Today’s Quranic Word of the Day is Muslim
As we have seen in the video, the word Muslim comes from the word Islam which means submission. A Muslim in the language of the Quran is the one who has submitted himself to the commands of Allah, ready to obey Him, and move away from associating partners with Him and separating himself from people who do.
Allah ﷻ has created human beings and jinn with free will to do as we please. A Muslim is someone who submits that freewill to his Creator, doing what He has commanded and leaving what He has prohibited. Allah reports about the jinn, saying;
وَأَنَّا مِنَّا الْمُسْلِمُونَ وَمِنَّا الْقَاسِطُونَ ۖ فَمَنْ أَسْلَمَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ تَحَرَّوْا رَشَدًا – 72:14
And among us are Muslims [in submission to Allah], and among us are the unjust. And whoever has become Muslim – those have sought out the right course.
All of the prophets of Allah called to the submission of Islam. Allah says about Prophet Ibraheem,
رَبَّنَا وَاجْعَلْنَا مُسْلِمَيْنِ لَكَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِنَا أُمَّةً مُّسْلِمَةً لَّكَ وَأَرِنَا مَنَاسِكَنَا وَتُبْ عَلَيْنَا ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ – 2:128
Our Lord, and make us Muslims [in submission] to You and from our descendants a Muslim nation [in submission] to You. And show us our rites and accept our repentance. Indeed, You are the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful.
We also have the example of Prophet Yaqoob. When he was on his deathbed. He inquired with his sons and the status of their religion of which all of them proclaimed their submission to Allah.1 Prophet Musa, may peace be upon him, questioned his people as to their submission to Allaah and called them to the reliance upon Him.2
From all of these evidences, we see that being a Muslim is not something new or strange. As the Prophet and the people before us, were Muslims. Even our father, Adam, may peace be upon him, was a Muslim. Then why should someone feel shy to express himself as a Muslim?
Who is a Muslim?
A Muslim is one who is chosen by Allah, and He Himself has named those who submitted themselves to Him as Muslims. Allah says,
وَجَاهِدُوا فِي اللَّهِ حَقَّ جِهَادِهِ ۚ هُوَ اجْتَبَاكُمْ وَمَا جَعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ مِنْ حَرَجٍ ۚ مِّلَّةَ أَبِيكُمْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ ۚ هُوَ سَمَّاكُمُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ مِن قَبْلُ وَفِي هَٰذَا لِيَكُونَ الرَّسُولُ شَهِيدًا عَلَيْكُمْ وَتَكُونُوا شُهَدَاءَ عَلَى النَّاسِ ۚ فَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِاللَّهِ هُوَ مَوْلَاكُمْ ۖ فَنِعْمَ الْمَوْلَىٰ وَنِعْمَ النَّصِيرُ – 22:78
And strive for Allah with the striving due to Him. He has chosen you and has not placed upon you in the religion any difficulty. [It is] the religion of your father, Abraham. Allah named you “Muslims” before [in former scriptures] and in this [revelation] that the Messenger may be a witness over you and you may be witnesses over the people. So establish prayer and give zakah and hold fast to Allah. He is your protector; and excellent is the protector, and excellent is the helper.
After testifying that there is no one worthy of worship except for Allah then He asks us to establish the prayer, give zakah (charity), and hold fast to Allah. The Prophet ﷺ was asked about Islam and he said in the Hadeeth of Jibreel below:
عَنْ اِبْنِ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا عَنِ الَّنبِىِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِىْ سُوَالِ جِبْرَائِىْيلَ اِيَّاهُ عَنِ الْاِسْلاَمِ فَقاَلَ: الإِسْلامُ أَنْ تَشْهَدَ أَنْ لا إِلَهَ إِلا اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ، وَأَنْ تُقِيمَ الصَّلاةَ ، وَتُؤْتِيَ الزَّكَاةَ ، وَتَحُجَّ البَىْتَ وَتَعْتَمِرَ , وَتَغْتَسِلَ مِنَ الْجَنَابَةِ وَاَنْ تُتِمَّ الْوُضُوءَ ، وَتَصُومَ رَمَضَانَ قَالَ : فَإِنْ فَعَلْتُ ذَالِكَ ، فَأَنَا مُسْلِمٌ ؟ قَالَ : نَعَمْ قَالَ : صَدَقْتَ .(رواه ابن خزيمة
Abdullah Ibn ‘Umar Radiyallahu ‘anhuma narrates that in reply to a question of Jibreel about Islam Rasullullah Sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam said: Islam is bearing witness that none is worthy of worship but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and that you establish Salat, and give Zakat, and perform Hajj to the House of Allah and perform Umrah, and take bath after Janabah and perform complete Wudu, and Saum in Ramadan. Jibreel then said: If I do all of that, then am I a Muslim? He replied: Yes. Jibreel then confirmed: You have spoken the truth. (Ibn Khuzaimah)
After all of this, being a Muslim also means doing all forms of goodness either by words or actions and leaving all forms of evil either by word or action. The Prophet ﷺ informed us that the true Muslim is the one who others are safe from his tongue and his hand. This means that others do not have to fear being spoken to or spoken about in a bad manner nor do they fear physical harm from him.3
So let’s keep our relationship with Allah by obeying Him and following His commandments and leaving all that He has prohibited all of the time. Because we don’t know when death will come to us. Allah commanded us to be Muslim all of our lives. As He said,
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ – 3:102
O you who have believed, fear Allah as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims [in submission to Him]
Let us follow this advice and ensure that we live our lives as good Muslims so that we return to Allah as Muslims. In shaa Allah
Conjugations found in the Quran:
مُسْلِم = one who submits (believer)
مُسْلِمُون = those who submit
Notes
- Surah 2:133
- Surah 10:84
- Sahih Muslim 41, Book 1 Hadeeth 69
3: 102, OH YOU WHO HAVE BELIEVED.. this is past tense, does this verse refers to present and future muslims, or only the past. other translators say, o you WHO believe.
what am i to believe.