07-24-2006, 10:55 PM
Wa'alaikum Assalaam,
The Linguistic Definition of Islam is Submission from the root word "aslama" contrary to the general understanding being spread nowadays about it meaning Peace from the root word Salam".
This is based upon the following verse:
[2-133,134] "Were you witnesses when death appeared before Ya’aqub? He said to his sons: What will you worship after me? They said: We shall worship your god and the god of your fathers Ibrahim, Ismael and Is’haq The One True God to Him we bow in <b>Submission (Islama)</b>. That was a nation that has passed away. They shall reap the fruit of what they did and you of what you do. You will not asked about what they had been doing.." T.M.Q.
The Shariah Definition of Islam is The Deen revealed by Allah to the Final Messenger Muhammed (saw) which organises man’s relationship with himself, with Allah and with other people.
Allah (swt) says: [3-19] "Truly the Deen to Allah is Islam .." [3-85] "If anyone desires a Deen other than Islam, never will it be accepted of him and in the Hereafter he will be among the losers. [5-48] "To you We have sent down the Book in truth confirming the book that came before it and overruling it …To each one among you We have prescribed a Law and a method.." T.M.Q.
The evidential aspect of these verses is that the first two verses refer to Islam, because although the word Islam means submission to Allah, but because in these two verses it has been linked to the word Deen, this means that it implies the Deen of Islam, not the submission to Allah (swt). The word Islam has not been mentioned in relation to a Deen apart from the Shari'ah that Mohammed (saw) has brought. Hence, the meaning of the first verse is that the Deen that is accepted to Allah after the sending of the Messenger of Allah (saw) is the Deen of Islam, and the meaning of the second verse is that anyone who embraces after the sending of Mohammed a Deen other than the Deen of Islam, Allah will not accept it form him and he will be in the Day of Judgement from among the losers.
This is backed by the fact that both Christians and Jews are addressed by the Shari'ah of Islam and they are commanded to abandon their Shari'ahs, and that after the sending of Mohammed (saw), Christianity and Judaism are considered false and their followers are considered Kuffar. This confirms that every Shari'ah after the sending of the Messenger of Allah (saw) other than his Shari'ah is Kufr.
Islam provides rules for all aspects of life organising Man’s relationship with himself, Allah and others. We are obliged to refer to follow them. Allah says [16:89] This book is an explanation for everything : [2-85] T.M.Q. "Then is it only part of the Book that you believe in. And do you reject the rest. The reward of those among you who behave like this is nothing but disgrace in this life, and on the Day of Judgement they shall be consigned to the severest of penalties, for Allah is not unmindful of what you do."