Submission (Muslims) Versus belief (Believers).

By: Maged Taman

Faith is a confirmed belief. After you gained faith the expressive part is submission and the one who submits is a Muslim. A Muslim could be either a faithful Muslim, unfaithful yet or hypocrites who is either unfaithful or live a double life of faithful and unfaithful (Kafr) since expression can be real or fake.

Faith is achieved by both mind and heart. The one who believes is a believer. In Quran God talk to us as believers mainly and we say about ourselves Muslims since God know our hearts. God corrected the Arabs who were new to Islam many submitted with no faith as yet when Islam started to spread.

49:14 The wandering Arabs say: We believe. Say (unto them, O Muhammad): Ye believe not, but rather say "We submit," for the faith hath not yet entered into your hearts. Yet, if ye obey Allah and His messenger, He will not withhold from you aught of (the reward of) your deeds. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
قَالَتِ الْأَعْرَابُ آمَنَّا قُل لَّمْ تُؤْمِنُوا وَلَكِن قُولُوا أَسْلَمْنَا وَلَمَّا يَدْخُلِ الْإِيمَانُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ وَإِن تُطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ لَا يَلِتْكُم مِّنْ أَعْمَالِكُمْ شَيْئًا إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ (49:14)

In most part Muslim means that you acquired the reasons that make you submit that at least you have expressed your true faith without saying how much it is. Muslim is a qualitative adjective while believing is quantitative. Thus it is preferable to say I am Muslim and leave to God the quantiative part. Verses 28:52 and 28:53 describes the Christians and Jews who converted to Islam they believed but they described themselves as Muslims as a humility to God.

28:52 Those to whom We sent the Book before this,- they do believe in this (revelation):
الَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ مِن قَبْلِهِ هُم بِهِ يُؤْمِنُونَ
28:53 And when it is recited to them, they say: "We believe therein, for it is the Truth from our Lord: indeed we have been Muslims (bowing to Allah's Will) from before this.
وَإِذَا يُتْلَى عَلَيْهِمْ قَالُوا آمَنَّا بِهِ إِنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا مِن قَبْلِهِ مُسْلِمِينَ

The disciples of Jesus used the verb believe in verse 5:111 but described themselves as Muslims. Again the believing is quantitative and left to God submission is more of respect and humility.

5:111 "And behold! I inspired the disciples to have faith in Me and Mine Messenger. they said, 'We have faith, and do thou bear witness that we bow to Allah as Muslims'".
وَإِذْ أَوْحَيْتُ إِلَى الْحَوَارِيِّينَ أَنْ آمِنُواْ بِي وَبِرَسُولِي قَالُوَاْ آمَنَّا وَاشْهَدْ بِأَنَّنَا مُسْلِمُونَ

The Israelites believed but they asked God to die as Muslims. Thus faith can go up and down but the baseline is submitting have to be maintained. That is why people need to strengthen their faith but try always to speak to God of their submission despite the hardship and the fluctuation of their faith.
7:126 "But thou dost wreak thy vengeance on us simply because we believed in the Signs of our Lord when they reached us! Our Lord! pour out on us patience and constancy, and take our souls unto thee as Muslims (who bow to thy will)!
وَمَا تَنقِمُ مِنَّا إِلاَّ أَنْ آمَنَّا بِآيَاتِ رَبِّنَا لَمَّا جَاءتْنَا رَبَّنَا أَفْرِغْ عَلَيْنَا صَبْرًا وَتَوَفَّنَا مُسْلِمِينَ

Submission to God message since Adam is what God wants us to say. The first to submit are the prophets. Islam is the last submission. As believers we differ in the strength of our faith. To pray to God and praise him even at hard time prove your submission and strengthen your faith. Faith is thus feedback you become more faithful and you do more of obedience to God and when you are more righteous it make you more of a believer it is vicious cycle.

8:2 They only are the (true) believers whose hearts feel fear when Allah is mentioned, and when the revelations of Allah are recited unto them they increase their faith, and who trust in their Lord;
إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِرَ اللّهُ وَجِلَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَإِذَا تُلِيَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتُهُ زَادَتْهُمْ إِيمَانًا وَعَلَى رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ (8:2)