What Is Islām?

Fєх | May 31, 2019

What would be considered as a comprehensive yet concise definition of Islām?

A question I used to ask myself and I even tried to inquire about it a little. ‘If you were to summarize the whole Islām in one word, what would you say?’, I asked. ‘Submission’, she told me. I wasn't content with that as an answer. Not because I wanted to redefine what has already been defined, but rather because it seemed quite literalistic to me. Yet, I won't argue that it's a complete answer. What was I discontent with then?

I didn't feel content about this answer because it fails to take account of one important point!

Islām 

Allāh, the All-Mighty, the All-Sublime, says:

“And We did not send any Messenger before you (O Muhammad) but We inspired him (saying): La ilāha illā Ana [there is none worthy of ibādah but I (Allāh)], so do ibādah for Me (Alone).” (Qur'ān, 51:56)

‘Ibādah for Allāh’ means we should recognize Him Alone as the eternally Besought of all and recognize ourselves as dependent servants and do as He wants us to.

That is the message delivered by all Messengers of Allāh, the message of Islām. It contains both recognition and submission.

It was this important point that was left out of the answer I received. The fact that when we discuss Islām, it's not just about istislām, i.e. submission, but rather ma'rifah (recognition) together with istislām (submission). But, why did I say that it's a complete answer?

Islām and Imān

As mentioned by Muslim scholars, when the terms ‘islām’ and ‘imān’ are mentioned in separate contexts they mean one thing and can be used interchangeably, however, when they are mentioned in one context they mean different things. Hence, when these two terms come together, islām means submission (by the tongue and the limbs) and imān means recognition and conviction (by the heart), yet when they part, Islām and Imān both mean recognition (by the heart) as well as submission (by the tongue and the limbs), that is, they include both inward and outward aspects of ibādah.

When asked about Islām and Imān in one meeting, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ defined islām as:

That you testify that there is no god but Allāh and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allāh, and you establish salāt (prayer), pay zakāt (alms-giving), observe the fast of Ramadān, and perform hajj (pilgrimage) to the (House) if you are solvent enough (to bear the expense of) the journey. (1)

And he defined imān as:

That you believe in Allāh, in His angels, in His Books, in His Apostles, in the Day of Judgment, and you believe in the Divine Decree about good and evil. (2)

Note: Since the last five articles of imān, as a manifestation of Allāh's Attributes, are necessitated by believing in Allāh, the All-Mighty, the All-Sublime, there emerges no discrepancy when I define imān merely as the ma'rifah (recognition) of Allāh as the eternally Besought of all and ourselves as dependent servants.

Yet, when asked about Islām alone and its best part, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:

(The best part of Islām) is imān, that you believe in Allāh, in His angels, in His Books, in His Apostles, and in Resurrection after death. (3)

Islām as Imān

We have established that once islām is mentioned in isolation from imān (or vice versa), they both mean recognition (by the heart) as well as submission (by the tongue and the limbs), however, when islām is mentioned along with imān, islām means submission (by the tongue and the limbs) and imān means recognition (by the heart). Yet, even in this context, islām (i.e. submission) is ultimately prescribed to reaffirm imān (i.e. recognition). As defined by the Prophet ﷺ, islām is:

That you testify that there is no god but Allāh and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allāh, and you establish salāt (prayer), pay zakāt (alms-giving), observe the fast of Ramadān, and perform hajj (pilgrimage) to the (House) if you are solvent enough (to bear the expense of) the journey.

First, one testifies that he/she recognizes Allāh as the eternally Besought of all, for Whom alone ibādah should be done, and that he/she recognizes Muhammad ﷺ as the Messenger of Allāh, in whose teachings alone can one find how to do ibādah for Allāh.

As a confirmation of the testimony, he/she, then, starts performing the basic acts of ibādah, like salāt, zakāt, fasting, and hajj.

Just as the testimony, which accompanies the person throughout his/her life, is a constant reaffirmation of one's recognition of Allāh as the eternally Besought of all and him/herself as a dependent servant, all other pillars of islām are also aimed at reminding the person of Allāh as the eternally Besought of all and ourselves as dependent servants.

About salāt we read in Qur'ān:

Verily! I am Allah! La ilāha illā Ana [there is none worthy of ibādah but I (Allāh)], so do ibādah for Me (Alone), and perform salāt for My Remembrance. (Qur'ān, 20:14)

Salāt being the most oft-repeated act of ibādah is prescribed to make us remember. Remember Allāh. Remember who He is and who we are. To reaffirm our recognition of Allāh as the eternally Besought of all and ourselves as dependent servants.

About zakāt we read in Qur'ān:

Take sadaqah (alms) from their wealth in order to purify them and sanctify them with it, and invoke Allāh for them. Verily! Your invocations are a source of security for them, and Allāh is All-Hearer, All-Knower. Know they not that Allāh accepts repentance from His slaves and takes the sadaqāt (alms, charities) and that Allāh Alone is the Accepting of repentance, the Most Merciful? (Qur'ān, 9:103-104)

The almsgiver is likewise reminded of Allāh, the eternally Besought of all, the All-Mighty, the All-Sublime, the One who accepts the alms and multiplies them and accepts the repentance and purifies the souls. 

About fasting we read in Qur'ān: 

The month of Ramadān [is that] in which was revealed the Qur'ān, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. So whoever sights [the new moon of] the month, let him fast it; and whoever is ill or on a journey - then an equal number of other days. Allāh intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship and [wants] for you to complete the period and to glorify Allāh for that [to] which He has guided you; and perhaps you will be grateful. (Qur'ān, 2:185)

Upon the completion (of the fast) of the month of Ramadān, the fasting person is also prescribed to glorify Allāh and praise Him. As a remembrance. To reaffirm one's recognition of Allāh as the eternally Besought of all.

About hajj we read in Qur'ān:

And when you have completed your rites, remember Allāh like your [previous] remembrance of your fathers or with [much] greater remembrance. (Qur'ān, 2:200)

Thus the last pillar of islām, i.e pilgrimage, does also ultimately lead to the remembrance of Allāh, which is not but a reaffirmation of one's recognition of Allāh as the eternally Besought of all.

Abu ad-Dardā' narrated:

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ addressed his companions, saying:“Shall I not tell you of the best of your deed, the most pure of them with your Sovereign, and the highest of them in your ranks, and what is better for you than your giving gold and silver, and better for you than meeting your enemy and you strike their necks and they strike your necks?” They said: “Yes”. He said:“Remembrance of Allāh (dhikr).” (4)

Hence, islām (even in this context) can ultimately be defined as imān, for it is eventually aimed at reaffirming one's recognition of Allāh as the eternally Besought of all. This point has subtly been illustrated in Qur'ān:

And Allāh would never make your imān (salāt) to be lost (i.e. your prayers offered towards Jerusalem). (Qur'ān, 2:143)

Here in this verse, the second pillar of islām, i.e. the salāt, is referred to as imān.

That's the reason why he who has no action (no salāt, no zakāt, no fasting, no hajj, etc.) is not considered a believer. Had he truly been a believer, he would have at least done some good. Allāh, the All-Mighty, the All-Sublime, says:

The day that some of the Signs of your Lord do come, no good will it do to a person to believe then, if he believed not before, nor earned good (by performing deeds of righteousness) through his imān. (Qur'ān, 6:158) 

Islām: In a Word 

In a word, Islām is recognition and conviction (by the heart) which is manifested in submission (by the tongue and the limbs). It is that one should recognize Allāh Alone as the eternally Besought of all and recognize oneself as a dependent servant and do as He wants him/her to.

Footnotes:

(1) Sahih Muslim 8
(2) Ibid.
(3) Musnad imām Ahmad 17027. Classed as authentic by Al-Arnaout (ra).
(4) Sunan ibn Mājah 3790. Classed as authentic by Al-Arnaout (ra).