Verse 2:128: “Our Lord, make us both submissive to You, and [raise] from our progeny a nation submissive to You, and show us our rites, and turn to us clemently. Indeed, You are the All-clement, the All-merciful.”
The concept of Islam in this context revolves around the profound meaning of submission to God, both externally and internally. The verse highlights a supplication by Prophet Ibrahim (a.s.) and Prophet Isma’il (a.s.), seeking the highest degree of servitude. This level of submission transcends mere verbal acknowledgment or physical acts, aiming for complete spiritual surrender.
Islam is more than a religious identity; it represents the essence of faith, with levels that progress from external actions to total submission to God. The outermost level involves acknowledgment of basic tenets, such as belief in monotheism and prophethood. The effects of this level include legal recognition, such as the sanctity of life and property, though it does not necessarily equate to faith (iman). The Qur’an distinguishes between mere submission and true faith, as seen when the Bedouins are told that faith has not yet entered their hearts despite their outward submission.
The highest degree of Islam is the state of absolute submission, taslīm, where the individual’s heart is fully devoted to God. This total surrender is the essence of the prayer made by Ibrahim and Isma’il. Their request was not for basic faith but for the purest level of servitude, where the heart is detached from all but God. In this state, a person attains a qalb salīm (a sound heart), a heart filled only with God’s remembrance and love.
There is a clear parallel between Ibrahim’s personal journey of submission and the challenge of sacrificing his son Isma’il. This test is a reflection of the prayer’s fulfillment, as both father and son displayed absolute obedience to God’s will. For those who reach this highest state of Islam, even the most difficult trials are not burdens but sources of divine pleasure, as they fully recognize that everything belongs to God.
This station of submission is marked by the realization that one’s role in the world is to serve as God’s trustee, preserving the divine trust and finding joy in this service. This profound level of Islam is what Ibrahim and Isma’il sought through their supplication in verse 2:128, asking for themselves and their progeny to be wholly submissive to God’s will.
Re: Tafsir al-Tasnim under verse 2:128
