{Inna ad-deena 'inda Allahi al-islaamu...} {The din with Allah is Islam...} Aal 'Imraan: 19
{Wa man yabtaghi ghaira al-islami deenan fa lan yuqbala minhu wa huwa fiy al-aakhirati min al-khaasireen.} {And whoever desires other than Islam as his way, it will not be accepted from him and he will be in the hereafter among those in loss.} Aal 'Imraan: 85
It is by the grace and mercy of Allah that any of us is granted Islam (submission). Seek refuge in Allah from the hardness of heart (ignorance) which prevents one from submitting their face to Allah. Allah said:
{A fa man sharaha sadrahu lil islaami fa huwa 'alaa nurin min rabbihi fa wailun lil-qaasiyati quloobuhum min dhikri Allahi ulaa'ika fiy dhalaalin mubeen.} {What about one whose breast has been made open to Islam? He is upon a light from his Lord. But woe to those whose hearts have hardened to the remembrance of Allah. These are clearly astray.} Az-Zumar: 22
Islam in the Arabic language means to put oneself in a state of following and submission. In the terminology of the Shari'a, islam means to actively (or: to seek to) submit to Allah Most High by complying with His orders and staying away from His prohibitions. This is the din, the Islam with which Allah sent all of the messengers and the last messenger, Muhammad (sas) in order to take people out of darkness and into light and to guide them to the path which is straight. Thus, Islam is an all-inclusive word which includes all of the din - from the fundamental principles to the finest details and rulings.
Technically, failing to submit to Allah by committing some sin does not remove one from Islam. However, what is critical is that our relationship to Allah be one of submission and Allah can overlook mistakes and errors. That is why if on rejects the ruling of something known in Islam to be obligatory by saying that it is not obligatory upon them personally or upon certain individuals, etc. - they leave Islam altogether by this act.
Similiarly, the scholars have agreed that to continually return to committing a minor sin becomes a major sin. Also, one who returns over and over to a particular sin may have the door to forgiveness closed on them. Allah said:
{Innama at-taubatu 'alaa Allahi lilladhina ya'maloona as-soo'a bi jahaalatin thumma yatooboona min qareebin fa ulaa'ika yatoobu Allahu 'alaihim wa kaana Allahu 'aleeman hakeeman. (17) Wa laisat at-taubatu lilladhina ya'maloona as-sayyi'aati hattaa idhaa hadhara ahadahum al-mautu qaala inniy tubtu al-'aana wa laa alladhina yamootoona wa hum kuffarun ulaa'ika a'tadnaa lahum 'adhaaban aleeman. (18)} {Accepting of repentence is only upon Allah for those who commit evil in ignorance and then repent quickly. These are the ones whose repentence Allah will accept and Allah is the Knower, the Wise. (17) And the acceptance of repentence is not for those who do bad deeds until when death is upon them and then say, "Now I repent." Nor is it for those who die in a state of disbelief. For those we have prepared a painful punishment. (18)} An-Nisaa: 17-18
Allah has given us sufficient knowledge - especially for this Ummah whose message has been preserved against all tampering or damage - for us to worship him and stay on his ordained path. Unfortunately, the nature of man is to be contentious and the clearest of messages and knowledge from Allah may be of no benefit. Allah said:
{...wa kaana al-insaanu akthara shai'in jadalan.} {...and man is the most contentious of all.} Al-Kahf: 54
This was the case with many of the previous nations who divided, disagreed and corrupted the way they had been given to follow, even before the knowledge was lost or changed. Allah said:
{Inna ad-deena 'inda Allahi al-islaamu wa maa ikhtalafa alladhina ootoo al-kitaaba illa min ba'di maa jaa'ahum al-'ilmu baghyan bainahum wa man yakfur bi aayaati Allahi fa inna Allaha saree'u al-hisaab.} {The din with Allah is Islam. Those who were given the book only differed after the knowledge had come to them in transgression against each other. Whoever rejects the signs of Allah - Allah is swift to take to account.} Aal 'Imraan: 19
The only acceptable din is the one ordained by Allah on the tongues of all of the messengers. Allah reminds us of His supreme power, control and omnipotence - something which is generally acknowledged even by the followers of the corrupted previous messages - in order to help us understand that He is the only one worthy of our worship and this worship can only be in the manner ordained by Himself.
{A fa ghaira deeni Allahi yabghoona wa lahu aslama man fiy as-samaawaati wa al-ardhi tau'an wa karhan wa ilaihi yurja'oon.} {Is it other than the din of Allah which they desire? And to Him has submitted all that is in the heavens and the earth - willingly or unwillingly - and unto Him they return.} Aal 'Imraan: 83
Anyone who chooses another way will have their actions rejected and will have no defense before Allah in the hereafter. Din means way of life or path. Choosing another way doesn't only mean saying "I am a Christian" or "I am a Jew". It includes choosing other ways of life other than the one chosen for us by Allah Most High. Allah said:
{Wa man yabtighy ghaira al-islami deenan fa lan yuqbala minhu wa huwa fiy al-aakhirati min al khaasireen.} {And whoever desires other than Islam as their din, it will not be accepted from him and he will be, in the hereafter among those in loss.} Aal 'Imraan: 85
If we turn to Allah, He will turn to us with greater effort. If we walk to Allah, He will run to us. Every move on our part is met with a greater move from Allah Most High. In this way, Allah makes submission easy for those who strive toward Him. Allah said:
{Fa amma man a'taa wa ittaqaa. Wa saddaqa bil husnaa. Fa sanuyassiruhu lil yusraa. Wa amma man bakhila wa istaghnaa. Wa kadh-dhaba bil husnaa. Fa sanuyassiruhu lil 'usraa.} {As for the one who gives and fears Allah. And believes in the ultimate good (reward). We will make his path easy to ultimate ease. As for the one who is miserly and and thinks himself not in any need. And disbelieves in the ultimate good (reward). We will make his path easy to ultimate hardship.} Al-Lail: 5-10
The Prophet (sas) was at a funeral when he said: "There is not a single one of you but that his position in paradise or his position in hell-fire has been written." The companions asked: O Allah's Messenger, should we not just depend on that? He (sas) answered: "Work and strive, for each of you wil find easy that for which he was created. As for the one who is of the people of happiness, it will be made easy for him to perform the actions of the people of happiness. As for the one who is of the people of misery, it will be made easy for him to perform the actions of the people of misery." And then he (sas) recited the above verses. Bukhari & Muslim
So, those who have strayed from Allah and from whom Allah has turned find good deeds difficult and their heart is constricted and miserable to do them while they find the comitting of sins easy, fun and natural. On the other hand, those who have exerted themselves toward Allah and to whom Allah has turned with His infinite Love and Compassion, glide easily and naturally into the doing of good deeds and find all forms of sin distasteful and are filled with grief and hatred for disobedience of Allah when they see it. Most of us live somewhere between these two extremes and our purpose in this life is to seek Allah and seek submission to Allah until He turns to us and makes everything easy in this life and in the hereafter. Allah said:
{Fa man yurid Allahu an yahdiyahu yashrah sadrahu lil islaami wa man yurid an yudhillahu yaj'al sadrahu dhayyiqan harajan ka'annamaa yassa''adu fiy as-samaa'i kadhaalika yaj'alu Allahu ar-rijsa 'alaa alladhina laa yu'minoon.} {Whoever Allah wishes to guide, He expands his heart to submission and whoever He wishes to send astray, He makes his heart constricted and difficult as if he were flying up into the sky. In this manner, Allah places the filth on those who do not believe.} Al-An'aam: 125
To do this is not merely to 'join' Islam, to claim Islam or to align oneself with the Muslims. Rather, it requires that we 'make good' our Islam, that we exert ourselves in individual and collective submission to Allah Most High. Again, the efforts we exert will be countered with something much greater from Allah.
The Prophet (sas) said: "When one of you makes his submission well every good deed he does is recorded for him as 10 like it [or more] up to 700 times while every bad deed he commits is only recorded as one until he meets Allah Most High." Muslim & Bukhari
This submission to Allah is not strictly between an individual and Allah. Submission to Allah cannot be complete until we also act with one another as Allah has commanded us. This is a very important part of Islam. In the following hadith, the Prophet (sas) desiribed it as the core teaching of Islam:
"Innamaa bu'ithtu li utammimu makaarima al-akhlaaq." "I have only been sent to complete the aspects of good character."
A man asked the Prophet (sas): "Which Islam is best?" He (sas) said: "To feed others from your food and to give the greeting of peace to those who you know and those who you do not know." Muslim & Bukhari
Turning to Allah individually and collectively is the only way to safety, peace and security both in this world and in the hereafter.
Umar ibn Al-Khattab (ra) said: "We were lowly and weak then Allah made us mighty with Islam. So when we seek mightiness in other than Islam, Allah humiliates us and brings us low."
Umar (ra) could see this in his time. Imagine how much clearer it has become since!
Once the Romans captured the great Companion Hudhaifa (ra) and a number of other Muslims and took them to their king. The king asked him to leave Islam and become Christian, but he refused. Then he imprisoned him and tortured him but he still refused. Then he didn't feed him for a long time and offered him pork and wine, but Hudhaifa refused them both - he preferred hunger and thirst to them. Next, he offered to marry him to his daughter and share his property with him if he would leave Islam and become a Christian. Still, Hudhaifa refused. Next, he brought a huge vat of boiling water, threw one of the other Muslims in it and cooked him alive while Hudhaifa watched. The King told him that either he leave his religion or he will cook him, too. Hudhaifa began to cry and the king thought he had broken him. He asked him "What has made you cry?" Hudhaifa replied: "I was wishing that I had one hundred souls so I could offer them all in the path of Allah now as I die." Hercules was shocked at his resolve and he said: "Just come and kiss my head and I will let you go." Hudhaifa said: "No, not unless you release all of the Muslims along with me." Hercules said: "I give you that." So, Hudhaifa kissed his head and all of the Muslim prisoners were released and they returned to Madinah. When he returned, the Khalifa Umar ibn Al-Khattab called him and asked him all about what happened which Hudhaifa told him all about. Then, Umar (ra) said: "I want to ask you two questions. First: Why didn't you eat the pork and drink the wine when Allah has made it lawful for the one in necessity saying {But whoever is driven by necessity in a critical situation...} (Al-Ma'idah: 3)? Hudhaifa said: "O ruler of the believers, in order that they would have no chance to detract from Islam." Umar was pleased with this answer. Then, Umar asked: "Why did you kiss Hercules the leader of the Romans?" Hudhaifa answered: "When I placed my mouth on his head I did not kiss him. Rather, I spit on his head but he thought I kissed it. Umar was again pleased with Hudhaifa's actions and he kissed Hudhaifa's head in front of a crowd of people. Then he said: "It is upon every Muslim to kiss the head of Hudhaifa!".
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