How Islam defines a Muslim and a non-Muslim

Define a Muslim, and a Non-Muslim

Conclusion

In the sources, a Muslim is someone who submits to Allah. They bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His messenger, and their Islam rests on prayer, zakat, fasting and pilgrimage. Iman (faith) is the deeper grade, where that submission is affirmed in the heart. The sources most clearly describe a non-Muslim as someone who rejects this testimony, or who believes in Allah but rejects some of His messengers. A Muslim who sins remains a Muslim.

Reflection & guidance

Meaning
In its broad sense, "Muslim" means one who submits to Allah, which is how earlier prophets described themselves. In its specific sense, it means a follower of the final law brought by Muhammad, which replaced the earlier codes T3.
Guidance from the Qur'an
The verses call the reader to move beyond outward submission until faith truly enters the heart, and promise that obedience to Allah and His Messenger will not go unrewarded Q1. They also warn against denying someone's Islam for worldly motives Q4.
Guidance from the Sunnah
The Prophet taught the reader to declare contentment "with Allah as my Lord, with Islam as my religion and Muhammad as a Messenger", and promised forgiveness to the one who says it H4.
Guidance from the scholars
Ibn Kathir reads 49:14 as showing that, for Ahl al-Sunnah, faith is a higher grade than Islam. He cites the Prophet correcting Sa'd: "Or say, a Muslim" T1. Ibn Kathir also records that the Companions were rebuked for killing a man who greeted them with salam, because the greeting is a sign of Islam T4. Al-Mubarakfuri explains being "pleased with Islam as religion" as accepting all its commands and prohibitions (C2).

Qur'an & Tafsir

Summary

Islam means submitting to Allah and obeying His commands; it was the religion of every prophet, and the only religion Allah accepts Q2 T2. The Qur'an separates outward submission (islam) from faith that has entered the heart (iman), but it still counts the outward submitter as a Muslim Q1.

Key points

People who believe in Allah but reject some of His messengers, saying "we believe in some but reject others", are called "the disbelievers in reality" Q11 T5.
Believers are told not to say to someone who greets them with salam ("peace"), "You are not a believer". Outward signs of Islam must be accepted Q4.

References

Q1Al-Hujurat 49:14 · The Rooms
Q2Ali 'Imran 3:19 · Family of Imran
Q4An-Nisa 4:94 · The Women
Q11An-Nisa 4:151 · The Women
T2Maarif-ul-Quran on 3:19
T5Tafsir Ibn Kathir on 2:136

Sunnah

Summary

The Prophet said Islam is built on five pillars: bearing witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His servant and messenger, prayer, zakat (obligatory alms), pilgrimage and the Ramadan fast (H1, Sahih). Hearing a herdsman bear that witness in the call to prayer, he declared the man "out of the Fire" (H5, Sahih). H1 H5

Key points

In the fuller sense, "a Muslim is he from whose hand and tongue the Muslims are safe" (H7, Sahih). This sets a standard of conduct, not only a label. H7

References

H1Sahih Muslim 113 · The Book of Faith
Authenticity
- Sahih — the whole collection is accepted as authentic (Sahih Muslim)
H5Sahih Muslim 847 · The Book of Prayers
Authenticity
- Sahih — the whole collection is accepted as authentic (Sahih Muslim)
H7Sahih Muslim 162 · The Book of Faith
Authenticity
- Sahih — the whole collection is accepted as authentic (Sahih Muslim)

Hadith Commentaries

Summary

Al-Nawawi reports al-Khattabi's view: the root of iman is tasdiq (affirming as true), while the root of islam is istislam (yielding and submission). On this view every believer is a Muslim, but not every Muslim is a believer, since a person can yield outwardly without yielding inwardly (C4). C4

Key points

Al-Nawawi also reports al-Baghawi's view that in the Hadith of Jibril, Islam names the outward deeds and iman the inward belief. Together they make up the religion, and Allah accepts a religion only when belief is joined to deeds (C4). C4
Sin alone does not make a Muslim a non-Muslim. Al-Nawawi gives seven readings of "Do not revert to disbelievers after me, striking one another's necks" and prefers the one chosen by al-Qadi 'Iyad: it means acting like disbelievers, not actually disbelieving (C6). C6
Commenting on the men turned away from the Prophet's Pond, al-Qadi 'Iyad distinguishes those who truly turned back to disbelief from sinners who strayed from right conduct "but not from Islam" (C5). C5

References

C4al-Minhaj Sharh Sahih Muslim on Sahih Muslim 6 (part 27 of 30) · al-Nawawi, vol. 1 p. 75
C5al-Minhaj Sharh Sahih Muslim on Sahih Muslim 2304 · al-Nawawi, vol. 15 p. 63
C6al-Minhaj Sharh Sahih Muslim on Sahih Muslim 65 · al-Nawawi, vol. 2 p. 54

Expert Opinions

Summary

Expert Opinions argue that a Muslim's Islam should be measured by the sincerity of the heart, not by outward checklists, and that Islam is the faith of all the prophets, including Abraham. N2 N1

Key points

Expert Opinions argue that judging people's Islam by beard length, vocabulary or social-media posts drives some away from the faith and tempts others into riya (showing off), which al-Ghazali called "hidden shirk" N2.
Expert Opinions relay a book's claims: that Abraham was "a Muslim", and that a Muslim who accepts the Biblical prophet narratives as authentic cannot remain a Muslim N1.

References

N1Preserved Abrahamic Religion · Belief
N2Dawah · Spirituality & Character

Comments

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Define a Muslim, and a Non-Muslim

Conclusion

Reflection & guidance

Meaning
In its broad sense, "Muslim" means one who submits to Allah, which is how earlier prophets described themselves. In its specific sense, it means a follower of the final law brought by Muhammad, which replaced the earlier codes T3.
Guidance from the Qur'an
The verses call the reader to move beyond outward submission until faith truly enters the heart, and promise that obedience to Allah and His Messenger will not go unrewarded Q1. They also warn against denying someone's Islam for worldly motives Q4.
Guidance from the Sunnah
The Prophet taught the reader to declare contentment "with Allah as my Lord, with Islam as my religion and Muhammad as a Messenger", and promised forgiveness to the one who says it H4.
Guidance from the scholars
Ibn Kathir reads 49:14 as showing that, for Ahl al-Sunnah, faith is a higher grade than Islam. He cites the Prophet correcting Sa'd: "Or say, a Muslim" T1. Ibn Kathir also records that the Companions were rebuked for killing a man who greeted them with salam, because the greeting is a sign of Islam T4. Al-Mubarakfuri explains being "pleased with Islam as religion" as accepting all its commands and prohibitions (C2).

Qur'an & Tafsir

Summary

Key points

People who believe in Allah but reject some of His messengers, saying "we believe in some but reject others", are called "the disbelievers in reality" Q11 T5.
Believers are told not to say to someone who greets them with salam ("peace"), "You are not a believer". Outward signs of Islam must be accepted Q4.

References

Q1Al-Hujurat 49:14 · The Rooms
Q2Ali 'Imran 3:19 · Family of Imran
Q4An-Nisa 4:94 · The Women
Q11An-Nisa 4:151 · The Women
T2Maarif-ul-Quran on 3:19
T5Tafsir Ibn Kathir on 2:136

Sunnah

Summary

Key points

In the fuller sense, "a Muslim is he from whose hand and tongue the Muslims are safe" (H7, Sahih). This sets a standard of conduct, not only a label. H7

References

H1Sahih Muslim 113 · The Book of Faith
Authenticity
- Sahih — the whole collection is accepted as authentic (Sahih Muslim)
H5Sahih Muslim 847 · The Book of Prayers
Authenticity
- Sahih — the whole collection is accepted as authentic (Sahih Muslim)
H7Sahih Muslim 162 · The Book of Faith
Authenticity
- Sahih — the whole collection is accepted as authentic (Sahih Muslim)

Hadith Commentaries

Summary

Key points

Al-Nawawi also reports al-Baghawi's view that in the Hadith of Jibril, Islam names the outward deeds and iman the inward belief. Together they make up the religion, and Allah accepts a religion only when belief is joined to deeds (C4). C4
Sin alone does not make a Muslim a non-Muslim. Al-Nawawi gives seven readings of "Do not revert to disbelievers after me, striking one another's necks" and prefers the one chosen by al-Qadi 'Iyad: it means acting like disbelievers, not actually disbelieving (C6). C6
Commenting on the men turned away from the Prophet's Pond, al-Qadi 'Iyad distinguishes those who truly turned back to disbelief from sinners who strayed from right conduct "but not from Islam" (C5). C5

References

C4al-Minhaj Sharh Sahih Muslim on Sahih Muslim 6 (part 27 of 30) · al-Nawawi, vol. 1 p. 75
C5al-Minhaj Sharh Sahih Muslim on Sahih Muslim 2304 · al-Nawawi, vol. 15 p. 63
C6al-Minhaj Sharh Sahih Muslim on Sahih Muslim 65 · al-Nawawi, vol. 2 p. 54

Expert Opinions

Summary

Expert Opinions argue that a Muslim's Islam should be measured by the sincerity of the heart, not by outward checklists, and that Islam is the faith of all the prophets, including Abraham. N2 N1

Key points

Expert Opinions argue that judging people's Islam by beard length, vocabulary or social-media posts drives some away from the faith and tempts others into riya (showing off), which al-Ghazali called "hidden shirk" N2.
Expert Opinions relay a book's claims: that Abraham was "a Muslim", and that a Muslim who accepts the Biblical prophet narratives as authentic cannot remain a Muslim N1.

References

N1Preserved Abrahamic Religion · Belief
N2Dawah · Spirituality & Character

Comments

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Define a Muslim, and a Non-MuslimShare answer

Conclusion

Reflection & guidance

Qur'an & Tafsir

Summary

Key points

References

Sunnah

Summary

Key points

References

Hadith Commentaries

Summary

Key points

References

Expert Opinions

Summary

Key points

References

Comments

Define a Muslim, and a Non-MuslimShare answer

Conclusion

Reflection & guidance

Qur'an & Tafsir

Summary

Key points

References

Sunnah

Summary

Key points

References

Hadith Commentaries

Summary

Key points

References

Expert Opinions

Summary

Key points

References

Comments

Define a Muslim, and a Non-Muslim

Define a Muslim, and a Non-Muslim