Human history bears witness to the fact that religion has existed since the beginning of life of humanity in this earth. This shows that the beneficent God supplies guidance to mankind simultaneously with its creation so that it might not have to grope in the dark and might walk the way of the law in conformity with its nature. Those who are appointed by God to deliver that message and guidance are in the terminology of religion known as prophets, messengers and apostles. They (peace be upon them) received that guidance in the form of divine revelation and when they presented it to the people in a written form it was known as the scriptures or revealed books. The contents of those scriptures have always been laws, which the creator and the sustainers of the universe had appointed for the right life of man.

The aim of guidance had always been to teach man to submit to the divine law which attitude is expressed in Arabic by the term Islam. God wants man to act and behave in accordance with the law of its true nature and free being even as the rest of the creation conforms to the laws of nature in a mechanical way. In simple words we can say that Divine guidance wants us to be Muslim. God says in the Holy Quran:

The nature made by God in which He has created man. There is no altering in Allah’s (God) creation. That is the right religion. But most men do not know.

This guidance from Allah (s.w.t) (God) was not only for one group or community but was sent to all the nations and races of the world. The blessing of God was bestowed universally as the holy Quran says

And there has not been a nation to whom a Warner was not sent.

History has preserved the names of some of them while the names and works of many others have been forgotten by the people. Among those whose names are still remembered, are Adam, Nuh (Noah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Ismail, Ishaaq, Yacooq (Jacob), Musa (Moses) and Isa (Jesus) (peace be upon them all), the last of them was and is Muhammad s.a.w. (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

The great prophet (saw) appeared in seventh century of the Christian era, called humanity back to the path of the former prophets and presented to the world the holy Quran which contains the law taught by the former prophets in their perfect and most comprehensive form. People had named the teachings of the previous teachers variously as Judaism, Christianity etc. The last prophet Muhammad (saw) reminded them of the real and original and meaningful name, namely Islam. He declared in the words of Allah and the holy Quran:

Lo the religion with Allah is Islam

That is the surrender to his will and Guidance. Then again Almighty Allah says:

The faith of your father ibrahim is yours. He has named you as Muslims.

Again Allah (s.w.t) more emphatically says:

Ibrahim was not a Jew nor yet a Christian but he was an upright man who surrendered to Allah. He was Muslim.

The final prophet (saw) of Allah (swat) raised religion from the level of sectarianism and taught that the divine religion wherever found and whoever preached had always been the faith namely Islam which has already emphasized in this article means submission to and conformity with the laws appointed by God.