The word ISLAM has a two-fold meaning 1) Peace and 2) Submitting ones will to Allah. This submission requires a fully conscious and willing effort to submit to Allah. One must consciously and conscientiously give oneself to the service of Allah. This means to act on what Allah enjoins all of us to do (in the Qur'an) and what Muhammad (Sallal Lahu Alaihi wa Sallam) encouraged us to do in his Sunnah (his lifestyle and sayings personifying the Qur'an). Once we humble ourselves, rid ourselves of our egoism and submit totally to Allah, and to Him exclusively, in faith and in action, we will surely feel peace in our hearts. Establishing peace in our hearts will bring about peace in our external conduct as well.



Islam is careful to remind us that it not a religion to be paid mere lip service; rather it is an all-encompassing way of life that must be practiced continuously for it to be Islam. The Muslim must practice the five pillars of the religion: the declaration of faith in the oneness of Allah and the prophet-hood of Muhammad  (Sallal Lahu Alaihi wa Sallam), prayer, fasting the month of Ramadan, alms-tax, and the pilgrimage to Makkah; and believe in the six articles of faith: belief in God, the Holy Books, the prophets, the angels, the Day of Judgment and God's decree, whether for good or ill.



There are other injunctions and commandments which concern virtually all facets of one's personal, family and civic life. These include such matters as diet, clothing, personal hygeine, interpersonal relations, business ethics, responsibilities towards parents, spouse and children, marriage, divorce and inheritance, civil and criminal law, fighting in defense of Islam, relations with non-Muslims, and so much more.



Allah Says in the Glorious Qu'ran Surah Aal e Imran 3 : 19 "Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam".

Glorious Qu'ran Surah Aal e Imran 3 : 85 "And whoever desires other than Islam as religion - never will it be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers. (Sahih International)

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Islam literally means submission and adherence to the commands of Allah The Almighty. In this sense, Islam includes apparent acts of worship, as stated by the Prophet  in the Hadeeth of Jibreel (Gabriel) . The Prophet  stated that Islam testifies that there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, involves performing Salah (prayer), giving Zakaah (obligatory almsgiving), Saum fasting the month of Ramadhaan and perform the Hajj (pilgrimage), for those who can afford it. [Sahih Bukhari Vol No. 1 Bk 2 Hadees 7]

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Eemaan [faith] refers to belief and the Prophet  defined it in the same above Hadeeth. He  stated that Eemaan is to believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, His Messengers, the Hereafter and Fate, whether good or bad. Eemaan in this sense is hidden. If both are mentioned separately they refer to one another, in other words, if we call someone a Muslim, it means that this person is a believer, and vice versa.

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Scholars conclude that if both Islam and Eemaan are mentioned in the same context, each has its distinctive meaning, as mentioned in the Hadeeth, whereas each term has the meaning of both terms if mentioned alone in a context. Therefore, Islam and Eemaan (faith) are interrelated as well as inseparable. The deeds of the person who declares the two testimonies of faith, performs Salah (prayers), gives Zakaah (obligatory almsgiving) etc. are of no significance unless he has  innermost belief in Allah, His angels, His Books, His Messengers, the Hereafter etc. Otherwise, the person will be a hypocrite who says with his tongue what is not in his heart. Similarly, a person's belief in Allah, His angels, His Books etc. will be useless and not avail him if he does not act according to the two testimonies of faith, perform his prayers etc. Allah the Almighty Says (what means): "And they rejected them, while their [inner] selves were convinced thereof, out of injustice and haughtiness. So see how was the end of the corrupters". [Al-Quran Surah Naml 27:14]



A Muslim may be described as a disbeliever if a person practices Islamic rituals before people but his heart is not convinced about what he does or does not believe in what he does. This is similar to the case of the hypocrites and the Bedouins at the dawn of Islam  who embraced Islam and said that there  were believers just to gain protection for themselves and their wealth. Allah the Almighty Says (what means): {The Bedouins say, "We have believed." Say, "You have not [yet] believed; but say [instead], 'We have submitted,' for faith has not yet entered your hearts.}[Al-Quran Surah Hujurat 49:14]

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A person cannot be described as a believer unless he is originally a Muslim, because Eemaan is a special degree, whereas Islam is a general description for every person who declares the two testimonies of faith and applies the apparent ordinances of Islam. Furthermore, a Muslim may not be a believer, but a believer is certainly a Muslim.



Reference:  www.islamweb.com



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