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 aslama in verb form IV meaning to submit to God
[2:112] Nay, whoever has submitted himself to God (balaa man aslama wajhahu lillahi), and he is a good doer, then for him there is a reward of him with his Lord, and there is no fear for them, nor will they grieve.
[2:131] When his (Abraham) Lord said to him, “Submit” (idhaa qaala lahu rabbuhu aslim), he (Abraham) said, “I have submitted to Lord of the worlds (as’lam’tu lirabbihi al-`aalameena).”
Note: When God has told Abraham to submit he had submitted to Lord of the worlds.
[3:20] So, if they have argued with you (prophet), then say, “I (prophet) have submitted myself to God (aslamatu wajhiya lillahi) and whoever has followed me.” And say to those who have been given the scripture and the gentiles (who do not know the scripture), “Have you submitted yourselves (a-aslamatum)?” Then if they have submitted (fa-in aslamuu), then certainly, they have guided (them). And if they have turned back, then only upon you (prophet) is the conveyance (of the message). And God is Seer of His servants.
[3:83] Do they then seek other than a religion of God while to Him has submitted whatever is in the heavens and the earth in willingness and unwillingness (wa-lahu aslama man fee al-samaawaati wal-ardi taw`an wa-karhan)? And to Him they will be returned.
Note: Everything and every phenomenon in the universe are administered totally by God.
[4:125] And who has better religion than whoever has submitted himself to God (wa-man ahsanu deenan mimman aslama wajhahu lillahi), and he is a good-doer and has followed a practice of Abraham, Monotheism? And God has chosen Abraham as a friend.
[5:44] Indeed us, we have sent down the Torah, in it there is guidance and light, judges with it the prophets those who have submitted (to God) (yah’kumu bihaa al-nabiyuuna alladheena aslamuu) for those who have been Jews, and the rabbis as well as the priests, for what they have been entrusted with a scripture of God as well as they have been witnesses over it. So you do not fear the people but you shall fear Me; and you do not trade with My revelations for a small price. And whoever does not judge with what God has sent down, then those – they are the disbelievers.
Note: The Torah was guidance and light revealed to the prophets who judge with it for those who have been Jews. Hence, the Torah is a collection of scripture given to the Jewish prophets, referring it in the feminine gender, while the Injeel and the Quran are mentioned in the masculine gender in the Quran.
[6:14] Say, “Should I (prophet) accept a protector other than God, an Initiator of the heavens and the earth, and He feeds but is not fed?” Say, “Indeed me, I have been commanded to be the first who has submitted (to God) (innii umir’tu an akuuna awwala man aslama), and never be with the idol worshipers.”
[6:71] Say, “Should we call other than God what cannot benefit us or harm us, and we are turned back on our heels after God has guided us?” It is like the one whom has enticed the devils in the earth, is in confusion, he has companions who call him to the (mis)guidance: “Come to us!” Say, “God’s guidance is the true guidance, and we have been commanded to submit to Lord of the worlds (wa-umir’naa li’nus’lima li-rabbi al-`aalameena).”
[16:81] And God has made for you shades from what He created, and He has made for you shelters from the mountains, and He has made for you garments which protect you from the heat, and garments which protect you from your violence. Thus that He completes His blessing upon you, so that you may submit (to Him) (la’allakum tus’limuuna).
[22:34] And for every community we have made a rite that they may mention God’s name over what He has provided for them from the four-footed livestock. And your god is one god, so to Him you shall submit (fa-lahu aslimuu) and shall give good news to the humble ones.
[27:44] It had been said to her: “Enter the palace.” So when she had seen it she thought it a pool, and she had uncovered from her shins. He said: “Indeed, it is a palace made smooth of glass.” She said: “My Lord, indeed me, I have wronged to myself, and I have submitted with Solomon to God, Lord of the worlds (wa-aslamtu ma`a sulay’maana lillahi rabbi al-`aalameena).”
[31:22] And whoever submits himself to God (wa-man yus’lim wajhahu ilaa allahi), while he is a good doer that certainly, he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold. And to God is the end of all matters.
[37:103] Then when they both had submitted (fa-lammaa aslamaa), and he (Abraham) put down him (Ismael) upon the forehead.
Note: This is a historical event, which was an attempt of Abraham to fulfill his dream not according to the will of God nor in obedience of His law.
[39:54] And you shall turn to your Lord and shall submit to Him before that the punishment comes to you (wa-aslimuu lahu min qabli an yatiyakumu al-`adhaabi), then you will not be helped.
[40:66] Say: “Indeed me, I (prophet) have been forbidden to worship those whom you call other than God, when has come to me the clear proofs from my Lord. And I have been commanded to submit to Lord of the worlds (wa-umir’tu an us’lima li’rabbi al-`aalameena) .”
Note: The message in the verse is a direct indication that prophet Muhammad was an idol worshiper and he was commanded to submit to God when he has been chosen as prophet to deliver the final scripture.
[48:16] Say to those who lagged behind of the Arabs: “You will be called to fight a people who possess a great military skill, until they surrender (aw yus’limuuna). Then if you obey, God will grant you a good reward, but if you turn away as you turned away before, He will punish you with a painful punishment.”
Note: Fighting is decreed to expose those who have submitted to God, and He will grant those who participate in fighting to defeat the enemies of God.
[49:14] The Arabs said: “We have believed.” You shall not say you believe,” but you shall say: “We have submitted (to God) (wa-laakin quuluu aslamnaa)” as the faith does not yet enter into your hearts. And if you obey God and His messenger, He will not deprive you anything of your deeds. Indeed, God is Forgiving, Merciful.
Note: God is aware of the true believers and the true believers are those who obey Him and His messenger.
[49:17] They consider a favor to you (prophet) that they have submitted (to God) (an aslamuu). Say, “Do not consider your submission (to God) a favor on me. No, God bestows a favor upon you that He has guided you to the faith, if you have been truthful.”
Note: A true believer knows that he is a believer, which is a favor or blessing that comes from God.
[72:14] And that among us (jinns) there are submitters, and among us there are unjust. So whoever has submitted (to God) (fa-man aslama), then those have sought a right path.
- Details of instances of islaam in IV form verbal noun meaning submission
[3:19] Indeed, the religion with God is the submission (inna al-deena `inda allahi al-islaamu), and those who have been given the scripture have not differed except after what has come to them the knowledge out of jealousy between themselves. And whoever disbelieves in God’s revelations, then God is swift in the reckoning.
[3:85] And whoever seeks other than the submission as a religion (wa-man yab’taghi ghayra al-islaami deenan), then never be accepted from him, and in the Hereafter he will be with the losers.
[5:3] Forbidden upon you the dead animal, and the blood, and the meat of pig, and what has been sacrificed to other than God with it; and that which has been strangled, and that which has been beaten to death, and that which has fallen from a height, and that which has been gored, and that which the wild animals have attacked except what has been slaughtered (before it dies), and what has been slaughtered on the alters, and that you divide by the arrows of chance – that are all abominable. Today, those who disbelieved have given up of your religion, so do not fear them, but you shall fear Me. Today, I have perfected your religion for you, and have completed My blessings upon you, and have chosen the submission as a religion for you (wa-radeetu lakumu al-islaama deenan). So, whoever is forced (to eat what has been forbidden) by hunger and not being willful to sin, then God is Forgiving, Merciful.
[6:125] So, whomever God wishes to guide him, He will open his chest to the submission (yash’rah sad’rahu lil’islaami); and whomever He wishes to let him go astray, He will make his chest tight and constricted, as if he were climbing in the sky. Thus that God places the defilement upon those who do not believe (in Him).
[9:74] They (hypocrites) swear by God that they have said, and that certainly they have said a word of disbelief and they have disbelieved after their submission (wa-kafaruu ba`da islaamihim), and they have planned of what they could not attain; and they had not taken revenge except that God and His messenger had enriched them from His bounty. If they repent, it will be better for them, but if they turn away, then God will punish them with a painful punishment in the world and the Hereafter, and for them in the earth there is no protector, nor a helper.
[39:22] Is he then whomever God has expanded his breast to the submission (a-fa-man sharaha allahu sad’rahu lil’islaami) that he is on a light from his Lord?. So, woe to the hardened for their hearts from remembering of God. Those are in a clear straying.
[49:17] They consider a favor to you (prophet) that they have submitted (to God). Say, “Do not consider your submission (to God) a favor on me (prophet) (laa-tamunnuu alayya islaamakum). No, God bestows a favor upon you that He has guided you to the faith, if you are truthful.”
[61:7] And who has more wickedness than whoever has invented the lie about God, while he is invited to the submission (wa-huwa yud’`aa al-islaami)? And God does not guide the people of the wrongdoers.
The core messages from 30 instances of aslama in verb form and islaam in verbal noun form found in 26 verses of 17 surahs in the Quran are: there is a reward for him with his Lord whoever has submitted himself to God and is a good doer; Abraham submitted to Lord of the worlds when he was told; Muhammad was told to submit to God and whoever had followed him and those who had submitted to God were the guided ones, and upon him was the conveyance of the message; a religion of God is to submit to Him and none has better religion except to submit to God; God completes His blessing upon us so that we may submit to Him; Sheba submitted to God with Solomon when she saw her palace made of glass; whoever has submitted to God has grasped the trustworthy handhold; they shall submit to God before the punishment comes to them; prophet was forbidden to worship those whom his people used to call other than God before a clear proof comes to him; the Arabs were warned not to say they have believed but to say they have submitted to God until their faith entered into their hearts; those who have submitted to God is a favor upon them that He has guided them to the faith; those who have submitted to God have sought a right path; the religion with God is submission and He does not accept a religion other than it; He has forbidden four types of meat in the submission; whomever God wishes to guide, He extends his breast to the submission; the hypocrites have disbelieved after submission, but if they repent, it will be better for them; whomever God has expanded his heart to the submission, he is on light from his Lord; who is more wicked than whoever has invented a lie about God, while he is invited to submission; our submission to God is a trustworthy handhold being His command and light on us from our Lord that God is the end of all the matters.
Peaceful Friday, salaam and God bless. Tafazzal (8/7/26).