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A common theme expressed by Muslim speakers when addressing audiences with varied backgrounds is the common origin of all humanity from a single mother and father. As the Qur’an says:

[O mankind, indeed We created you from a (single) male and female, and made you into nations and tribes so you may know one another. Truly, the noblest of you in the sight of God is the most righteous of you. Indeed, God is Knowing and Acquainted.] (Al-Hujurat 49:13)

In other words, people all over the world form a single human family comprised of different languages and colours, and also different creeds.

This point is so obvious as not to require further evidence from scripture, but indeed there are other verses of relevance. In particular, various prophets are described as the “brother” of their people, including Prophet Lut (Lot, peace be upon him) who was not even a blood relation (in the immediate sense) of the people of Sodom to whom he was sent:

[The people of Lut denied the messengers, when their brother Lut said to them: “Will you not fear (God)? Indeed, I am to you a trustworthy messenger.”] (Ash-Shu`araa’ 26:160-162)

Admittedly, there is a verse that seems to contradict the notion of a universal human brotherhood, and it appears in the same chapter as the first verse quoted above:

[The believers are but brothers...] (Al-Hujurat 49:10)

However, we should note that technically, what the verse denies is that the believers are anything to one another except a brotherhood. It does not preclude describing the broader human race as a brotherhood. It should also be noted that the Arabic term “ukhuwwah” is not as male-specific as the English translation implies.

In short, there is a brotherhood – and sisterhood – based on faith, and that is what the Muslims share with one another and nobody else. It is the concept of “Ummah”, or a single diverse nation. At the same time, Muslims share with all other children of Adam and Eve a family bond: brotherhood in humanity.

If somebody happens to dislike using this expression for whatever reason, then there is no obligation on him to do so. However, I witnessed a very strange state of affairs a few years ago while I was a volunteer at a British mosque.

An imam was appointed for a period of time, during which he became – it seems – obsessed with the question of “brotherhood in humanity” to the extent of portraying those who spoke of such a concept as having flaws in their faith.

The same applied to the term “Abrahamic faiths”, which he condemned a prominent scholar for using. After all, the Prophet Ibrahim only had one faith! When I tried to explain the nuances in this term – which, I agree, can be misunderstood – saying that the scholar obviously meant that Jews, Christians and Muslims all trace their spiritual heritage back to Abraham, he insisted that there could only be one meaning: and an unacceptable one at that!

This imam was considered as a learned man by the community, and no doubt he had qualifications in religious sciences. However, his ability to grasp other points of view was sorely lacking, and that is a very dangerous problem in a person who is expected to explain the religion with clarity.

I recall, in particular, one sermon he delivered, in which he claimed that “differing” is an evil per se, which would include holding different views on secondary issues, even if a spirit of respect is maintained. To support his view, he quoted some verses out of context, implying that the “disputation” (tanazu`) and “splitting” (tafarruq) dispraised in the Qur’an are equivalent to any “differing” (ikhtilaf).

The confusing thing at the time was the way he blew the “brotherhood in humanity” issue out of all proportion, implying that it was a key slogan of these supposed corrupters of Islam: myself included. Meanwhile, the reality was that it is a simple matter and no other significant claims depend upon it.

I would have loved to discuss the dispute with him in person, until one of us – I hope – would be convinced of the logic of the other perspective. Unfortunately, however, conditions at the time were not conducive to constructive dialogue.

The straw that broke the camel’s back was a lecture by a visiting Muslim scholar, who happened to say to the audience – largely not Muslims – that all people are brothers.

This made the imam very angry, and he turned to a friend of mine and said, among other things: “Do these people want to say that the Prophet (peace be upon him) is the brother of some whore?!” I apologise for using such language even in a quotation; in fact, he used an even worse word from his colloquial Arabic.

I wish he had said it to me, as I would have responded as follows.

First of all, the lack of manners is not being shown by those who would implicitly suggest that the Blessed Messenger is related – through Prophet Adam – to this “whore”, but the disrespect is being shown by the one who came up with this outrageous example.

It is disrespectful to this hypothetical woman, and also to the Prophet (peace be upon him), whose name is worthy of being kept far away from bad language. Moreover, it is disrespectful to the people this imam disagreed with, such as myself, because we would never have deemed it acceptable to utter such crude words.

Secondly, in answer to the question as put: yes, of course the Prophet Muhammad – like all of us – is related to that woman just as he is to all of us, Muslim or not, through the ties of humanity. Indeed, it is the greatest of God’s blessings that He sent us messengers from among our own kind, living and breathing like us, striving and bleeding like us, so we may take them as models of behaviour as well as following the guidance revealed to them.

Strangely, this man in his crude question did not specify the faith of the “whore”. Could she be a believer, a Muslimah? Of course she can, as a person can commit the most egregious sins and yet remain within the fold of Islam, a sinner from whom repentance is awaited.

Therefore, by his own standards, this imam should have realised that there is nothing to contradict her being related to the Prophet by the same relationship as between the rest of the human race, and even through the bonds of faith. If he has a problem conceiving this fact, then the problem is his alone.

One of the main things I learned from this otherwise unfortunate experience is the importance of keeping a sense of proportion in disagreements, which can be healthy if truth is sought thereby.

Rather than rushing to judge a person for a statement which seems mistaken or problematic, we should seek in the first place to understand what the speaker meant, and whether it is our own understanding that needs improvement. Judging people’s intentions is a very grave matter.

If we feel sure that the mistake is with the other party, then it is our duty to offer them whatever knowledge we have, using the most convincing evidence and reasoning.

This is assuming that the other party is interested in rational dialogue, which should indeed be our default assumption. If we find otherwise, then the Qur’an teaches us another standard:

[The servants of the Most Gracious are those who walk upon the earth gently, and if the ignorant address them, they say: “Peace!”] (Al-Furqan 25:63)

It is a common practice of Muslim scholars writing on some field of knowledge to define its basic terms; when it comes to Arabic words, this involves looking at their root meanings as well as their usage.

This practice is certainly useful when seeking to understand Islam as a faith and way of life, as there are many things to learn from the very fact that it is so named. Generally speaking, when naming something new, or a new addition to the family, we choose a name that reflects the appropriate and desired meanings.

In this article, we shall explore five significant features of the name Islam, making special reference to how the Qur’an speaks of Islam and being Muslim. We shall note that the word reflects the concept of peace, that it is a name used right from the start, that it was specially chosen by the Creator, that it reflects an action and way of life, and that its meaning has a universal meaning and appeal.

A Meaning of Peace

The root S-L-M, from which the word Islam derives, has the essential meaning of being free of any flaws or harmful things. Thus the derivatives of this root include salāmah which indicates soundness and safety, and of course salām which means “peace”.

The verb-form islām thus conveys entering into a state of peace and security; in short, this is what we refer to as “submission”. The active participle of the verb, i.e. the word for “submitter”, is muslim.

It may not be clear how important it is to look at the three-letter root of a word to understand its import, but this is something significant in the Arabic language. At the same time, it may seem like an exaggeration to state, as Muslims often do, that “Islam means peace”. Some critics point out that submission is not the same as peace, and some go further and suggest that submission is something undesirable.

In fact, the Qur’an uses a number of different terms to refer to this religion, and one of them is the word Peace itself. In the second chapter [2:102], God says: {O you who believe, enter into Al-Silm completely and do not follow the footsteps of Satan.} This word form means the opposite of war (i.e. peace!) and is used here as an exact equivalent to saying “Islam”, according to commentators. This means that our religion is indeed called Peace, just as it is called Submission and numerous other secondary names.

Islam is not only “a religion of peace”: it is the religion of life, which means that it provides guidance for all situations that arise in our troubled world. Yet even aggression is to be met with high virtues in the pursuit of peace.

The goal is not to “make the world submit”, as some misunderstand, but to invite each soul to its own wilful surrender to the Creator alone, not to any human force or worldly desire. This is the true source of inner and outer peace, and is the most liberating concept ever taught to humanity.

As well as attention to linguistic roots, we also must differentiate between the general meanings of a word, and its technical meaning in context. In this case, the difference is between what we may describe as “small-i islam” which means to live a life submitted to God, and “big-I Islam” which is the well-known religion, whose adherents declare that “There is none to be worshipped but God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God.” This declaration is what entitles a person to be known as a (“big-M”) Muslim, a member of the worldwide community of Islam.

Of course, the Arabic language does not have capital letters, so what we really intend is to distinguish between submission as a religious ideal in general, and its usage as a proper noun – or what philosophers call its “reified” meaning.

When we look at the numerous references to “Islam” in the Qur’an, some could be understood in both ways, but others clearly show that Allah has chosen this name for His religion and named those who follow it “Muslims” (submitters).

A Historical Name

Almighty God declares in the Qur’an that all of creation is submitted to Him [3:83] and that He, being the only true Deity, is the One to Whom human submission is due [22:34]. The “best religion” is to “submit one’s face to God and do good” [2:112]. The same term appears frequently in the stories of the Prophets, from which we shall mention a few examples.

The patriarch Abraham (on whom be peace) is declared as having been neither Jewish nor Christian, but in fact “upright in religion, a Muslim” [3:67]. When he was commanded to submit, he said immediately “I have submitted myself to the Lord of the Worlds” [2:131].

When he was called upon to sacrifice his first-born son Ishmael, they both submitted to this divine command [37:103], until Allah announced that they had passed the test. When building the Sacred Mosque in Makkah, they prayed together that God would raise up from their descendants “a Muslim nation” [2:128].

The prophets after Abraham are described as “those who submitted” [5:44], which of course does not deprive those before him of the same virtue. Prophet Jacob (on whom be peace) entrusted his children on his deathbed that they must follow the religion of their forefathers Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac (peace be upon them) and not die except as Muslims [2:133].

The Pharaoh who opposed Moses (on whom be peace) vainly declared at the moment of death that he believed in the God of Israel and was “one of the Muslims” [10:90]. The disciples of Jesus (on whom be peace) were inspired to believe, so they did so and said: “Bear witness that we are Muslims.” [5:111]

All of this goes to show that the “Religion of Submission” (Deen al-Islam) is both grounded in nature and rooted in history. As for its usage in the context of the last chapter of prophethood, we find a number of relevant passages in the Qur’an:

{Truly the religion in the sight of God is Islam…} [3:19]

{Whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted from him and he will be one of the losers in the Hereafter.} [3:85]

{…This day I have perfected for you your religion, and completed My favors upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your way of life…} [5:3]

{He it is Who named you Muslims before and in this (Qur’an)…} [22:78]

{Who is better in speech than one who invites to God, works righteousness and says, ‘I am of the Muslims’?} [41:33]

A Divine Gift

One may question what the relevance is of showing that the Qur’an is the source for the name used by Muslims everywhere today in reference to their own identity and way of life, in addition to showing its history on the tongues of prophethood. The fact is that a name is an essential component to identity, and so one should take pride in the virtues embodied in a name that was chosen by the Creator.

The names of certain modern religions were chosen by their human founders, while the older religions tend to have more mystery surrounding the origin of their names. We also find names that were coined by people external to the tradition. New Testament passages suggest that the first people to use the word “Christian” (or rather, its original language version) were the religion’s critics, but then the term became used by its followers as a badge of honour.[1]

Followers of Muhammad (on whom be peace) have also had various unwanted labels attached to them, yet none of these was adopted by Muslims in preference to their original name. For example, “Mohammedan” implies worship of Muhammad in the way that Christians worship the Christ.

Furthermore, while it cannot be correctly said that Jesus was a Christian – or that Jesus or Moses (peace be upon them) taught Christians and Jews to use these names – it is the case that Muhammad (on whom be peace) was indeed a Muslim submitted to God, thus providing the perfect example of a worshipper in front of his people.

Just as the imam who leads any congregational prayer will stand ahead of the others but perform the same submissive actions facing the same direction, so did the Prophet – like those before him – show all men and women how to worship Allah in all aspects of life.

{Say (O Muhammad): ‘Truly my prayer, my sacrifice, my life and my death are for God, Lord of the worlds; He has no partner. Thus I have been commanded, and I am the first of the Muslims.’} [6:162-3]

Thus the Prophet was first in line to submit to Allah, and the foremost in obedience to Him. Chronologically, he was the first member of the Qur’anic community to follow its message, but of course, as we have shown in the verses above, he was not the first Muslim in history.

Muhammad was a believer and submitter just as his brother-prophets (peace be upon them all), including the Messiah Jesus and those who followed his way, as opposed to the religion built upon claims surrounding his noble person.

A Way of Life

It is worth taking a closer look at the word Islam. What type of word is it? It is a verbal noun, i.e. the name for an action, and this fact has its own significance. It means that Islam as a religion is defined by this act of submission, which goes beyond a single action to being a comprehensive way of life.

When someone becomes a Muslim, the way of speaking about this in Arabic is not to say that she “converted” – or even “reverted” as many Muslims prefer to say. Rather, the word that is used is islam, so it is as though we have said: “Sarah islam’d (submitted) last month.”

This meaning of repentance and conversion is also found in the Qur’an, such as in the story of the Queen of Sheba [27:44] and the Bedouin Arabs [49:17]. The People of the Book, namely Jews and Christians, are addressed with an invitation to “submit” [3:20], meaning to recognize the last Prophet, Muhammad (peace be upon him) and live by the law revealed to him.

Studying the etymology of the names of world religions, it becomes clear that many have been named in one way or another after their followers. For example, Judaism is the religion of the Judaic people[2]. Even Christianity, with its linguistic connection to Christ[3], derives from the name of the Christians rather than the other way round.

Muslims, on the other hand, take their name from Islam. They are named by the action that defines them: their submission to God, manifested in absolute monotheism as well as belief in the final Prophet and divine Book.

A Universal Message

It follows that Islam is a universal meaning not bound to any group of people, nor even to any particular figure or event in history. It is another word for true religion itself, and is the direct relationship between any worshipper – human, animal or even inanimate – and the only Being worthy of worship.

Thus everyone who believes that submission is the duty of all creatures towards their Creator will strive to perfect his islam (small-i) even if he is not among those who have chosen to follow the guidance brought by Muhammad, the last in the line of prophets teaching and exemplifying this submission.

When Muslims invite others to their religious path, they are inviting neither to something strange or novel, nor to an exclusive club. It is the revival of the human spirit; the echo of the prophetic call.

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[2] “Judaism” derives from Yehudah (Judah), the fourth son of Jacob and thus one of the Israelite tribes. Since Judah is not considered a founder of the religion in the way that Moses is, the use of his name is actually due to various political and historical factors.

[3] Even though the name “Christian” comes from “Christ”, which originates in the Greek translation of Moshiach (Messiah), the name of the religion comes from “Christian” as shown in the biblical references provided in Note 1. Of course this observation applies to the name used in the English language.

On a related note, I have noticed an increase in usage lately of the phrase “The Muslim Jesus”. Former Cambridge professor Tarif Khalidi wrote a fascinating compilation of Muslim traditions related to the Prophet Jesus (on whom be peace), and there was an ITV documentary broadcast in 2007 by the same title. Emel magazine has given this title to its latest issue, as did – more surprisingly – the New Statesman magazine of 14th December 2009. The latter featured an in-depth, very interesting article by Mehdi Hasan in which he outlined Islamic doctrine concerning this great prophet, and explored its significance in the field of inter-religious dialogue.

One particularly interesting excerpt that chimes with my experience:

But the real significance of Mary is that Islam considers her a virgin and endorses the Christian concept of the Virgin Birth. “She was the chosen woman, chosen to give birth to Jesus, without a husband,” says Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra, an imam in Leicester and assistant secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB). This is the orthodox Islamic position and, paradoxically, as Seyyed Hossein Nasr notes in ‘The Heart of Islam’, “respect for such teachings is so strong among Muslims that today, in interreligious dialogues with Christians . . . Muslims are often left defending traditional . . . Christian doctrines such as the miraculous birth of Christ before modernist interpreters would reduce them to metaphors.”

For what it’s worth, I question how effective the expression “Muslim Jesus” actually is, as it seems to miss the point that religious people today, like millions throughout history, have exerted their efforts to understand the implications of this unique man’s short life on earth and the message he brought. Indeed, this struggle was manifested in the earliest days in divisions between competing sects – which repeatedly turned towards violence and oppression. Did each group have its own Jesus, or was there a greater truth at stake?

To Muslims, Jesus (on whom be peace) is an example to be followed, a perfect worshipper of Almighty God. This is what we must contribute to the discourse first and foremost, as we understand Islam (wilful submission to God) to be the religion of Jesus and all prophets and their followers. Thus we expect all religious people to seek to be the best “small-m muslims” they can be, even if they do not agree with us that this consists in being a “big-M Muslim” who follows Muhammad, the successor to Jesus – peace be upon them.

Religious scholars, politicians and experts agree that a Muslim dialogue initiative for the Christian world needs action to address all the challenges still standing between the followers of the two Abrahamic faiths.

“I think what we are addressing… is how to develop out of ‘A Common Word’ a common work together and common partnership,” John Esposito, professor of International Affairs and Islamic Studies at Georgetown University, told IslamOnline.net.

Esposito was among a galaxy of international religious scholars and experts participating in a two-day conference sponsored by Georgetown’s Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding and the office of Georgetown University President.

The conference, “A Common Word Between Us and You: A Global Agenda for Change”, is a follow-up on an October 2007 letter from Muslim scholars to the world’s Christian clergy urging dialogue to declare the common ground between Islam and Christianity.

For more details of the project itself, see the official website: A Common Word Between Us and You

Here is the A. Yusuf Ali translation of the verses recited:

{ So (give) glory to God, when ye reach eventide and when ye rise in the morning;
Yea, to Him be praise, in the heavens and on earth; and in the late afternoon and when the day begins to decline.
It is He Who brings out the living from the dead, and brings out the dead from the living, and Who gives life to the earth after it is dead: and thus shall ye be brought out (from the dead).
Among His Signs in this, that He created you from dust; and then,- behold, ye are men scattered (far and wide)!
And among His Signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that ye may dwell in tranquillity with them, and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts): verily in that are Signs for those who reflect.
And among His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the variations in your languages and your colours: verily in that are Signs for those who know.
And among His Signs is the sleep that ye take by night and by day, and the quest that ye (make for livelihood) out of His Bounty: verily in that are signs for those who hearken. }

[Ar-Rum 30:17-23]

As Christian church attendances continue to fall, more church property may transfer to Muslim ownership. “There is sometimes opposition,” said Sohaib Saeed, a young volunteer imam and scholar at Cairo’s renowned Al Azhar University. “But others appreciate that the buildings are still put to religious use. I remember passing a church that had become a nightclub, seeing people outside with glasses of beer and feeling regretful, not because I thought it should be a mosque but because I wished it had still been a place of worship.”

Read the whole thing here: Empty churches, full mosques

Do check out this informative and entertaining article by Mr Moo (Musab Bora), which originally appeared in the Guardian: Is Eid the Muslim Christmas?

Speaking of Muslims and Christmas, below I’ve reproduced an article by yours truly, published (in reduced form) last Christmas in the Edinburgh Evening News…

A Muslim at Christmas

Christmas is all around – and it starts in October, as far as advertisers are concerned. Growing up as a non-Christian child in Scotland, I have always been struck by the conflicting messages underpinning the festive period.

The Christmas of Dickens and Hollywood is all about family, compassion and goodwill to all – the “Christmas Spirit” which stands in for core religious values. The Christmas of my schoolmates was about demanding expensive gifts and, by a certain age, getting drunk (which most things were about by then). In the world of grown-ups, many still depend on alcohol for their festive cheer.

Where is Jesus in all this? There are people who celebrate Christmas (or “Xmas”) without celebrating Christ. Muslims, on the other hand, are a people who celebrate Christ without celebrating Christmas – and indeed there are plenty of Christians who would describe themselves in just the same way.

To us, loving Jesus the Messiah, son of Mary, is integral to faith. It is considered disrespectful to mention his name without invoking prayers of peace upon him. He was among God’s noblest prophets, preaching the same message as all those sent before him: worship God alone and live virtuous lives. The final messenger who came after him, Muhammad, taught us about the many miracles carried out by God upon Jesus’ blessed hands, such as healing the leprous and even raising the dead.

Of course there is another miracle in which Jesus (peace be upon him) had no hand himself, namely his unique birth to a virgin mother. In this age of scepticism, such faith is an important commonality between Muslims and Christians, who both affirm God’s power to do whatever He wills.

We are assuming here that Christmas is an originally Christian festival, although the evidence of history says otherwise. Apart from the nativity story itself, the symbols of Christmas and even the date have pagan origins according to modern scholarship.

So how do Muslims feel during the festive period? Some ignore it entirely. A few try to satisfy their children’s commercialised cravings by getting gifts, maybe even putting up a tree and calling it an “Eid tree”. What is for sure is that nobody gets offended by it, as some tabloids love to claim every year. I still remember the front-page announcement by the Express: “Christmas is banned: it offends Muslims”. The facts: no it’s not, and no it doesn’t!

Christmas can bring out the best in people: the spirit of giving gifts and spending time with family is something we can all celebrate.

I’m not certain of the juristic positions of the respective faiths on this matter, but I do recall a rabbi mentioning in an inter-faith discussion I attended that he would have no discomfort in performing his prayers in a mosque if welcomed, whereas he would not do the same in a church.

They have proved a hit from Morocco to Indonesia and were recently named as one of the top 20 trends sweeping the world by Forbes magazine. Now they are being brought to British television by Endemol, the production company behind Big Brother, with a mission to instill Islamic values in children across all faiths. [...]

They were created by Dr Naif al-Mutawa, a clinical psychologist from Kuwait, who felt Muslim children needed a new set of heroes to look up to, to counter jihadist role models. [...]

Dr al-Mutawa hopes the cartoons will have a universal appeal. He said: “It is based on attributes such as generosity and mercy. These are not things that Islam has a monopoly over.”

One rather strange point in the Independent’s report was the claim that “there will never be a full cast of 99 superheroes since it is forbidden to depict all Allah’s attributes.” I can’t see what this statement is based on, and there are two further problems with it: (1) God’s attributes cannot truly be portrayed in the first place, but these are characters just reflecting some aspect of the “99 Names”; (2) Although it’s not commonly known, God has more than 99 names, as evidenced in a supplication taught by the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), in which we say:

“O Allah, I am your servant, son of Your servant, son of Your maidservant. My forelock is in Your hand; Your command over me is forever executed; Your decree over me is just. I ask You by every name belonging to You which You named Yourself with, or revealed in Your Book, or You taught to any of Your creation, or You have preserved in the knowledge of the unseen with You, that You make the Qur’an the springtime of my heart and the light of my breast, and a departure for my sorrow and release from my anxiety.”