Where did Muslims get the idea that “Muslim” means submitting to the will of Almighty God?
According to Dr Zakir Naik, Jesus declared Himself to be a Muslim when He said, “I have come to do the will of the Father.” From this, Zakir Naik concluded that anyone who submits to God's will is a Muslim.
However, he made two important points regarding the definition of a Muslim, and those same points end up contradicting the belief and exposing what could be clearly defined as a false assumption.
1. Jesus addressed God as His Father in this verse, which contradicts the Islamic teaching that Allah is the Father of no one.
2. The “Will of God”
According to the same passage, Jesus explained the will of God:
“For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him on the last day.” (John 6:40)
Jesus clearly states in this verse that the will of God is for people to believe in the Son.
He also says that He Himself will raise them on the last day and grant them eternal life.
However, Muslims do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God, nor do they believe He has the authority to grant eternal life or raise the dead on the last day.
So, does this not suggest that Muslims repeat the phrase “submitting to the will of God” without fully understanding what Jesus Himself defined the will of God to be?