There are 72 instances of aslama and its derived forms in the Quran in different grammatical forms as shown in the table, which are detailed below, while we know that an Arabic word may have different meanings in different contexts:
Note: The above table is populated with data obtained from the corpus.quran.com.
- Details of instances of mus’lim in form IV active participle meaning submitter to God
[2:128] “Our Lord, and make us (Abraham and Ismael) submitters to You (rabbanaa wa-ij’`alnaa mus’limayni laka), and from our descendants a community of submitters to You (wa-min dhurriyyatinaa ummatan mus’limatan laka). And show us our practices and turn to us. Indeed, You are the Redeemer, the Merciful.”
[2:132] And Abraham enjoined his sons and Jacob with it: “O my sons, indeed, God has chosen the religion for you, so do not die except while you are submitters (fa-laa-tamuutunna illaa wa-antum mus’limuuna).”
[2:133] Or had you been witnesses when the death had come to Jacob, when he said to his sons, “What will you worship after of me?” They said, “We will worship your god; god of your fathers Abraham, Ismail, and Isaac- one god, and we to Him are submitters (wa-nah’nu lahu mus’limuuna).”
[2:136] Say: “We have believed in God and what has been sent down to us and what had been sent down to Abraham, and Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the Patriarchs, and what had been given to Moses and Jesus, and what had been given to the (other) prophets from their Lord – we do not make a distinction between any of them, and we to Him are submitters (wa-nah’nu lahu mus’limuuna).”
[3:52] Then when Jesus had perceived the disbelief from them, he said, “Who are my supporters towards God?” The disciples said, “We are supporters of God, we have believed in God and we shall bear witness with that we are submitters (wa-ish’had bi-annaa mus’limuuna).”
[3:64] Say: “O people of the scripture, come to a fair word between us and you that we do not worship except God, nor do we associate anything with Him, nor do we take each other as lords other than God.” Then if they have turned away, then say: “You shall bear witness with that we are submitters (ish’haduu bi-annaa mus’limuuna).”
[3:67] Abraham had neither been a Jew, nor a Christian, but he had been a monotheist submitter (wa-laa-kin kaana haneefan mus’liman), and he had not been among the idol worshipers.
[3:80] Nor can he order you that you take the angels and the prophets as lords. Can he order you in the disbelief after when you are submitters (a-yamurukum bil-kufri ba`da idh antum mus’limuuna)?
[3:84] Say: “We have believed in God and what has been sent down to us and what had been sent down to Abraham, and Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the Patriarchs, and what had been given to Moses and Jesus, and what had been given to the prophets from their Lord – we do not make distinction between any of them and we to Him are submitters (wa-nahnu lahu mus’limuuna).”
[3:102] O you those who have believed, you shall fear God true fear of Him, and do not die except while you are submitters (wa-laa-tumuutunna illaa wa-antum mus’limuuna).
[5:111] And when I had inspired the disciples that you shall believe in Me and My messenger; they said: “We have believed and shall bear witness with that indeed, we are submitters (aamannaa wa-ish’had bi-annanaa mus’limuuna).”
[6:163] There is no partner for Him, and with that I (prophet) have been commanded, and I am the first of the submitters (wa-anaa awwalu al-mus’limeena).
[7:126] And you (Pharaoh) do not take revenge on us (magicians) just for that we have believed in signs of our Lord when they have come to us. “Our Lord, bestow upon us patience and cause us to die as submitters (wa-tawaffanaa mus’limeena).”
[10:72] “So if you have turned away, then I (Noah) have not asked you any reward while my reward is not except on God. And I have been commanded that I would be of the submitters (wa-umir’tu an akuuna al-mus’limeena).”
[10:84] And Moses said, “O my people, if you have believed in God, then you shall put your trust on Him, if you have been submitters (in kuntum mus’limeena).”
[10:90] And we had taken the Children of Israel across the sea, then Pharaoh and his soldiers followed them in rebellion and enmity until the drowning overtook him when he (Pharaoh) said: “I have believed that there is no god except the One in Him has believed the Children of Israel, and I am with the submitters (wa-anaa mina al-mus’limeena).”
[11:14] Then if they do not respond to you (believers), then you shall know that it (Quran) has been sent down with God’s knowledge, and that there is no god except He. So, will you be submitters (fa-hal antum mus’limuuna)?
[12:101] “My (Yusuf) Lord, certainly you have given me of the authority and taught me of the interpretation of the statements. Initiator of the heavens and the earth, you are my Protector in this world and the Hereafter. You cause me to die as a submitter (tawaffanii mus’liman) and include me with the righteous.”
[15:2] Perhaps those who disbelieved will wish if they had been submitters (law kaanuu mus’limeena).
[16:89] And a day we will raise a witness in every community over them from themselves, and we had brought you as a witness of these people. And we have sent down to you (prophet) the scripture is a clarification of everything, and a guidance and mercy and a good news for the submitters (tib’yaanan likulli wa-hudan wa-rahmatan wa-bush’raa lil’mus’limeena).
[16:102] Say, “The Holy Spirit (Gabriel) has brought down it (Quran) with the truth from your (prophet) Lord to strengthen those who have believed, and a guidance and a good news for the submitters (liyuthabbita alladheena aamanuu wa-hudan wa-bush’raa lil’mus’limeena).”
[21:108] Say: “It is only inspired to me (prophet) that your god is One god, then will you be submitters (fa-hal anta mus’limuuna)?”
[22:78] And you (people) shall strive for God a true striving of Him. He has chosen you and has placed no hardship on you in the religion, a practice of your father Abraham. He (God) named you the submitters before and in this (huwa sammaakumu al-mus’limeena min qablu wa-fee haadhaa) that the messenger may be a witness among you, and you may be witnesses among the people. So, you shall establish the salat prayer, and shall give the zakat, and shall hold fast to God; He is your Protector that He has been the excellent Protector and has been the excellent Supporter.
[27:31] That do not exalt yourselves against me (Solomon) and come to me (Solomon) as submitters (to God) (allaa ta`luu `alayya wa-i’tuunii mus’limeena).
[27:38] He (Solomon) said, “O advisors, which of you can bring me her (Sheba) palace, before that they come to me as submitters (to God) (qabla an ya’ituunii mus’limeena)?”
[27:42] So when she had come, it had been said: “Is your palace like this?” She said: “It is like as it were.” “And we had been given the knowledge before her, and we have been submitters (wa-kunnaa mus’limeena).”
[27:81] Nor can you be of a guide for the blind from their straying, nor can you make to hear except whoever believes in our revelations that they are submitters (to God) (illaa man yu’minu bi-aayaatinaa fa-hum mus’limuuna).
[27:91] I (prophet) have only been commanded that I worship Lord of this town, the One Who has made it sacred, and to Him belongs everything. And I (prophet) have been commanded that I would be one of the submitters (wa-umir’tu an akuuna mina al-mus’limeena).”
[28:53] And when it is recited to them, they said, “We have believed in it (Quran). Indeed, it is the truth from our Lord. Even, we (people of previous scripture) had been submitters before of it (innaa kunnaa min qablihi mus’limeena).”
[29:46] And do (believers) not argue with the people of the scripture except of that which is best, but those who have wronged among them, and say: “We have believed in which has been sent down to us and has been sent down to you, and our god and your god is One; and we to Him are submitters (wa-nahnu lahu mus’limuuna).”
[30:53] Nor can you be of a guide for the blind from their straying, nor can you make to hear except whoever believes in our revelations that they are submitters (fahum mus’limuuna).
[33:35] Indeed, the submitter men and the submitter women (inna al-mus’limeena wal-mus’limaati), and the believer men and the believer women, and the obedient men and the obedient women, and the truthful men and the truthful women, and the steadfast men and the steadfast women, and the reverent men and the reverent women, and the charitable men and the charitable women, and the fasting men and the fasting women, and the chaste men for their chastity and the chaste women, and the commemorating men of God much and the commemorating women – God has prepared for them forgiveness and a great recompense.
[39:12] “And I (prophet) have been commanded to that I would be the first of the submitters (wa-umir’tu li-an akuuna awwala al-mus’limeena).”
[41:33] And who is better in utterance than whoever has invited to God, and he has done as righteous one and has said, “Indeed me, I am one of the submitters (wa-qaala innii mina al-mus’limeena)?”
[43:69] Those who had believed in our revelations, and they had been submitters (wa-kaanuu mus’limeena).
[46:15] And we have enjoined the humankind to be good with his parents. His mother has carried him with hardship and has given birth to him with hardship, and carrying of him as well as weaning of him is until thirty months. When he has reached his maturity and has reached forty years, he has said: “My Lord, direct me that I can appreciate Your favor which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents, and that I can do as righteous one You please with him, and make righteous in my children for me; indeed me, I have repented to You and indeed, I am one of the submitters (wa-innii mina al-mus’limeena).”
[51:36] Then we have not found in it (a community of Lot) other than a house of the submitters (ghayra baytin mina al-mus’limeena).
[66:5] It may have been his (Muhammad) Lord, if he has divorced you (his wives) that He will substitute wives better than you who are submitters (an yub’dilahu azwaajan khayran minkunna mus’limaatin), believers, obedient, repentant, worshipers, fasting, previously married or virgins.
[68:35] Will we then treat the Submitters like the criminals (a-fa-naj`alu al-mus’limeena ka-al-muj’rimeena)?
[72:14] And that we (jinns) among us are the submitters (wa-annaa minnaa al-mus’limeena), and among us are the unjust. So whoever has submitted (to God), then those have sought a right path.
Here is the summary of 42 instances of Muslim found in 40 verses of 25 surahs in the Quran that God teaches us to understand the behavior of a submitter who does righteous deeds to be eligible for the recompense from Him:
- Abraham together with his son, Ismael asked God to make them submitters to Him and a community of submitters from their descendants, and to teach them religious rites and have mercy on them.
- Abraham and Jacob enjoyed their sons not to die without being submitters.
- When Jacob was on the death bed, his sons assured him that they would worship one god to become submitters.
- God has commanded us to believe in Him and in what was revealed to the prophets and not to make any distinction between any of His messengers to be submitters.
- God has commanded us to argue with the people of scripture in a best way, and those who are unjust but not arrogant we may let them know that their god and our god is the same and we all are submitters to Him.
- The disciples of Jesus who supported him were the submitters when he sensed disbelief.
- Those who believe in God and His messenger would bear witness that they are submitters.
- The prophet was inspired not to associate partners with God and was commanded to be the first of the submitters and to worship the Lord of the city, the One who has made it a safe sanctuary and possesses all things.
- Those who believed in the proofs of their Lord when came to them asked Him to bestow patience on them and to cause them die being submitters at the event of persecution.
- Moses said his people to believe in God and trust on Him if they were submitters.
- When the drowning overtook Pharaoh, he believed in one god and wished to be with the submitters.
- Joseph prayed to his Lord to let him die as a submitter and to include him with the righteous.
- God has sent down the scripture to clarify everything as well as a guidance, mercy and good news for the submitters.
- God has reminded Muhammad to worship Him being submitter to Him.
- Those who believe in God’s revelation are the submitters, while those who disbelieve may wish that they are submitters.
- The submitter men and women deserve forgiveness and a great recompense from their Lord.
- Who has a better word than who invites to God, while he does righteousness and says he is a submitter.
- When the humankind reaches his maturity while he reaches the age of forty should make commitment to be a submitter to God to be grateful to Him.
- God has made sure on behalf of Him that He will not treat the submitters like the criminals is a warning for the disbelievers that there is no escape from Him for their evil behavior and deeds.
However, this review may help us understand that those who follow God’s message and His messengers, and practice the rituals given to Abraham are submitters, and many people of the scripture who claim themselves submitters have turned to Jews, Christians, Muhammedans etc. but they wish that they are submitters. Thus, submitters are not aligned to any particular messenger/prophet, while prophet Abraham was named to be the father of submitters, who had been taught all the rituals of the Submission, and the Quran has updated what was lost and missing in the practices of Submission among the submitters.
Peaceful Friday, salaam and God bless.
Tafazzal (8/14/26).