Table of Contents
Understanding Submission and Obedience
Islam, in its religious sense, is not only a belief in the heart. It is a conscious submission to Allah and an active obedience to His commands. This submission is rooted in love, reverence, and trust, not in compulsion or blind following. To understand Islam as submission and obedience, we must see how the Qur’an and the Sunnah describe the relationship between the human being and the Creator.
“Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam.”
(Qur’an 3:19)
Here, “Islam” carries its core meaning of yielding oneself to Allah in belief, word, and action.
The Meaning of Submission to Allah
Submission in Islam begins in the heart. A person acknowledges that Allah alone is the true Lord and Master, that He created, sustains, and owns everything, and that His knowledge and wisdom are perfect. From this recognition, the heart bows to Him, accepts His judgment, and prefers His command over personal desires.
Allah describes the true believer as one who has no resistance in the heart when Allah and His Messenger decide a matter.
“But no, by your Lord, they will not [truly] believe until they make you, [O Muhammad], judge concerning that over which they dispute among themselves, and then find within themselves no discomfort from what you have decided and submit in [full, willing] submission.”
(Qur’an 4:65)
Submission is therefore not just outward action. It is an inner willingness and contentment with Allah’s rulings. A person may be weak and fall into sin, but as long as the heart recognizes Allah’s right to command and truly wants to obey Him, this inner submission remains the core of faith.
The Qur’an emphasizes that true righteousness is not an outward form alone, but conformity to Allah’s commands with sincere intention.
“Righteousness is not that you turn your faces toward the east or the west, but [true] righteousness is in one who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the Angels, the Book, and the Prophets, and gives wealth, in spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveler, those who ask [for help], and for freeing slaves, and [who] establishes prayer and gives zakah, [those who] fulfill their covenant when they promise, and [those who] are patient in poverty and hardship and during battle. Those are the ones who have been true, and it is those who are the righteous.”
(Qur’an 2:177)
Submission is therefore a turning of the heart and life toward Allah, aligning belief, intention, and action with what He has revealed.
Obedience as a Natural Result of Faith
When the heart submits, obedience naturally follows. Obedience in Islam means to carry out what Allah has commanded and to avoid what He has forbidden, as much as one is able, while seeking His help and forgiveness for shortcomings.
Allah frequently links obedience to Himself with obedience to His Messenger.
“O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. And if you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is the best [way] and best in result.”
(Qur’an 4:59)
“Whoever obeys the Messenger has indeed obeyed Allah.”
(Qur’an 4:80)
Obedience is not a separate thing from faith. It is its living expression. When a person truly believes that Allah is the Most Wise and the Most Merciful, then submitting to His command is seen as a path to good, not as a burden.
The Prophet ﷺ connected entering Paradise with obedience to Allah and His Messenger.
The Prophet ﷺ 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.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al‑Bukhārī)
This shows that obedience is the practical meaning of accepting the message of Islam.
Willingness and Love in Obedience
Islamic obedience is not meant to be a lifeless, mechanical following of rules. It is rooted in love of Allah and love of His Messenger. The more one knows Allah, the more one desires to obey Him, because one understands that His commands are for our benefit and His prohibitions protect us from harm.
Allah describes believers as people who love Him intensely.
“But those who believe are stronger in love for Allah.”
(Qur’an 2:165)
In a famous ḥadīth, love is made a condition for complete faith.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “None of you truly believes until I am more beloved to him than his father, his child, and all people.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al‑Bukhārī, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)
This love is shown by obedience. A person may claim to love Allah, but the proof of that love is following His guidance.
“Say, [O Muhammad], ‘If you love Allah, then follow me, Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.’”
(Qur’an 3:31)
Obedience, then, is not a cold legal obligation. It is an act of love and gratitude from the servant to his Lord, done with the hope of Allah’s pleasure and the fear of His displeasure.
Submission in All Areas of Life
Islam as submission and obedience is not limited to rituals such as prayer and fasting. It covers the entire life of a Muslim. A person submits to Allah in worship, in personal character, in family relations, in financial dealings, and in social behavior. This comprehensive nature of submission is part of what distinguishes Islam.
Allah describes the call to enter into submission completely.
“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)
“Completely” here means in all parts of life. A person does not separate religion from daily living. The way one earns money, treats relatives, speaks to others, and responds in times of hardship is all part of obedience to Allah.
Islam as submission and obedience means accepting Allah’s rulings in every area of life, without selecting only what suits one’s desires.
This does not mean a believer is perfect or never sins. Rather, it means that when a believer realizes a mistake, he or she returns to Allah in repentance and tries again to conform to His command.
“But no, by your Lord, they will not [truly] believe until they make you, [O Muhammad], judge concerning that over which they dispute among themselves, and then find within themselves no discomfort from what you have decided and submit in [full, willing] submission.”
(Qur’an 4:65)
This verse shows that complete faith involves two things. First, referring matters to the guidance of Allah and His Messenger. Second, accepting that guidance inwardly without resentment or rebellion.
Between Obedience and Human Weakness
Submission and obedience in Islam recognize human limitations. People are weak, forgetful, and prone to error. Allah does not demand sinless perfection, but sincere striving and constant turning back to Him.
“Allah does not charge a soul except with that within its capacity.”
(Qur’an 2:286)
“So fear Allah as much as you are able and listen and obey and spend [in the way of Allah]; it is better for your souls.”
(Qur’an 64:16)
The command “as much as you are able” shows that obedience is based on effort within one’s capacity. When a person cannot perform something exactly as prescribed, they do what they can and seek Allah’s mercy.
The Prophet ﷺ said that all people err, but the best are those who return in repentance.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “All the children of Adam are sinners, and the best of sinners are those who repent often.”
(Sunan at‑Tirmidhī)
In this light, submission and obedience are not cancelled by a believer’s sins, as long as the believer does not reject Allah’s command and continues to seek His forgiveness and to improve.
Submission of the Heart Before the Limbs
Islam looks first at the submission of the heart. Outward acts of obedience are extremely important, but their true value depends on the intention and inner state. A person may perform acts of worship while the heart is heedless or showing off to others. In such a case, the outward obedience is lacking its true spirit of submission.
Allah clarifies this point in the verse about sacrifice.
“Their meat will not reach Allah, nor will their blood, but what reaches Him is piety from you.”
(Qur’an 22:37)
Similarly, the Prophet ﷺ described how Allah looks at the inner state.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Indeed, Allah does not look at your forms or your bodies, but He looks at your hearts and your deeds.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)
True Islam, as submission and obedience, begins with the heart affirming Allah’s right to be obeyed, loving His commands, and intending sincerely to follow them. The limbs then act according to this inner reality, and together they form the complete meaning of Islam.
Submission as Freedom from Servitude to Others
Another important aspect of Islam as submission and obedience is that by submitting to Allah alone, a person is freed from being a slave to anything else. When someone does not submit to Allah, they often end up controlled by worldly desires, social pressure, or other human beings.
In the Qur’an, Allah calls people to turn away from the “ṭāghūt” which includes anything worshiped or obeyed in opposition to Allah.
“And We certainly sent into every nation a messenger, [saying], ‘Worship Allah and avoid ṭāghūt.’”
(Qur’an 16:36)
Obeying Allah alone means that the believer does not accept as absolute any law, custom, or demand that clearly contradicts Allah’s command. This does not prevent a Muslim from obeying lawful authorities or social rules. Rather, it means that the highest loyalty belongs to Allah, and everything else is secondary and limited by His law.
True submission to Allah means that no obedience is given to any created being if it results in disobedience to the Creator.
The Prophet ﷺ said this clearly.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “There is no obedience to a creation in disobedience to the Creator.”
(Musnad Aḥmad)
By recognizing Allah alone as the ultimate authority, the believer’s heart is freed from fear of people and from enslavement to desires. This is a deeper form of freedom that comes through submission.
The Reward of Submission and Obedience
The Qur’an repeatedly connects submission and obedience with Allah’s pleasure and with success in this life and the next. Those who obey Allah and His Messenger receive mercy, guidance, and forgiveness.
“And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger and fears Allah and is conscious of Him, it is those who are the successful.”
(Qur’an 24:52)
“And whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger, those will be with the ones upon whom Allah has bestowed favor of the prophets, the steadfast affirmers of truth, the martyrs, and the righteous. And excellent are those as companions.”
(Qur’an 4:69)
On the other hand, the consequence of persistent, proud refusal to submit is loss and regret.
“And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger has certainly strayed into clear error.”
(Qur’an 33:36)
Allah does not benefit from our obedience, nor is He harmed by our disobedience. The benefit and harm return to us.
The Prophet ﷺ said, relating from his Lord in a ḥadīth qudsī: “O My servants, you will never be able to harm Me so as to harm Me, and you will never be able to benefit Me so as to benefit Me. O My servants, if the first of you and the last of you, the humans of you and the jinn of you, were all as pious as the most pious heart of anyone among you, that would not increase My kingdom at all. O My servants, if the first of you and the last of you, the humans of you and the jinn of you, were all as wicked as the most wicked heart of anyone among you, that would not decrease My kingdom at all…”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)
This shows that submission and obedience are a mercy for us. They bring order, peace, and purpose to life, and lead to eternal reward.
Summary: Islam as a Life of Surrender
To see Islam as submission and obedience is to recognize that Islam is not only a label or a cultural identity. It is a living relationship with Allah, where the servant acknowledges His Lordship, accepts His guidance, and strives to conform to His commands in belief, worship, and behavior.
This submission is built on knowledge of Allah, love for Him, fear of His displeasure, and hope in His mercy. It encompasses the heart, the tongue, and the limbs. It frees a person from servitude to anything other than Allah, while recognizing human weakness and the constant need for repentance.
“And who is better in religion than one who submits himself to Allah while being a doer of good and follows the religion of Abraham, inclining toward truth? And Allah took Abraham as an intimate friend.”
(Qur’an 4:125)
A Muslim, by definition, is one who submits to Allah in this way. The details of that submission in belief, in action, and in the path of all prophets will be explored in the following chapters, but the heart of Islam remains this simple and profound reality: to surrender to Allah and to obey Him, seeking His pleasure alone.