Why IslamCircle?

Both the Quran and science emphasize the importance of definitions and meaning when you are willing to understand something. Along with that, for an open mind, it is good to learn how one introduces and defines oneself. A rich and worldwide diversity of Muslims believes in the Quran as the word of God. The word 'Islam' is mentioned and described in the Quran. So what does the Quran teach us about the meaning of Islam? How is the word Islam defined and translated, how is it used and described, and what does the Quran teach about the practical meaning of Islam in life? Based on the Quran, IslamCircle offers a holistic understanding of the meaning of Islam through the imagery of a tree. This is because of the comparison of a word and a tree in the Quran (Q:14:24).

أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ ضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلًا كَلِمَةً طَيِّبَةً كَشَجَرَةٍ طَيِّبَةٍ أَصْلُهَا ثَابِتٌ وَفَرْعُهَا فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ

Do you not see how God makes comparisons?
A good word is like a good tree whose root is firm
and whose branches are high in the sky

Quran 14:24

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The meaning
of islam?
By the Quran…
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كَشَجَرَة

… a good word is like a good tree…

Quran 15:24

1. The language of Islam

The Quran emphasizes the importance of language for the meaning of life. In doing so, it compares a word to a tree. In the language of the Quran, every word consists of a trunk, roots and branches. The definition, the description, and the comprehensive meaning of Islam for life—everything is interconnected and forms one natural whole. From a 3D perspective, IslamCircle provides a holistic understanding of Islam.

الأَسْمَاء

…and God taught Adam the names/attributes of all things…
Quran 2:31

1.1 What's in the name

The Quran teaches that God, after the creation of the universe, taught humanity the meaning of all things, and thereby the meaning of life itself. Humanity needs language to learn, to reason morally. To share stories and life lessons. To be able to learn from mistakes, from oneself and from others, so as to develop and improve oneself and each other. The Quran describes how this capacity for language and understanding distinguishes humanity from the rest of the universe (Q. 2:31-33).

ٱلذِّكْرَ

Indeed, it is We who have sent down the Reminder (the Quran) and indeed, We will surely preserve it (the message)
Quran 15:9

1.2 A meaningful reminder

The Quran refers to itself as a reminder from God. Among other things, a reminder of the revelations given to earlier prophets. Including also a reminder of the first lessons from God about the meaning and purpose of it all. Just as God taught Adam the meaning of words and the purpose of life, so too, according to the Quran, does God do with His final revelation for all of humanity: the Quran. God promises to protect His Words for everyone who seeks to better understand the purpose of life.

عَرَبِىّ

And had We revealed this Quran in a foreign language they would have said, "Why are its verses not made clearly explanatory?" Foreign and Arabic?…
Quran 41:44

1.3 Clear Arabic

The Quran was revealed in Arabic. Arabic may seem strange if you are unfamiliar with it, but the Quran points out that Arabic is, in fact, a pure and clear language. The word 'Arabic' ('arabiyyun) literally means: a pure, clear, and explicable form of expression. The structure of Arabic words allows for meanings to be interpreted and also translated very precisely.

كَلِمَة

Have you not considered how God presents a parable of a good word? It is like a good tree, with firm roots and branches reaching into the sky…
Quran 14:24-25

1.4 A word like a tree

In the Quran, a comparison is made between a word and a tree. In the Arabic language, a word consists of a root word and base letters. Every root word has offshoots of different words. The meanings of words sharing the same stem and roots are interconnected and enrich one another. In this way, the Quran deepens and perfects the meaning of words.

أَلْسِنَتِكُمْ

And among His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the diversity of your languages and your colours…
Quran 30:22

1.5 A rich diversity of languages

The Quran teaches that in our diversity of languages and in the mutual translation between them lie various lessons for a better understanding of the meaning of life. For example, through the language of another, you also come to understand your own language better. Words, sentences, and meanings that seemed self-evident prove, when viewed through a different lens, not to be as self-evident as you had always thought.

2. Devotion in 3D

Islam is translated as: devotion (of your heart), surrender (of your soul); and submission (of your ego). Which translation is most appropriate depends on the situation: is it about restraining negative inclinations in your inner world; does something lie beyond your control or transcend your understanding in relation to the divine; or is it about doing what you can in the world around you? Together, they form the multifaceted meaning of Islam.

أَسْلَمَ

…I have submitted / surrendered / devoted myself to God, and [so too have] those who follow me…
Quran 3:20

2.1 Aslama: to submit, surrender, and devote

The word Islam appears in the Quran eight times. The word Islam is the noun derived from the verb aslama, which is mentioned 22 times and is translated in several ways: 1) 'to submit'; 2) 'to surrender'; and 3) 'to devote'. Furthermore, the verb aslama applies not only to humans but to everything in the universe.

مُسْلِم

……We are helpers of God; we believe in God and bear witness that we are Muslims (those who submit / surrender / devote themselves).
Quran 3:52

2.2 Muslim: one who submits, surrenders, or devotes

Muslim is the term for a person who performs the action of the verb aslama — a Muslim is someone who practices, embodies, or lives Islam. Like Islam and aslama, the word Muslim appears 41 times in the Quran in various forms.

إِسْلَـٰم

…the religion before God is Islam (submission, surrender, devotion)…
Quran 3:19

2.3 Islam: surrender, submission, and devotion

Based on the translations given to the verb aslama and to Muslims, the noun Islam is translated as 1) 'submission', 2) 'surrender', and 3) 'devotion'. Depending on the context, one or another translation of the word Islam is most appropriate. The connotations and nuances of the word Islam will be further explored in the following sections.

3. Tree of Words

The language of the Quran dissects the full meaning of a word through its root letters and their branches. The root of 'islam' is connected to the words selaam (peace), saliem (pure), and soellam (ladder). The Quran uses soellam as a ladder to heaven, saliem as a pure heart, and selaam as a path, a place and a greeting of peace. A complete understanding of Islam encompasses all these layers of meaning.

سَّلَـٰم

By it (the Quran), God guides those who seek His pleasure to the ways of peace and brings them out of the darknesses into the light…
Quran 5:16

3.1 Salaam: peace

The word salaam (peace) is mentioned 42 times in the Quran in various contexts: peace and harmony in the land, as a greeting of peace, as a path of peace, as a place or state of blessing both in this world and in the hereafter, and as a name and attribute of God (Q. 59:23).

سَلِيم

…except for him who comes to God with a pure heart.
Quran 26:89

3.2 Saleem: pure (heart)

The word saleem (pure) occurs twice, each time in relation to the heart — concerning the pure heart of Abraham and of the one who stands before God with a clear conscience on the Day when the Balance is struck.

سُلَّم

…if you could seek a tunnel into the ground or a ladder into the heaven…
Quran 6:35

3.3 Sullam: ladder (to heaven)

The word sullam (ladder) occurs twice in the Quran, both times as a ladder to heaven — symbolising a spiritual ladder closer to God, or to God's Wisdom and Guidance. A complete understanding of Islam encompasses peace, a pure heart, and a ladder to heaven.

4. A Natural Way of Life

The Quran describes Islam as deen: a comprehensive way of life that restores human balance with oneself, one's environment, and above all, God — the One, Unimaginable, Source of Life. The Quran teaches that everything in the universe naturally surrenders and devotes itself to God. In the Quran someone who devotes themselves to God is called a muslim. Islam is described as the original, universal, natural way of life for all that exists in balance with its Creator.

ٱللَّه

Do they seek a [deen] other than God's, while everything in the heavens and the earth has surrendered to Him?
Quran 3:83

4.1 Allah: God

The word Allah (a contraction of al-ilah) literally means: the God. The Quran describes Allah as the One, the Creator, Source of all Life — the God from whom everything comes and to whom all return. The Unimaginable, Exalted above our dimension of space and time, and yet simultaneously so near.

نَفْس

By the soul and He who proportioned it, and inspired it with its wickedness and its righteousness…
Quran 91:7-10

4.2 Yourself

The Quran speaks of nafs (your self), qalb (your heart), and ruh (your soul). The nafs describes your worldly, ego-driven needs. The qalb is the centre in which a human makes moral choices. The ruh is God's inspiration within the human — a pure conscience, connected to God. Together they describe the inner journey of Islam.

ٱلدُّنْيَا

Seek the life to come by means of what God has granted you, but do not neglect your rightful share in the world…
Quran 28:77

4.3 The worldly

The Quran describes the world as a creation of God in which everything lives in submission to Him. Our environment is full of lessons and signs inviting humanity to faith, gratitude, and goodness. The Quran does not describe the worldly as evil — humanity is meant to experience the worldly and pursue all beauty and goodness within it, keeping a just balance, mindful of God.

5. Revelations Everywhere

The Quran describes a Muslim as someone who is faithfull towards God and His ayaat: signs, revelations, and life lessons. These ayaat are revealed through prophets, in nature and society, and through our conscience. All these signs are aligned and remind us of the relationship between ourselves, everything around us, and God.

رَسُول

A messenger who recites to you the clarifying verses of God, to bring those who believe out of the darknesses into the light…
Quran 65:11

5.1 Ayaat through messengers

God, throughout history, inspires prophets and messengers everywhere in the world with ayaat to share with the people. From Adam to the last prophet Muhammad. Some 25 prophets are mentioned by name in the Quran, but many are unknown. The Quran indicates that all peoples in the past received prophets with the same message: islam.

ٱلْأَرْضِ

On the earth, there are signs for those who seek truth to believe, as there are within yourselves. Can you not see?
Quran 51:20-21

5.2 Ayaat around us

The revealed ayaat of the Quran correspond with the revealed ayaat around us. From the universe, the stars, planets, moon and sun, nature, rain, wind, birds, to the love between spouses, the diversity of colours and languages, livestock, crops, vegetables and fruit, flowers, the bee and honey — and also in the rise and fall of cities and empires - all are signs pointing to God.

فِطْرَت

So set your face sincerely towards the balanced way of life with God (deen) in accordance with your natural disposition (fitrah) which God has created in humanity…
Quran 30:30

5.3 Ayaat within ourselves

The Quran points to ayaat within ourselves. The fitrah is described as a source of Divine inspiration within every human being — a deeper moral conscience that resides within us at creation. The fitrah naturally nourishes our consciousness of God and serves as a compass for our heart in the choices we make between good and evil.

6. Belief is Action

The Quran emphasises that Islam revolves around both belief and action. This 'action' includes both rituals and good deeds. Faith is like a ladder to the divine: it sharpens your awareness and brings you closer to God. The rituals purify your inner world. Good deeds contribute to peace and justice in your environment.

ءَامَنُوا۟

Indeed, those who believe, the Jews, the Christians, and the Sabians — whoever believes in God and the Lat Day and does good - for them their reward is with their Lord. They will have no fear, nor will they grieve.
Quran 2:62

6.1 Imaan: those who believe

The Quran describes faith (imaan) as part of islam. Faith offers a perspective on life that places this worldly dimension within a transcendent, heavenly perspective. Imaan revolves around belief in a dimension we cannot directly perceive with our worldly senses. The worldly and the heavenly are interconnected.

ٱعْبُدُوا

O humanity! Worship your Master, Who created you and those before you, so that you may become mindful of God.
Quran 2:21

6.2 'Ibadah: those who pray and purify themselves

Ibadah is translated as worship, service, and devotion. Because Islam encompasses a complete way of life, this involves more than just rituals. The rituals structure the daily practice of faith — they require self-discipline and help purify the ego, heart, and conscience.

وَعَمِلُوا۟

Indeed, those who believe and do good deeds… for them their reward is with their Lord. And no fear will come upon them, nor will they grieve.
Quran 2:277

6.3 'Amilu salihaat: doing good

The importance of believing and doing good is coupled in dozens of verses as almost inseparable. Contributing to good, peace, and justice forms a fundamental part of islam — from caring for your family and neighbours, to the well-being of the faith community and the broader society as a whole.

7. The Circle is Complete

The Quran translates Islam into a concrete way of life through five pillars of faith, five pillars of ritual practice, and five purposes for life. Together, they complete the circle of life. Coming from God, the Source of Life — with God in this worldly Life — returning to God in life after.

ءَامَنَ

The Messenger believes in what has been revealed to him from his Lord, and so do the believers. Each one believes in God, His Angels, His Books, and His Messengers. We make no distinction between any of His Messengers." And they say: "We hear and we obey. Forgive us, our Lord, and to You is the return."
Quran 2:285

7.1 Belief

The creed of islam is founded upon five pillars: belief in 1) God, 2) angels (spritual beings connecting the heavenly and wordly realms), 3) the scriptures of 4) all prophets — of whom Muhammad is the last prophet and the Quran the last book, and 5) a hereafter, an unimaginable dimension following this worldly life - in which everyone returns to God, every soul will reap what is sowed in this world and the balance is struck. Some add divine destiny as a sixth pillar, while others include this within the first pillar.

ٱلْعَـٰبِدُونَ

…those who repent, those who worship, praise, travel, bow, prostrate, those who enjoin the fair and forbid the unfair…
Quran 9:112

7.2 Rituals

Islam translates belief into five ritual pillars: the testimony of faith (shahada), daily prayers (salah), giving of wealth (zakat), fasting (sawm) during Ramadan, and pilgrimage (hajj). The rituals set the rhythm of every moment, every day, the months, years, and life itself. They bridge our inner and outer worlds, purify ourselves from the negative, deepen our awareness of God, and set both spirit and body on a sacred journey toward God's house.

ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ

…For God loves the good-doers.
Quran 5:93

7.3 Doing good

Islam encourages Muslims to contribute to peace, harmony, and justice through five societal goals: preservation of safe and sustainable life; a pluralistic society with freedom for everyone's faith; equal opportunities for development of knowledge and talents; fair access to prosperity; and a dignified family life and community.

8. It All Revolves Around: Islam

Everything in life touches upon and revolves around the meaning of islam. It reminds us of our conscience, the message of prophets and lessons of life. Islam offers healing for a deeper discontentment and the striving for Peace with ourselves, our environment, and above all: the One. Islam completes the circle. The word of the Quran turns the meaning of existence around [islam] and asks you the question: what meaning do you give it?

لَآ إِكْرَاهَ

There is no compulsion in religion (deen) — true guidance has become distinct from error…
Quran 2:256

8.1 islam > lost in translation

The word 'submission' carries a strong connotation of coercion. While the Quran describes that there is no compulsion in the deen with God: islam. Islam stands for freedom of religion. Insofar as there is compulsion in islam, it concerns subduing one's own ego — purifying one's soul and conscience for the sake of God consciousness. 'Surrender' is a more appropriate term in relation to the soul, especially concerning aspects of faith that transcend your understanding or that which you do not fully control. When it comes to the dedication of your heart to justice, truth, and peace, 'devotion' is the most fitting word.

بِذِكْرِ

…those who have faith and whose hearts find peace in the remembrance of God — truly it is in the remembrance of God that hearts find peace.
Quran 13:28

8.2 islam > dhikr: peaceful reminder

The Quran describes islam as a pure, peaceful surrender and devotion to God. The Quran, which calls itself a reminder (adh-dhikra), reminds us of the original religion and message of all prophets — a reminder of the original harmony in nature and the universe as a whole with God.

كفر

This is the truth from your God. Whoever wills let them believe, and whoever wills let them disbelieve/cover it.
Quran 18:29

8.3 islam: believing versus covering

The opposite of believing (amana) in the Quran is kafara — which literally means 'to cover'. The Quran describes Islam as the default, the factory setting of humanity and the universe. In the absence of choice, a human naturally chooses Islam. After our loss of God's proximity, Islam restores our original balance with God. So the Quran asks every human being: do you remember? Complete the circle...