Islam and Muslim

By Farid Ahmed

What is Islam?
Islam is a code of life. It is not man made but it has come from our creator, Allah. Our Creator created mankind
and He did not want them to live in confusion, that’s why He gave us a way of life. Our Creator created mankind
with a noble purpose of life and He gave them a noble divine code to help them how to fulfill that noble purpose.

Is Islam just a religion with few rituals? Will the Creator give guidance about a few areas of life and leave the
rest to wonder around? Or will the Creator provide a complete code of life for His creation? Allah answers that
question in the Holy Quran [5.3]

This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favor upon you, and have chosen Islam as your
religion for you.

What does the word ‘Islam’ mean? It means submission to the will of Allah. Islam therefore is for the entire
mankind. It is not a cult. It is universal. Islam began from the first man, Adam and his wife, Eve. Islam is the
religion for all Allah’s messengers. They all submitted to the will of one Allah. Allah reveals that truth in the Holy
Quran 2.136

You say (to them): “We believe in Allah, and the revelation given to us, and to Ibrahim (Abraham), Ismail
(Ishmael), Ishaq (Isaac), Yaqoub (Jacob), and the Tribes, and that given to Musa (Moses), and Isa (Jesus), and
that given to (all) prophets from their Lord: We make no difference between one and another of them and
we bow to Allah (In Islam).”

Then the next question is: Is Islam the only true religion with Allah? Did Allah send different codes with different
contradictory messages to divide the mankind? Does it make sense that one Allah would send different
messengers to call for worshipping different gods? Allah answers that question to remove confusion from
human minds [Quran 3.19]

The true religion with Allah is Islam (Submission to His will), the people of the Book did not differ, except by
the envy of each other, after knowledge had come to them.

So to summarise the answer to the question of “What is Islam” is:

1. Islam is submission to the will of Allah
2. Islam is a complete code of life from Allah
3. Islam Is a universal code of life in all ages
4. All the messengers of Allah followed and taught Islam
5. Islam is the true religion with Allah
6. Islam is the perfect religion, perfect message, and perfect code of life because it is the guidance from
the perfect God, the perfect All-Knowing God, Almighty Allah.

Islam is perfect but are Muslims perfect?

Some basic differences between Islam and Muslims are as following:
1. Islam is perfect but Muslims are not, only exception is Prophets because Allah protects them from
mistakes to make them the ideal example.
 2. Islam is a code from the perfect Allah but Muslim is from an imperfect human being
3. Islam is not being tested but Muslims are being tested by Allah
4. Islam is not created with good and bad. But Muslim is created with good and bad desires as a part of
test.
5. Islam is not rated “Good Islam, better Islam or best Islam” in the sight of Allah, but Muslim is rated as
good Muslim, better Muslim or best Muslim depending on their sincerity in faith and practice according
to the Islamic code etc

What is the lesson of the difference between Islam and Muslim?

The lessons are:
 One should never look at Islam and Muslim as the same
 One must study Islam if looking for divine guidance, not just from Muslims
 One must not judge Islam by some wrong doings of Muslims
 Accepting Islam is to obey Allah, not to obey some Muslims with wrong actions etc.
 Islam doesn’t have difference in standards but Muslims have different standards in terms of practice.
 Follow Islam for your own salvation and don’t lose your focus for some bad apples.

Different kinds of Muslims

Muslims are in the test. In this test if a Muslim follows Islamic code he/she will pass. Allah is testing Muslims on
whether they follow Islamic code in their life: in open or in secret, willingly or unwillingly, in abundance or in
difficulties, in happiness or in sadness, in healthy time or in sick time, in good times or in hard times and so on.

Muslim is the one who registers his obedience with Allah and takes the rules to obey. Just like a student
registering with a university and agrees to obey university rules. Though registration is not the pass certificate
but it puts a student to the right path to achieve a certificate if he works hard. Without registration no one can
demand for a certificate even if he studied a lot in his own home.

A Muslim registers his loyalty to Allah and agrees to follow His commands in life. Without that registration with
Allah a good person will reap benefit of being good only in this world. But to receive Paradise from Allah one
must register his faith in Allah, in Allah’s Day of Judgment, In Allah’s paradise and he has to follow Allah’s code.
Like different kinds of students, Muslims are different too. Few examples below:
1. Some students are unsure what they want to be. May be parents pushed them into study. Some Muslims
are like that just following their parents.
2. Some students are not sincere in study. Some Muslims are like that, not sincere in faith. They may
identify as Muslims for some benefit. They are called Hypocrite.
3. Some students don’t study well. Some Muslims are like that. They don’t study Quran and Sunnah. They
do lot of bad things out of ignorance.
4. Some students don’t practice university code properly due to mischievous nature. Some Muslims are
like that. They follow whatever their desires suit and avoid if otherwise. They are called Fasiq (Non
Practicing Muslim).
5. Some students are very sincere, studious, hard-working, highly motivated, and want to excel. Like that
some Muslims are sincere, knowledgeable, best in moral character, God fearing, peaceful, loving, and
humble in worshipping Allah and so on. If you are a Muslim, you want to be in this category to pass in
the test set by Allah to be fortunate, to excel and to be in Paradise that Allah has promised for true
Muslims.