God has created us to worship Him and has established religion (deen) for us to appreciate Him as well as to remember Him to develop our souls to get back to Him being redeemed. But people have invented many religions that are practiced today all over the world, even they have given its definition found in the knowledge base that a specific set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects, which does not conform to the religion given by God. It is unfortunate that we see about 4300 religions around us, but the best way to learn about what God has given us as a religion is to read the scripture. If we read the Quran, the final edition of scripture, we know that God has given us religion and He has established Monotheism (haneefan) as a religion for mankind being Submission (Islaam) is its practices. Thus, when it has been said in the Quran that Submission is a religion that belongs to God and those who accept other than it will not be acceptable to Him from them may confuse us. But the Quran confirms that the Submission is the practices of Monotheism, and a complete set of its practices was first given to Abraham who has been named to be father of it, while its perfect practices make us submitters (Mus’limeen).
God has given us religion
God has used the Arabic word, deen in the noun form throughout the Quran to indicate that He has given religion to guide us making distinct the right path from the wrong, which is sent down with the truth to make it prevail over any other religions in the earth, has been confirmed from the following verses of the Quran:
[2:132] And Abraham had enjoined his sons and Jacob with it: “O my sons; indeed, God has chosen the religion (al-deen) for you, so you do not die except, while you are submitters.”
[2:256] There is no compulsion in the religion (fee al-deen). Certainly, has become distinct the right from the wrong. So whoever disbelieves in the false deities and believes in God, then certainly, he has grasped with the strong handle, there is no break of it. And God is Hearer, Knower.
[3:19] Indeed, the religion (al-deen) with God is submission, and has not differed those who have been given the scripture except after what has come to them the knowledge out of jealousy between themselves. And whoever disbelieves in God’s revelations, then indeed, God is swift in the reckoning.
[3:73] “And you do not believe except for whoever has followed your religion (deenakum).” Say, “Indeed, God’s guidance is the (true) guidance that is given one like of what has been given to you or they may argue with you about your Lord.” Say, “Indeed, the bounty is in God’s hand; He gives it to whomever He wills, and God is Bounteous, Knower.”
[3:83] So do they seek other than God’s religion (deenillahi) while whatever in the heavens and the earth have submitted to him in willingness and unwillingness? And to Him they will be returned.
[5:54] O you who have believed, whoever turns back among you from his religion (`an deenihi), then God will bring of a people He loves them and they love Him, being humble on the believers, stern on the disbelievers, striving in God’s path and not fearing any blame of the critic. That is God’s grace; He grants whomever He wills, and God is Encompassing all, Knower
[8:39] And you shall fight them until there is no oppression, and the religion (al-deen) would be all of it for God. But if they have ceased, then indeed, God is Seer of what they do.
[9:33] He is the One who has sent His messenger with the guidance and a religion of the truth (deena al-haq), to prevail it over the religion of any of it (al-deeni kullihi), even if the idol worshipers dislike
[22:78] And you shall strive in God of His true striving. He has chosen you and has placed no hardship on you in the religion (fee al-deen) – a religion (millata) of your father Abraham. He (God) has named you submitters from before and in this that the messenger would be a witness over you, and you would be witnesses over the people. So, you shall establish the salat prayer and shall give the zakat, and shall hold fast to God; He is your Protector, so has been the excellent Protector and the excellent Supporter.
[42:13] He has decreed for you of the religion (al-deen) what He had enjoined Noah with it, and what we have inspired to you (Muhammad), and what we had enjoined Abraham, Moses, and Jesus of it that you shall establish the religion (al-deen) and you do not divide in it. It has been difficult upon the idolaters what you (Muhammad) call them to it. God chooses to Himself whomever He wills and He guides to Himself whoever turns.
[48:28] He is the One who has sent His messenger with the guidance and a religion of the truth (wa-deeni al-haq) to make it prevail over the religion of any of it (alaa al-deeni kullihi). And has sufficed with God as a Witness.
[61:9] He is the One who has sent His messenger with the guidance and a religion of the truth (wa-deeni al-haq), to make it prevail over the religion of any of it (alaa al-deeni kullihi), even though the disbelievers dislike (it).
Monotheism is a religion for mankind
God has used the Arabic word, haneefan in the noun form in the Quran to confirm that He has decreed Monotheism as a religion for mankind, is an instinct of God on which the human has been created that the people would worship one God being sincere to Him and would not associate partners with Him to nullify their deeds, while there is an indication that a complete set of practices of Monotheism was first given to Abraham and the perfect faith and practice established by him has been coded in the Arabic word, millata in the female noun form:
[2:135] And they said, “You shall be Jews or Christians to guide.” Say, “Nay, (we follow) a religion of Abraham of Monotheism (millata ib’raa’heema haneefan); and he has not been with the idol worshipers.
[3:67] Abraham has neither been a Jew, nor a Christian; but he has been a Submitter of Monotheism (wa-laakin kaana haneefan mus’liman), and he has not been with the idol worshipers.
[3:95] Say (Muhammad), “God has declared truth that you shall follow a religion of Abraham of Monotheism (millata ib’raa’heema haneefan), and he has not been with the idol worshipers.”
[4:125] And who has better religion (deenan) than whoever has submitted himself to God, and he is a good doer and has followed a religion of Abraham of Monotheism (millata ib’raa’heema haneefan)? And God has taken Abraham as a friend.
[6:79] “Indeed me (Abraham), I have turned myself to the One who has created the heavens and the earth for Monotheism (haneefan), and I am not with the idol worshipers.”
[6:161] Say (Muhammad), “Indeed me, has guided me my Lord to a straight path, an established religion (deenan qiyaman), a religion of Abraham of Monotheism (millata ib’raa’heema haneefan). And he has not been with the idol worshipers.”
[10:105] And that you (Muhammad) shall establish yourself to the religion of Monotheism (lil’deeni haneefan), and do not be with the idol worshipers.
[16:120] Indeed, Abraham has been a community of Monotheism being obedient to God (kaana ummatan qaanitan lillahi haneefan), and he was not with the idol worshipers.
Note: Abraham and his people who were obedient to God had been a community of Monotheism.
[16:123] Then we have inspired to you (Muhammad) that you shall follow a religion of Abraham, Monotheism (millata ib’raa’heema haneefan). And he has not been with the idol worshipers.
[22:31] Monotheists (hunafaa-a) belong to God, not those who associate partners with Him; and whoever associates partner(s) with God, then it is like that he had fallen from the sky, then the bird snatches him, or the wind blows of him to a far-off place.
[30:30] So, you shall establish yourself for the religion of Monotheism (lil’deeni haneefan) – an instinct of God, which on it He has created mankind. There is no change for God’s creation. That is the established religion (dhaalika al-deenu al-qayimu), but most of the people do not know.
[98:5] And they have not been commanded except that they would worship God being sincere to Him in the religion as monotheists (al-deena hunafaa-a), and would establish the salat prayer and would give the zakat. And that is the established religion (deenu al-qayimati).
Religion with God is Submission
God has used the Arabic word, Islaam meaning “Submission” in the verbal noun form in the Quran to indicate that He has given Submission as a religion to guide us making distinct the right path from the wrong, and whoever accepts a religion other than it will not be accepted from him, which has been confirmed from the following verses of the Quran:
[3:19] Indeed, the religion (al-deena) with God is Submission (al-islaamu), and has not differed those who have been given the scripture except after what has come to them the knowledge out of jealousy between themselves. And whoever disbelieves in God’s revelations, then indeed, God is swift in the reckoning.
[3:85] And whoever seeks other than Submission (al-islaami) as a religion (deenan), then will not be accepted from him, and in the Hereafter he will be with the losers.
[5:3] Has been forbidden upon you the dead animal, and the blood, and the meat of pig, and what has been sacrificed with it to other than God; 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 all is abominable. Today, has given up those who have disbelieved of your religion (deenikum), so you do not fear them, but you shall fear Me. Today, I have perfected your religion (deenikum) for you, and have completed My blessing upon you, and have mandated Submission (al-islaama) as a religion (deenan) for you. So, whoever has been forced by hunger not willing for sin, then indeed, God is Forgiving, Merciful
[6:125] So whoever God wishes that He guides him, He extends his breast for Submission (lilislaami); and whoever He wishes that He misguides him, He makes his breast tight and constricted like that he climbs in the sky. Thus that God places the evil upon those who do not believe.
[9:74] They swear by God that they have not said, while certainly, they said a word of the disbelief and they have disbelieved after their Submission (islaamihim), and they have planned of what they could not attain; and they have not been resentful except that God would enrich them and His messenger from His bounty. So, If they would repent, it would be better for them, but if they turn away, then God will punish them a painful punishment in this world and the Hereafter, and for them there is no protector nor a helper in the earth.
[39:22] So, is he whom God has expanded his breast to Submission (lilislaami) that he is on a light from his Lord? So woe to the hardened for their hearts from remembering God. Those are in far astray.
[49:17] They consider a favor upon you (Muhammad) that they have submitted. Say, “You do not consider your Submission (islaamakum) a favor upon me. Nay, God confers a favor upon you that He has guided you to the faith, if you have been truthful.”
[61:7] And who is more wicked than whoever has invented the lie about God, while he is invited to Submission (al-islaami)? And God does not guide the wicked people.
Those who practice Submission are Submitters
God has given us a religion of Monotheism as a faith and Submission as its practices, and whoever has established its perfect practices is a Submitter (Muslim in Arabic), which has been confirmed from a set verses of the Quran relating to the Arabic words, deen, islaam and haneefan not to have any doubt in our hearts, and God has warned us not to die except being submitters highlighting the scripture as a guidance, mercy and good news for them:
[2:132] And Abraham had enjoined his sons and Jacob with it: “O my sons, God has chosen the religion (al-deena) for you, so you do not die except while you are submitters (mus’limuuna).”
[2:136] Say: “We have believed in God and what has been revealed to us (Quran given to Muhammad) and what had been revealed to Abraham, and Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the Patriarchs, and what had been given Moses and Jesus, and what has been given to the prophets from their Lord; we do not make distinction between any of them and to Him we are submitters (mus’limuuna).”
[3:67] Abraham had neither been a Jew nor a Christian, but he had been a submitter of Monotheism (haneefan mus’liman), and he had not been with the idol worshipers.
[3:102] O you who have believed, you shall fear God of His true fearing, and you do not die except while you are submitters (mus’limuuna).
[5:111] And when I had inspired the disciples (of Jesus) that you shall believe in Me and My messenger; they said: “We have believed and shall bear witness with that we are submitters (mus’limuuna).”
[6:163] There is no partner for Him, and in that I (Muhammad) have been commanded, and I am first of the submitters (al-mus’limeena).
[7:126] And you cannot take revenge of us (magicians hired by Pharaoh) just for that we have believed in our Lord’s signs when has come to us. “Our Lord, shower upon us patience and cause us to die as submitters (mus’limeena).”
[10:84] And Moses said, “O my people, if you have believed in God, then you shall put your trust upon Him, if you have been submitters (mus’limeena).”
[16:89] And a day we will raise a witness in every community over them from themselves, and we have brought you as a witness over these people. And we have sent down to you (Muhammad) the scripture as a clarification of everything, and as a guidance and mercy and good news for the submitters (lil’mus’limeena).
[16:102] Say, “The Holy Spirit (Gabriel) has brought it (Quran) down with the truth from your Lord to strengthen those who have believed, and as a guidance and good news for the submitters (lil’mus’limeena).”
[22:78] And you shall strive in the cause of God as you should strive for His cause. He has chosen you and has placed no hardship on you in the religion (al-deen), a religion (millata) of your father Abraham. He has named you the submitters (al-mus’limeena) from before and in this Quran) 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, the best Protector and the best Supporter.
[29:46] And you do not argue except those who have wronged among them from a people of the scripture (Jews and Christians) except with that which is the best, and say: “We have believed in which has been revealed to us and has been revealed to you, and our god and your god is One; and to Him we are submitters (mus’limuuna).”
[41:33] And who is better in utterance than one whoever has invited to God and has done as righteous and has said, “Indeed, I am one of the submitters (al-mus’limeena)?”
[46:15] And we have enjoined the human being in honoring of his parents. His mother has carried him with hardship and has born him with hardship, and his bearing and weaning until thirty months. When he has reached his maturity and has reached forty years, he has said: “My Lord, grant me that I can appreciate Your favor which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents, and that I can do as righteous You like it, and make righteous in my children for me. Indeed, I have turned to You, and indeed, I am one of the submitters (al-mus’limeena).”
Conclusion
God has created us and has established religion for us to worship Him. But people have invented many religions that are practiced all over the world and each party claims that they are doing it in a right way giving a name to his religion without confirming whether it is acceptable to God or not. However, the Quran being the final edition of scripture has addressed this matter that many of us are not aware of it including those who have read the Quran and claim them scholars.
The careful review of the above verses in the Quran and the relevant instances of the Arabic words in it: deen, haneefan, millata, islam and muslim confirm that God has created us and has given us religion to remember Him. He has given us Monotheism as a religion coding it in Arabic word, haneefan to dedicate our praise and prayers to One god spelling out that there is no god except God coding in the Arabic words, (laa-ilaaha illaa allah, which is very simple to reflect, while He has given us Submission as a religion coding it in the Arabic word, Islam spelling out being practices of Monotheism – a complete set of its practices was first given to Abraham indicating his perfect faith and practices coding in the Arabic word, millat. Thus, those who establish Monotheism in their hearts and practice Submission (Islam) are Submitters, and God has warned us not to die except being Submitters coding it in the Arabic word, muslimeen, while He has made the scripture to be a source of knowledge, guidance, good news, mercy and healing for the submitters.
Peaceful Friday, salaam and God bless.
Tafazzal (10/07/2022).