What is Islam and it’s meaning

Sheikh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) in his book Majmoo’ Fatawa Volume 7, Page 623

I have mentioned in the preceding principles that “Islam” – which is Allah’s religion revealed in His books and sent with His messengers – means that the servant submits to Allah, Lord of the Worlds. This submission is to Allah alone without partners, being purely devoted to Him, worshipping Him alone and not anything else, as clarified by the best of speech and the foundation of Islam: the testimony that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah.

This has two opposites: Arrogance and Polytheism.

This is why it was narrated that Noah (peace be upon him) commanded his sons to declare “There is no deity except Allah” and “Glory be to Allah,” while forbidding them from arrogance and polytheism, in a hadith I have mentioned elsewhere.

For the one who is too arrogant to worship Allah does not worship Him and thus is not submitting to Him.

And the one who worships Him while worshipping others is a polytheist, thus not being purely devoted to Him but rather associating partners with Him.

The term “Islam” encompasses both submission and purity, which is sincerity.

It is known that all messengers were sent with this universal Islam that includes these meanings, as Allah says: “to which submitted the prophets”

and Moses said: “If you have believed in Allah, then rely upon Him, if you are Muslims.”

Allah also says: “Yes, whoever submits his face to Allah while being a doer of good will have his reward with his Lord.”

And when his Lord said to the Friend (Ibrahim), “Submit,” he said, “I have submitted to the Lord of the worlds.”

“And Abraham instructed his sons [to do the same] and [so did] Jacob: ‘O my sons, indeed Allah has chosen for you this religion, so do not die except while you are Muslims.'”

And Joseph said: “Cause me to die as a Muslim,” and there are many similar verses.

It is known that Abraham, the Friend (of Allah), is the leader of the pure monotheists and Muslims after him, as Allah made him a leader and an example.

The messengers from his offspring came with this message, but the Jews and Christians innovated what they innovated, which took them out of Allah’s religion they were commanded with – the universal Islam.

This is why we were commanded to say: “Guide us to the straight path, the path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have earned [Your] anger or of those who are astray.”

It is authentically reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The Jews are those who earned anger, and the Christians are those who went astray.”Each of these two nations departed from Islam and was dominated by one of its two opposites:

The JEWS are predominantly characterized by arrogance with little polytheism,

while the CHRISTIANS are predominantly characterized by polytheism with little arrogance.

by Abu Ibrahim al-athari al-hanbali