(… إِنَّ الدِّينَ عِندَ اللَّهِ الْإِسْلَامُ ) (Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam …): All the followers of prophets of all religions are called ‘Muslims’:

{  وَقَالَ مُوسَىٰ يَا قَوْمِ إِن كُنتُمْ آمَنتُم بِاللَّهِ فَعَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلُوا إِن كُنتُم مُّسْلِمِينَ}

(And Moses said, “O my people, if you have believed in Allah, then rely upon Him, if you should be Muslims.”.) (Yunus: 84)

 { قَالَتْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْمَلَأُ إِنِّي أُلْقِيَ إِلَيَّ كِتَابٌ كَرِيمٌ *  إِنَّهُ مِن سُلَيْمَانَ وَإِنَّهُ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ *   أَلَّا تَعْلُوا عَلَيَّ وَأْتُونِي مُسْلِمِينَ  }

(She said, “O eminent ones, indeed, to me has been delivered a noble letter. (29) Indeed, it is from Solomon, and indeed, it reads: ‘In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful, %  Indeed, it is from Solomon, and indeed, it reads: ‘In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful, % Be not haughty with me but come to me in submission [as Muslims].’ ” ) (An-Naml: 29-31)

{ الَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ مِن قَبْلِهِ هُم بِهِ يُؤْمِنُونَ % وَإِذَا يُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ قَالُوا آمَنَّا بِهِ إِنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا مِن قَبْلِهِ مُسْلِمِينَ}

(Those to whom We gave the Scripture before it – they are believers in it. %  Those will be given their reward twice for what they patiently endured and [because] they avert evil through good, and from what We have provided them they spend.) (Al-Qasas: 52-53)

{ وَوَصَّىٰ بِهَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بَنِيهِ وَيَعْقُوبُ يَا بَنِيَّ إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَىٰ لَكُمُ الدِّينَ فَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ}

(And Abraham instructed his sons [to do the same] and [so did] Jacob, [saying], “O my sons, indeed Allah has chosen for you this religion, so do not die except while you are Muslims.”) (Al-Baqara: 132)

The word ‘Islam’ (in Arabic) means submission to the orders for Allah the Almighty. Thus, all religions are called ‘Islam’ but this name has become a landmark to refer to the last revealed religion of Prophet Muhammad (saws), the last of the prophet. Otherwise, Islam wouldn’t have been used to refer to this religion and this Sharia.

(… وَمَا اخْتَلَفَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ إِلَّا مِن بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَهُمُ الْعِلْمُ بَغْيًا بَيْنَهُمْ …) (…And those who were given the Scripture did not differ except after knowledge had come to them – out of jealous animosity between themselves …): These verses are related to the Jews who had the Scripture. Although they had indicated that the Prophet will appear, they doubted him and refused to believe in him out of jealous animosity (denying the right) between them.

( وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ … ) (…And whoever disbelieves in the verses of Allah, then indeed, Allah is swift in [taking] account): For those who deny the clear signs by the Almighty, Allah is swift in taking account in this life and the afterlife. However, such quickness is measured according to the Almighty. The life span of the universe and people are nothing for the Almighty. That’s why we think that taking account is so far and spend our lives in wrongdoing not thinking of any punishment. Time is but a creature by the Almighty and is measured only according to Him not us:

 {إِنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَهُ بَعِيدًا *  وَنَرَاهُ قَرِيبًا}

(Indeed, they see it [as] distant, %  But We see it [as] near.) (Al-Ma’aarij: 6-7)