What Is The Minimum Criteria To Be Called As Muslim
Being a Muslim in the sight of God can vary from person to person, depending upon the specific circumstances and knowledge they’ve been given. Thus the accountability falls in the following tiers: – In the absence of teachings of Prophets, every human being will be held accountable on the basis of innate guidance buit-in w.r.t one creator and innate ability to distinguish good from evil and acting accordingly. – In case one gets acquainted with the teachings of the Prophets (sws), belief in Hereafter will also become a matter of accountability. – In case one get acquainted with the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (sws), belief in His prophethood also becomes a matter of accountability. This has been described in different places in Quran: وَإِذْ أَخَذَ رَبُّكَ مِن بَنِي آدَمَ مِن ظُهُورِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ وَأَشْهَدَهُمْ عَلَى أَنفُسِهِمْ أَلَسْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ قَالُواْ بَلَى شَهِدْنَا أَن تَقُولُواْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ إِنَّا كُنَّا عَنْ هَذَا غَافِلِينَ أَوْ تَقُولُواْ إِنَّمَا أَشْرَكَ آبَاؤُنَا مِن قَبْلُ وَكُنَّا ذُرِّيَّةً مِّن بَعْدِهِمْ أَفَتُهْلِكُنَا بِمَا فَعَلَ الْمُبْطِلُونَوَكَذَلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ الآيَاتِ وَلَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ (174-7:172) And remember when your Lord brought forth from the loins of the progeny of Adam their children and made them testify against themselves. He said: “Am I not your Lord?” They replied: “We bear witness that You are.” This We did lest you should say on the Day of Judgement: “We had no knowledge of that,” or present the excuse: “Our forefathers had already adopted idolatry and we later became their children so will You destroy us on account of what these false-doers did?” [We have fully explained things here] and thus do We explain Our revelations [so that people are left with no excuse to deny the truth] and so that they may return to the right path . (7:172-174) فَأَقِمْ وَجْهَكَ لِلدِّيْنِ حَنِيْفًا فِطْرَةَ اللَّهِ الَّتِیْ فَطَرَ النَّاسَ عَلَيْهَا لَا تَبْدِيْلَ لِخَلْقِ اللَّهِ ذَلِكَ الدِّيْنُ الْقَيِّمُ وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُوْنَ. مُنِيبِيْنَ إِلَيْهِ وَاتَّقُوْهُ وَأَقِيمُوْا الصَّلَاةَ وَلَا تَكُوْنُوْا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِيْنَ. مِنَ الَّذِيْنَ فَرَّقُوْا دِيْنَهُمْ وَكَانُوْا شِيَعًا كُلُّ حِزْبٍ بِمَا لَدَيْهِمْ فَرِحُوْنَ. So, [now that these facts have become evident] following one God continue to point your face [like your father Abraham] towards his religion. Follow the nature created by God [O Prophet!] on which He has created people. This nature created by God cannot be changed.This only is the straight religion but most people know not. [Follow it] by turning towards God all of you and keep fearing Him and be diligent in the prayer and be not among the idolaters – the idolaters who created divisions in their religion and became divided into factions. Each faction is engrossed in what it has . (30:30-32) إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَالَّذِينَ هَادُوا وَالنَّصَارَى وَالصَّابِئِينَ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ [It is evident from this that the law of retribution is absolutely unbiased. Therefore,] those who profess faith in Muhammad and those [before them] who became Jews and those who are called Christians, and Sabaeans – whoever among them believes in Allah and in the Last Day and does righteous deeds – shall be rewarded by their Lord and [in His gracious presence] they shall have nothing to fear nor shall they grieve [there] . (2:62) However, when a person truly believes in the Prophethood of Prophet Muhammad (sws) then he must confess his faith whenever the situation demands except when one is being persecuted ( in that case migration becomes a religious obligation ). The state will only consider that person a Muslim, who explicitly claims to be one and openly professes his faith, and all the personal laws of Islam ( Divorce, Marriage, Inheritance etc .) will only apply to such person.
Evangeline, your comments about some people beliveing in one thing but not all is interesting. According to the definition of minimum that is required to be a Muslim is based on a person’s knowkedge of Islam. Once they have the knowkedge they need to believe in all to be a Muslim. Does that mean these people should not be called Muslims because they only believe in Toheed and reject some or all of other required beliefs with full knowledge?