# Ep. 1: Submitting to God | Road to Return **Author:** Yahya Ibrahim **Series:** Road to Return | How to Come Back from Sin **Published:** 2021-06-14 **YouTube:** https://youtu.be/3BG6sc_RQjk **URL:** https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-1-submitting-to-god-road-to-return **Topics:** Acts of Worship, Sharia ## Description The essence of Islam is submission, and its result is peace. Sh. Yahya Ibrahim discusses how avoiding transgressions and taking the pathway of obedience and acceptance is traveling a road filled with His wisdoms. Get this series directly to your inbox by signing up here! ## Transcript **[0:00]** Islam is submission. And that's something I never want you to forget. The essence of our faith is not just something that we hold in our heart or feelings that we have towards Allah Almighty. Rather, it is a pathway of obedience, acceptance, and willing to submit to the orders of Allah **[0:23]** Subhanahu wa ta'ala, following the tradition, the sunnah of his Nabi Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, even when it seems that we don't completely understand why. And as you begin to mature, and as you begin to mature, not just in age, but also in your **[0:54]** understanding of life, in your world experience, and as you begin to progress through some of the challenges that will definitely face you, you will grow to see some of the greater wisdoms of why Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala has put certain structures in place for us. The overarching verse **[1:14]** that we use as a guidance in this regard is that Allah tells us in Surat al-Mulk, which is the 67th chapter of the Qur'an, Ala ya'lamu man khalaqa wa huwa al-lateefu al-khabir is not the one who is the creator, most acquainted and knowledgeable of what his creation needs, **[1:33]** and he is the most complete and subtle in understanding of all of their matters. And therefore, it's almost as if you must assume within yourself, you and I must hold as a part of our belief that Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala did not ask us to do anything haphazardly, **[1:51]** chaotically, and without purpose or reason or design. Equally, Allah did not ask us to stop at a certain point and not transgress, to cross over a boundary, to go beyond where we should, except that there's a reason, even if we're not yet able to understand it. And SubhanAllah, **[2:12]** in my young adulthood, as I proceeded, and I'm getting older now, MashAllah, may Allah give all of us a good life and good health and good experience. As you begin to proceed in life, you begin to see some of the great wisdoms in that which Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala **[2:28]** has demanded of us. Allah tells us in the Qur'an, that the instruction that we find in following the companions of the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, following the Sahaba of Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, that one of their greatest keys to success **[2:47]** was that they were those who would say, Sama'na means we hear, but it means more importantly, we understand. That we understand, we learn, and we now comprehend what is important for us to do. **[3:06]** Wa ata'na, meaning we put it into practice. And therefore, one of the most important rules in your life is to be a person who makes their Islam about submitting their will, their love, their fear, their hope, their everything to Allah. Allah tells us in the Qur'an **[3:28]** to the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, to convey to us, Qul, say to them, Inna salati, that all of my devotions and prayers, wa nusuki, all of my rights of sacrifice and my rights of worship, wa mahyaaya wa mamati lillah, everything in totality of my life and everything into my death **[3:49]** is only for Allah, la sharika lah, I've submitted to Allah in that regard. Allah says to the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, commanding him to let us know that he is ordered to be the first person to submit to him. In Surat Az-Zumar, Allah Subh'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la says, **[4:06]** Qul inni umirtu an a'budallaha mukhlisan lahu al-deen, tell them I've been commanded to obey Allah and to be sincere in my devotion, seeking only Him. Wa umirtu, and I've been ordered, an akuna awwala al-muslimeen, **[4:22]** to be the first of those who submit as a Muslim to Allah. Huwa sammaakum al-muslimoon, Allah Sub'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la, Allah is the one who referred to us as the believing people who gave themselves in submission to Him. And Allah Subh'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la orders us, **[4:39]** Idkhulu fissilmi kaafa, enter into submission to attain peace in its entirety. Not halfway, not half step, not the things that are easy for us to do and avoiding the others, not learning only that which we're able and wanting to engage in and which fits our lifestyle **[4:59]** and ignoring other things, being a person who is complete in their submission to Allah is of the greatest ways for you and I to avoid transgressions and to lead ourselves to a path of righteousness. ## Other Episodes in "Road to Return | How to Come Back from Sin" - [Ep. 40: Fake News | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-40-fake-news-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 39: It's Just a Joke | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-39-its-just-a-joke-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 38: Friday Prayer Is Not Practical | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-38-friday-prayer-is-not-practical-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 37: What Happens Online Stays Online | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-37-what-happens-online-stays-online-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 36: I'm Not A Racist, But... | Road To Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-36-im-not-a-racist-but-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 35: I Will Never Forgive Them | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-35-i-will-never-forgive-them-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 34: Isn't Zakat Like Sadaqah? | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-34-isnt-zakat-like-sadaqah-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 33: The Most Important Thing is Love | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-33-the-most-important-thing-is-love-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 32: Everyone is Doing It | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-32-everyone-is-doing-it-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 31: It’s Just a Video | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-31-its-just-a-video-road-to-return.md) - [Ep: 30 Always Put Yourself First | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-30-always-put-yourself-first-road-to-return.md) - [Ep 29: Marijuana is Not a Drug | Road To Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-29-marijuana-is-not-a-drug-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 28: God Knows my Intention | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-28-god-knows-my-intention-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 27: I Do Pray...Just Not Often | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-27-i-do-pray-just-not-often-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 26: Did You Hear? | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-26-did-you-hear-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 25: Does God Really Care? | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-25-does-god-really-care-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 24: Just say Bismillah | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-24-just-say-bismillah-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 23: Parents Just Don't Understand | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-23-parents-just-dont-understand-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 22: Why Do They Have It So Easy? | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-22-why-do-they-have-it-so-easy-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 21: Going Against The Flow | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-21-going-against-the-flow-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 20: Hoping For The Best Without Doing Your Best | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-20-hoping-for-the-best-without-doing-your-best-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 19: Good Intentions With Wrong Actions | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-19-good-intentions-with-wrong-actions-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 18: Good Actions With The Wrong Intention | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-18-good-actions-with-the-wrong-intention-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 17: Letting The Qur'an Slip | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-17-letting-the-quran-slip-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 16: Resisting the Teachings of Muhammad ﷺ | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-16-resisting-the-teachings-of-muhammad-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 15: Deprioritizing God | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-15-deprioritizing-god-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 14: Resistance & Resilience | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-14-resistance-resilience-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 13: Shaytan's 6-Step Plan | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-13-shaytans-6-step-plan-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 12: No Good Without Evil | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/no-good-without-evil-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 11: Mastering Self-Control | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-11-mastering-self-control-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 10: The World And Its Splendor | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-10-the-world-and-its-splendor-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 9: An Enemy Within | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-9-an-enemy-within-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 8: Your Inner Voice | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-8-your-inner-voice-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 7: Four Dangers: Causes of Sin | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-7-four-dangers-causes-of-sin-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 6: Different Types of Sin | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-6-different-types-of-sin-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 5: Are All Sins Equal? | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-5-are-all-sins-equal-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 4: What Are Sins? | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-4-what-are-sins-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 3: Content with God | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-3-content-with-god-road-to-return.md) - [Ep. 2: Finding Peace | Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/ep-2-finding-peace-road-to-return.md) - [Trailer: Road to Return](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/road-to-return/road-to-return-trailer.md)