the one whom people trust with their lives and wealth."
(Tirmidhi, Nasa’i)

This hadith shows how the meaning of Islam, as surrender to Allah, naturally leads to safety and security for others. When a person submits to Allah, he stops harming others unjustly, because he knows that Allah will call him to account.

The Essence of Islam in a Single Statement

The meaning of Islam is summarized perfectly in the testimony of faith, which every new Muslim pronounces on entering Islam and which every Muslim lives by throughout his life: "Lā ilāha illa Allah, Muhammadur Rasul Allah." This statement will be explained in its own place, but it is useful here to see how it reflects the meaning of Islam.

"So know that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and ask forgiveness for your sin..."
(Qur’an 47:19)

"Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah..."
(Qur’an 48:29)

In this testimony, a Muslim affirms that only Allah has the right to be worshipped, loved with ultimate love, feared above all, and obeyed without condition, and that Muhammad ﷺ is the messenger who brings Allah’s final guidance. To live by this testimony is to live Islam, in belief, worship, character, and law.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

"Whoever says, 'There is no god worthy of worship except Allah' and rejects whatever is worshipped besides Allah, then his wealth and blood become protected from being harmed except by right, and his account is with Allah."
(Muslim)

This hadith shows that entering Islam through this statement changes a person’s status, rights, and responsibilities. It is the doorway to a new way of life based on surrender to Allah.

A Religion of Mercy and Ease

Although Islam calls to complete surrender, it is not a religion of unbearable hardship. Part of its meaning is that Allah has placed in it mercy and ease, suitable for human nature. Allah says:

"Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship."
(Qur’an 2:185)

"Allah does not burden a soul except [with that within] its capacity."
(Qur’an 2:286)

The Prophet ﷺ also said:

"This religion is easy, and no one makes the religion hard upon himself except that it will overcome him."
(Bukhari)

So the meaning of Islam is not the crushing of human nature, but its guidance and purification. It is surrender to the One who knows our limits and has legislated what is within our capacity.

The Central Rule about the Meaning of Islam

The central point that a beginner should carry from this chapter can be summarized in one clear rule.

All the coming chapters, whether about faith, worship, character, or law, will only explain different parts of this one reality.