They are acknowledged by others as such since they allow them to claim for themselves the essential characteristics of godhead. When people do acknowledge this authority for such a group, they are in effect worshipping them although they may not bow or prostrate before them. It is only under Islam that man is free from such subjugation. He is free because he receives his values, standards, morals, systems, laws and legislation from Allah alone like everyone else who does the same. All people under the Islamic system stand at one level, looking up to one Lord who is the master of them all.
None claims lordship over the others.
Submission to Allah, in this sense, is the Divine Faith preached by every messenger Allah sent to man. When Allah sent His messengers to preach this faith, their task was to help people to free themselves from subjugation by creatures to the worship of Allah alone, and to be liberated from injustice inflicted by human beings to enjoy Allah's absolute justice. Those who reject the message of the Prophets are not Muslims no matter how deceptively and persuasively they may try to describe themselves as such. For, In the sight of Allah, true faith is Islam which means submission to Allah.