{ Indeed religion in the sight of Allah is Islam, and those who have been given the book have not differed, except after knowledge came to them, out of agression among themselves. And whoever disbelieves in the signs of Allah, indeed Allah is quick to reckon } Al ‘Imran 19

Abu Sulaiman Al-Dimashqi said: When the Jews asserted that there is no religion better than Judaism, and the Christians asserted that there was no religion better than Christianity, this verse came down. Al-Zajjaj said: Religion [deen] is a name for everything that Allah’s creation worships Him for, that He orders them to observe, that becomes their customary practice, and for which He rewards them. Our shiekh ‘Ali ibn ‘Ubaid Allah said: Religion is what a servant fulfills to Allah Mighty and Sublime. Ibn Qutaiba said: Islam is entering into a state of peace, that is, into compliance and consent, similar to surrender; it can be said: So-and-so submitted [sallama] to your orders, or surrendered [istaslama], or resigned himself [aslama], just as you might say a man “wintered”, that is, he entered into winter, or he “sprang” – passed into springtime.