Islam came 3 root words:
a) Salaam – Peace, harmony, tranquility, calm
b) Aslama – Willing submission, willing obedience, total surrender
c) Salima – Authentic, pure
Aslama + Salima = Salaam
As a faith, Islam means total or sincere surrender to God Almighty through following the authentic source so that one can live in peace and tranquility forever.
God has given permission to human the free will to choose either to obey Him or to disobey Him
And had your Lord willed, those on earth would have believed, all of them together. So, will you (O Muhammad r) then compel mankind, until they become believers.(Yunus 10:99)
The name Islam is universal and not derived from any Human idea where Allah has given the name Islam to this religion.
The religion before Allah is Islam (Ali Imran 3:19)
Who is a muslim ?
Anyone / anything who obeys and surrenders his/her will to the One and Only True Almighty God is called a Muslim.
Example:
1. Our body organs who function always by following the command of Allah.
2. Planets are orbiting on its own orbit following the command of Allah.
3. Animals are following the way how Allah has prescribed for them to live.
Case study:
1. Are there Muslim who knows about the truth but they don’t submit to the will of Allah through performing what Allah ask them to do?
2. Are there Muslim who submit blindly?
3. Are there non-Muslim who willing to submit but submit to the wrong source?
4. Are there non-muslim who knows Islam is the truth but don’t submit?
5. What can we conclude from the above 4 situation? Answer is this life is a test for both Muslim and non-Muslim.
Do people think that they will be left alone because they say: “We believe,” and will not be tested. (Al Ankabuut 29:2)
Question: Will Allah just let us be tested without any help? Without any direction/ guidance?
1. Conscience
And by Nafs (Adam or a person or a soul, etc.), and Him Who perfected him in proportion; Then He showed him what is wrong for him and what is right for him;
Indeed he succeeds who purifies his ownself (i.e. obeys and performs all that Allah ordered, by following the true Faith of Islamic Monotheism and by doing righteous good deeds). And indeed he fails who corrupts his ownself (i.e. disobeys what Allah has ordered by rejecting the true Faith of Islamic Monotheism or by following polytheism, etc. or by doing every kind of evil wicked deeds). (Asy Syams 91:7-10)
Case Study:
– When we are young what do we feel when we do something good? How about something bad?
Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu’z Zinad from al-Araj from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Every child is born on the fitra and it is his parents who make him a jew or a christian. Just as a camel is born whole – do you perceive any defect?” They said, “Messenger of Allah, what happens to people who die when they are (very) young?” He said, “Allah knows best what they used to do.” (Malik :: Book 16 : Hadith 16.16.53 )
2. Prophets and Messengers
Mankind were one community and Allah sent Prophets with glad tidings and warnings, and with them He sent the Scripture in truth to judge between people in matters wherein they differed. (Al Baqarah 2:213)
And for every Ummah (a community or a nation), there is a Messenger; when their Messenger comes, the matter will be judged between them with justice, and they will not be wronged. (Yunus 10:47)
It was narrated from Abu Umaamah that a man said:
“O Messenger of Allaah, was Adam a Prophet?” He said, “Yes, and Allaah spoke to him.” The man asked, “How much (time) was there between him and Nooh?” He said, “Ten centuries.”
(Ibn Hibbaan in his Saheeh, 14/69; and by al-Haakim, 2/262.)
Say (O Muslims), “We believe in Allah and that which has been sent down to us and that which has been sent down to Ibrahim (Abraham), Ismail (Ishmael), Ishaque (Isaac), Yaqoob (Jacob), and to Al-Asbat (the twelve sons of Yaqoob (Jacob)), and that which has been given to Moosa (Moses) and Iesa (Jesus), and that which has been given to the Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we have submitted (in Islam).” (Al Baqarah 2: 136)
Islam started during the time of Adam (pbuh) and all prophets were the people who obey God, so they are all Islam in faith.
Question: who is qualify to give the name of religion? Where should the name of religion be mention?
The name of “Islam” is universal in meaning and it’s not derived from human ideas such as name of people, place or nation. Allah is the one who give the name to this religion.
This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion. (Al-Maidah 5:3)
Truly, the religion with Allah is Islam. (Ali Imran 3:19)
Islam is a religion which guides its followers in every aspect of their lives. It is a way of life and Allah will not accepts other way of life except Islam.
And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers. (Ali Imran 3:85)
How about a Muslim who does sin? Isn’t it sounds he/she disobey God, hence he can’t be called as a Muslim anymore?
Say: “O Ibadee (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah, verily Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Az Zumar 39:53)
Verily, Allah forgives not that partners should be set up with him in worship, but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He pleases, and whoever sets up partners with Allah in worship, he has indeed invented a tremendous sin. (An Nisa 4:48)
Verily! Allah forgives not (the sin of) setting up partners in worship with Him, but He forgives whom he pleases sins other than that, and whoever sets up partners in worship with Allah, has indeed strayed far away. (An Nisa 4:116)
Case Study:
But are we sure that the true message about the One and Only True Almighty God reach all human being since Adam until hereafter?
If there are people that never heard clearly about Islam, where will they go in hereafter?
Who is a kafir ?
Literally, word kafir comes from word kafara in Arabic that means To Cover
Hence, the meaning of kafir is the one who Reject Faith after they got a clear and true message about Islam
Whoever goes right, then he goes right only for the benefit of his ownself. And whoever goes astray, then he goes astray to his own loss. No one laden with burdens can bear anothers burden. And We never punish until We have sent a Messenger (to give warning). (Al Israa 17:15)
Verily, those who disbelieve, it is the same to them whether you (O Muhammad Peace be upon him ) warn them or do not warn them, they will not believe. (Al Baqarah 2:6)
Verily, those who conceal the clear proofs, evidences and the guidance, which We have sent down, after We have made it clear for the people in the Book, they are the ones cursed by Allah and cursed by the cursers. (Al Baqarah 2:159)
So, can we simply claim that all non Muslim are kafir?
For those for whom the message of Islam did not reach, or it may have reached them but was distorted, or they did not hear about Prophet Muhammad, may Allah praise him. They will be tested on the Day of Judgment. Those who obey will be saved, those who disobey will be doomed.
In conclusion, Islam is a universal religion. Its inclusiveness extends to the true followers of all prophets, including Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad. Yet, it is exclusive of those who distorted the pure teachings of the prophets, and who still choose to follow falsehood even after truth reaches them.
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