“Whoever seeks a way other than Islam, it will never be accepted from them, and in the Hereafter they will be among the losers.”
(Al-i ‘Imran, 3:85)
From the time of the first human being, Prophet Adam (as), Allah the Almighty (swt) has been sending prophets and books to guide humanity. The foundation of all divine religions is the belief in “tawhid,” which can be described as the exclusive worship of Allah (swt). In this context, Islam represents the overarching divine faith based on tawhid, signifying the act of surrender to Allah. Additionally, Islam is the specific name of the final religion conveyed through the Prophet Muhammad (saw).
The divine truths sent throughout human history have gradually been forgotten or altered as time passed. Yet, Allah the Almighty has consistently reminded us of these forgotten or distorted truths through the prophets and books He has sent. “Islam, which is the last link in the tradition of revelation that began with the Prophet Adam, is the name of the restatement of the divine message that was conveyed by the prophets but was forgotten in time or was subjected to some distortions by human beings, to be permanent until the Day of Judgment.” (Omer Faruk Harman, Encyclopedia of Islam, art. Islam)
The divine proclamation in the Qur’an, the final divine scripture, “Today I have perfected your faith for you, completed My favor upon you, and chosen Islam as your way.” (Ma‘idah, 5:3), is an expression of the fact that Islam is not only the last religion but also complete and perfect. Thus, by revealing the Holy Qur’an, which contains the most perfect form of the principles of faith and practice that humanity needs, Allah the Almighty (swt) has perfected the religion called Islam. This faith has been transmitted since the time of the first prophet, Adam (as), to fulfill the requirements of diverse societies inhabiting different corners of the world in realms of intellect, existence, and civilization, persisting until the Day of Judgment. As such, Muslims possess fundamental principles that empower them to address novel challenges they encounter, employing jurisprudence rooted in the light of the Qur’an and the sunnah (Kur’an Yolu, vol. 2, p. 216).
The mention of Islam as the chosen religion in the verse serves as a declaration that only Islam is the religion acceptable before Allah. (Nasafi, Madarik al-Tanzil, 1:427) Furthermore, the verse, “Certainly, Allah’s only Way is Islam” (Al-i ‘Imran, 3:19) presents another articulation of this truth. It is an affirmation that obedience and devotion are exclusively owed to Allah the Almighty, entailing adherence to His decrees and prohibitions.
Similarly, the verse, “Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian; he submitted in all uprightness and was not a polytheist.” (Al-i ‘Imran, 3:67) is another proof of the necessity of the belief in tawhid, which involves acknowledging solely Allah as the true deity and yielding in submission to Him, refraining from associating partners with Allah or embracing corrupted religions (Maturidi, Ta’wilat Ahl al-Sunnah, 2/331-332). The verse proclaiming that those who seek a religion other than Islam will not be accepted and will be losers in the Hereafter (Al-i ‘Imran, 3:85) is a divine declaration of the fact that Islam, the final and perfect religion, is the only religion that will lead to salvation in this world and the Hereafter. In fact, as elucidated through the parables in the Qur'an, the injustice, oppression, and immoral lifestyles prevalent in contemporary times, as well as in past civilizations that met ruin, serve as concrete illustrations of the consequences that arise when one departs from Islam, which embodies complete submission to Allah.
There is a strong correspondence between the lexical meaning of the word Islam “to be bound, to obey, to surrender, to be in peace and prosperity” and its terminological meaning “to embrace with one’s whole being all that the Prophet Muhammad revealed in the name of religion and to be in a submission that demonstrates this fact” (Kur’an Yolu, vol. 1, pp. 522-525). In this sense, Islam is not only accepting the existence and unity of Allah in the heart but also submitting to His commandments and prohibitions and demonstrating this in practice (Raghib, al-Mufradat, art. slm). Islam, which means submission to Allah, comprises a holistic entity encompassing its bedrock principles of faith and devotion, the stipulations of halal (permissible) and haram (forbidden), in addition to righteous deeds and good morals. Faith and Islam are the sum total of all these.
In addition to these truths, the contentions that faith alone suffices, that divine revelation and a prophet are unnecessary, or that the prophet merely acts as a messenger thereby negating the need for the sunnah, will carry no weight within the Muslim perspective. This is because Muslims are fully aware that a perception of religion that excludes the Qur’an and the sunnah from daily life strays significantly from Islam as defined by these primary sources. These truths also confer a crucial responsibility upon all Muslims—an obligation to exemplify Islam. Every member of the Islamic community is duty-bound to live Islam authentically, setting a model not only for their Muslim brothers and sisters, particularly within their families and immediate circles but ultimately for all of humanity. It remains undeniable that both in the present and in history, some individuals aim to attribute certain flaws and shortcomings observed within Muslim societies to the Islamic faith. No conscientious Muslim can lead a life that inadvertently allows Islam to be criticized due to their own mistakes. On the contrary, they should endeavor to be devout believers whose lives radiate the virtues of Islam across all domains, spanning from acts of worship to family life, and extending from social interactions to business endeavors.
As the Prophet (saw) said, a Muslim is the one from whom other Muslims are safe (Muslim, Iman, 65). The best of Muslims are those who, when they are seen, Allah the Almighty, are remembered (Ibn Majah, Zuhd, 4). In addition, the worship, commandments, and prohibitions in the Qur’an, the righteous deeds, and other moral beauties mentioned together with faith emphasize the importance of being in compliance with Islam and living as a Muslim. All these are not only indicators of humanity’s need for the life-giving principles of Islam but also expressions of the responsibility of Muslims to represent Islam.
