Short answer
If you say you have no religion, Islam does not ask you to join an organisation. It is a complete way of life (deen): belief, worship, family and character together. You may already say itadakimasu before a meal, rinse your hands at a shrine and honour your parents. Islam answers each of these customs. Muslims begin a meal with bismillah, "in the name of Allah". They wash before prayer. They are commanded to be kind to their parents. Beneath these customs lie the questions everyone asks. Who made us, who hears us, and what comes after death? The Qur'an asks, "Did ye then think that We had created you in jest"? (23:115). The real change Islam asks is to give worship to Allah (﷾) alone.
Full explanation
What one survey asked
The word "religion" (shukyo) often suggests an organisation, and many people say it does not describe them. NHK's Broadcasting Culture Research Institute ran the Japan part of an international survey on religion in October and November 2018. It asked whether people have a religion they usually believe in. It set aside a religion kept only for weddings and funerals. 62% said they have none. 31% named Buddhism, 3% Shinto and 1% Christianity. The same survey asked how often people visit a temple, shrine or church, apart from weddings and funerals. 40.5% said once or twice a year. These are the answers of the people who replied. They show that saying "I am not religious" and keeping a custom can sit side by side.
Reports the Japan results of the ISSP 2018 survey on religion, taken 27 October to 4 November 2018 among 2,400 people aged 18 and over (1,466 valid replies, 61.1%). Asked whether they have a religion they usually believe in, not one kept only for ceremonies such as weddings and funerals, 62% said they have none, 31% named Buddhism, 3% Shinto and 1% Christianity. Asked how often they visit a temple, shrine or church, apart from weddings and funerals, 40.5% said once or twice a year. Asked about God, 25.4% said they do not know whether God exists and do not think there is a way to find out.
Religions kept only for weddings and funerals were set aside. 40.5% said they visit a temple, shrine or church once or twice a year.
Islam is a way of life, not an organisation
In Arabic the word is deen. It means a whole way of living under the Creator. The Qur'an calls Islam the way God (﷾) completed and chose for people (5:3). It tells believers to enter it whole-heartedly (2:208). Belief, worship, family, food, honesty and character belong together. There is no membership to sign. It asks you to know the One who made you and to live as His servant. The Qur'an says people were made to serve Him (51:56). It also says the true faith fits the nature on which God (﷾) made mankind (30:30). The page called What is Islam? shows this whole way of life in one place.
“This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.”
“O ye who believe! Enter into Islam whole-heartedly; and follow not the footsteps of the evil one; for he is to you an avowed enemy.”
“I have only created Jinns and men, that they may serve Me.”
“So set thou thy face steadily and truly to the Faith: (establish) Allah's handiwork according to the pattern on which He has made mankind: no change (let there be) in the work (wrought) by Allah: that is the standard Religion: but most among mankind understand not.”
A bridge: itadakimasu and bismillah
Before a meal many people say itadakimasu, a word of thanks for the food. Islam keeps the thanks and says to whom they go. The Prophet (ﷺ) taught a boy in his care to mention the name of Allah (﷾). He told him to eat with his right hand and from what was nearest (Bukhari 5376). That is bismillah, "in the name of Allah". The Qur'an says: eat of the lawful and good sustenance Allah (﷾) has provided, and be grateful for His favours (16:114). It also says it is He who gave you hearing, sight and understanding, so that you may give thanks (16:78). A thanks that reaches the Giver is what Islam adds to the custom, and Allah (﷾) says: remember Me, and I will remember you (2:152).
Umar ibn Abi Salama reports that, as a boy in the Prophet's (ﷺ) care, his hand roamed around the dish while he ate. The Prophet (ﷺ) told him to mention the name of Allah, to eat with his right hand, and to eat from the part of the dish nearest to him. He says he kept to this from then on.
“So eat of the sustenance which Allah has provided for you, lawful and good; and be grateful for the favours of Allah, if it is He Whom ye serve.”
“It is He Who brought you forth from the wombs of your mothers when ye knew nothing; and He gave you hearing and sight and intelligence and affections: that ye may give thanks (to Allah).”
“Then do ye remember Me; I will remember you. Be grateful to Me, and reject not Faith.”
A bridge: washing before the sacred, and wudu
At a shrine, visitors rinse their hands and mouth at the water basin (temizu) before they approach. Muslims wash too before they stand to pray. The Qur'an commands it: wash the face, the hands and arms to the elbows, rub the head, and wash the feet to the ankles (5:6). This washing is called wudu. It is done to stand clean before the Creator in prayer, and Muslims pray five times a day. It is part of a way of life, and not only a custom for a special place. The page on wudu shows each step.
“O ye who believe! when ye prepare for prayer, wash your faces, and your hands (and arms) to the elbows; Rub your heads (with water); and (wash) your feet to the ankles. If ye are in a state of ceremonial impurity, bathe your whole body. But if ye are ill, or on a journey, or one of you cometh from offices of nature, or ye have been in contact with women, and ye find no water, then take for yourselves clean sand or earth, and rub therewith your faces and hands, Allah doth not wish to place you in a difficulty, but to make you clean, and to complete his favour to you, that ye may be grateful.”
A bridge: honouring parents
Respect for parents is a duty in Islam, set beside the worship of God (﷾). The Qur'an says: your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him, and that you be kind to parents. It forbids even a word of contempt, and teaches the child to lower the wing of humility (17:23-24). It tells man to show gratitude to God (﷾) and to his parents (31:14). A man once asked the Prophet (ﷺ) who most deserved his good company. He answered: your mother, then your mother, then your mother, and then your father (Bukhari 5971). The duty remains even if the parents are not Muslim (31:15). The page "How do Muslims treat their parents and the elderly?" takes it further.
“Thy Lord hath decreed that ye worship none but Him, and that ye be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in thy life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honour. And, out of kindness, lower to them the wing of humility, and say: "My Lord! bestow on them thy Mercy even as they cherished me in childhood."”
“And We have enjoined on man (to be good) to his parents: in travail upon travail did his mother bear him, and in years twain was his weaning: (hear the command), "Show gratitude to Me and to thy parents: to Me is (thy final) Goal.”
Abu Huraira reports that a man asked the Prophet (ﷺ) who most deserves his good company. The Prophet said: your mother. The man asked three more times who came next, and the answer was your mother, then your mother, and then your father.
“"But if they strive to make thee join in worship with Me things of which thou hast no knowledge, obey them not; yet bear them company in this life with justice (and consideration), and follow the way of those who turn to me (in love): in the end the return of you all is to Me, and I will tell you the truth (and meaning) of all that ye did."”
What Islam adds: the questions beneath the customs
Customs are kept, and a question may sit beneath each. Who made the world and me? Islam answers that Allah (﷾) is One, the Eternal, who begets none and is begotten of none (112). He is close and hears every caller (2:186). What is life for? The Qur'an asks whether we were created in jest and left without account (23:115). It says life and death exist to test which of us is best in deed (67:2). What comes after death? Every soul will taste death and then be paid in full (3:185), and it returns to Allah (21:35). Does man go without purpose? "Does man think that he will be left uncontrolled, (without purpose)?" (75:36). The pages "What is the purpose of life?" and "What happens after death in Islam?" take these up. If you are unsure about God (﷾), see "Can we know if God exists?" and "If I'm not sure about God, what should I do?" The page "Is there one Creator behind the kami?" takes up the kami.
“Say: He is Allah, the One and Only; Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him.”
“When My servants ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them): I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calleth on Me: Let them also, with a will, Listen to My call, and believe in Me: That they may walk in the right way.”
“"Did ye then think that We had created you in jest, and that ye would not be brought back to Us (for account)?"”
“He Who created Death and Life, that He may try which of you is best in deed: and He is the Exalted in Might, Oft-Forgiving;-”
“Every soul shall have a taste of death: And only on the Day of Judgment shall you be paid your full recompense. Only he who is saved far from the Fire and admitted to the Garden will have attained the object (of Life): For the life of this world is but goods and chattels of deception.”
“Every soul shall have a taste of death: and We test you by evil and by good by way of trial. to Us must ye return.”
“Does man think that he will be left uncontrolled, (without purpose)?”
His word, and the last messenger (ﷺ)
Islam holds that God (﷾) did not leave people to guess. It claims a book from Him, and it asks nobody to take that on trust. The Qur'an invites the doubter to produce a sura (chapter) like it (2:23) and to look for discrepancy in it (4:82). If the Qur'an is from God (﷾), its word that Muhammad (ﷺ) is the Seal of the Prophets is His word (33:40). The honest first step is to read it in a translation you trust and to test it.
“And if ye are in doubt as to what We have revealed from time to time to Our servant, then produce a Sura like thereunto; and call your witnesses or helpers (If there are any) besides Allah, if your (doubts) are true.”
“Do they not consider the Qur'an (with care)? Had it been from other Than Allah, they would surely have found therein Much discrepancy.”
“Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but (he is) the Messenger of Allah, and the Seal of the Prophets: and Allah has full knowledge of all things.”
The real change Islam asks
Islam does ask a real change, and it is better to say so plainly. It asks you to give worship to Allah (﷾) alone, and to invoke no one along with Him (72:18). It asks you to take guidance from the Qur'an and the last Prophet (ﷺ). It does not ask you to turn from your family, to mock them, or to stop being kind to them (31:15; 17:23-24). The page "If I become Muslim, what happens to my family's customs?" sets out what stays and what changes. The Qur'an tells believers to invite with wisdom and to argue in the way that is best and most gracious (16:125).
“"And the places of worship are for Allah (alone): So invoke not any one along with Allah;”
“"But if they strive to make thee join in worship with Me things of which thou hast no knowledge, obey them not; yet bear them company in this life with justice (and consideration), and follow the way of those who turn to me (in love): in the end the return of you all is to Me, and I will tell you the truth (and meaning) of all that ye did."”
“Thy Lord hath decreed that ye worship none but Him, and that ye be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in thy life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honour. And, out of kindness, lower to them the wing of humility, and say: "My Lord! bestow on them thy Mercy even as they cherished me in childhood."”
“Invite (all) to the Way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious: for thy Lord knoweth best, who have strayed from His Path, and who receive guidance.”
Islam's answer: begin with the questions
Whether or not you call yourself religious, you already thank, wash, honour and ask. Islam takes those acts seriously and gives them a direction: toward the One who made you, who hears you, and to whom you return. It is a whole way of life, from the first words of a meal to the last day (2:208; 5:3). It asks you to read the Qur'an and to test it (2:23). Then ask whether Muhammad (ﷺ) is the last messenger God (﷾) sent (33:40).
“O ye who believe! Enter into Islam whole-heartedly; and follow not the footsteps of the evil one; for he is to you an avowed enemy.”
“This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.”
“And if ye are in doubt as to what We have revealed from time to time to Our servant, then produce a Sura like thereunto; and call your witnesses or helpers (If there are any) besides Allah, if your (doubts) are true.”
“Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but (he is) the Messenger of Allah, and the Seal of the Prophets: and Allah has full knowledge of all things.”
Seven questions and replies
NHK ISSP 2018 Religion survey, Japan (2019)
Reports the Japan results of the ISSP 2018 survey on religion, taken 27 October to 4 November 2018 among 2,400 people aged 18 and over (1,466 valid replies, 61.1%). Asked whether they have a religion they usually believe in, not one kept only for ceremonies such as weddings and funerals, 62% said they have none, 31% named Buddhism, 3% Shinto and 1% Christianity. Asked how often they visit a temple, shrine or church, apart from weddings and funerals, 40.5% said once or twice a year. Asked about God, 25.4% said they do not know whether God exists and do not think there is a way to find out.
Cited for
I am not religious, and most people I know are the same. So this is not for me.
The response
Islam does not start from a membership card. It starts from the questions beneath any life. Did We create you in jest (23:115)? What comes after death (3:185)? Whoever you are, those questions are yours.
Where it lands — Not being religious does not take the questions away. Islam answers them as a way of life.
Sahih al-Bukhari 5376 — Kitab al-At'ima (Food), hadith 5376
Umar ibn Abi Salama reports that, as a boy in the Prophet's (ﷺ) care, his hand roamed around the dish while he ate. The Prophet (ﷺ) told him to mention the name of Allah, to eat with his right hand, and to eat from the part of the dish nearest to him. He says he kept to this from then on.
Cited for
Itadakimasu is only good manners. It is not a belief, and I do not need a God to say it.
The response
It is good manners, and Islam keeps them. Islam adds the One to whom the thanks go. The Prophet (ﷺ) taught his young companion to mention the name of Allah (﷾) at a meal (Bukhari 5376). The Qur'an says to eat what is lawful and good and to be grateful (16:114).
Where it lands — The custom stays. Islam gives the thanks an address.
Qur'an 5:6 — Surat al-Ma'ida (The Table), verse 6
“O ye who believe! when ye prepare for prayer, wash your faces, and your hands (and arms) to the elbows; Rub your heads (with water); and (wash) your feet to the ankles. If ye are in a state of ceremonial impurity, bathe your whole body. But if ye are ill, or on a journey, or one of you cometh from offices of nature, or ye have been in contact with women, and ye find no water, then take for yourselves clean sand or earth, and rub therewith your faces and hands, Allah doth not wish to place you in a difficulty, but to make you clean, and to complete his favour to you, that ye may be grateful.”
Cited for
Rinsing at a shrine is just cleanliness, like wudu. They are the same thing.
The response
Both are washing, and cleanliness is good. In Islam the washing is a command of God (﷾) before prayer to Him (5:6). Its aim is to prepare a person for prayer before the Creator, which comes five times a day, and not only at a place.
Where it lands — Washing is common ground. In Islam it prepares a person for prayer to the One God (﷾).
Qur'an 17:23-24 — Surat al-Isra (The Night Journey), verses 23-24
“Thy Lord hath decreed that ye worship none but Him, and that ye be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in thy life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honour. And, out of kindness, lower to them the wing of humility, and say: "My Lord! bestow on them thy Mercy even as they cherished me in childhood."”
Cited for
I already honour my parents. What would Islam add?
The response
Islam keeps it and makes it a duty set beside the worship of God (17:23-24). It adds that the duty grows, and that it remains even if the parents are not Muslim (31:15). The Prophet (ﷺ) put the mother first, three times (Bukhari 5971).
Where it lands — Honouring parents is kept in full, and Islam gives it a lasting ground.
Qur'an 5:3 — Surat al-Ma'ida (The Table), verse 3
“This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.”
Cited for
Religion causes trouble. I would rather keep away from it.
The response
Judge a teaching by what it teaches. Islam is a way of life: belief, worship, family and honest dealing together (5:3; 2:208). The Qur'an tells believers to invite with wisdom and in the best and most gracious way (16:125). It asks you to read the book itself and test it (2:23).
Where it lands — Look at the teaching itself, and test the Qur'an.
Qur'an 49:13 — Surat al-Hujurat (The Inner Apartments), verse 13
“O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise (each other). Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things).”
Cited for
If I became Muslim I would have to stop being Japanese.
The response
The Qur'an says God (﷾) made people into nations and tribes so that they may know one another. The most honoured is the most righteous (49:13). Your family stays your family, and kindness to it is a duty (31:15). The page on family customs sets out what stays and what changes.
Where it lands — A change of worship is not a change of nation or family.
Qur'an 75:36 — Surat al-Qiyama (The Resurrection), verse 36
“Does man think that he will be left uncontrolled, (without purpose)?”
Cited for
I do not know whether there is a God. Why should I spend time on it?
The response
Not knowing is a fair starting point. Life ends for everyone (3:185), and the Qur'an asks, "Does man think that he will be left uncontrolled, (without purpose)?" (75:36). The pages on knowing God (﷾), and on what to do when unsure, begin there.
Where it lands — Not knowing is a reason to look, since the question reaches every life.
Perspectives
Not religious: customs, not belief
A reader can say that he has no religion he believes in. He may keep customs at New Year or at a funeral, and he may value kind manners, but he sees no need for a religion. He may also say he does not know whether there is a God, or that religion brings trouble. Many in this position are polite and open, and ask what Islam would change.
I am not religious. In a survey, 62% said they have no religion they usually believe in (NHK, ISSP 2018). So Islam is not for me.
Rebuttal
The survey records what people said, and it is a fair place to start. Islam does not begin with a membership. It begins with questions everyone faces: why we were made, and what follows death (23:115; 3:185).
In the NHK survey, 40.5% said they visit a temple, shrine or church once or twice a year, apart from weddings and funerals. I keep customs like that, and I say itadakimasu. They are manners and habit, not belief.
Rebuttal
Manners are good, and Islam keeps thanks and washing. It also names who is thanked: the Giver, whose name Muslims say at a meal (Bukhari 5376; 16:114). Thanks without a Giver has nowhere to go.
In the NHK survey, 25.4% said they do not know whether God exists and see no way to find out. I am the same, so I leave the question alone.
Rebuttal
Not knowing is an honest start, and it is a reason to look. Life ends for everyone (3:185), and the Qur'an asks whether we will be left without purpose (75:36).
The Islamic perspective
Islam is a complete way of life under One Creator. It keeps thanks, washing and kindness to parents, and gives them their direction. It answers who made us, what life is for and what comes after death. It asks one change at the root: worship for Allah (﷾) alone, and guidance from the Qur'an and the last Prophet (ﷺ).
Islam (deen) is a whole way of life: belief, worship, family and character together, and not an organisation to join.
A Muslim begins a meal with the name of Allah (﷾). He gives thanks to the One who provides the food and gave hearing, sight and understanding.
The Qur'an commands washing before prayer: face, hands and arms, head and feet.
Kindness to parents is commanded beside the worship of God (﷾). It remains a duty when the parents are not Muslim.
The Creator, as the Qur'an describes Him, is One, eternal, begetting none and begotten of none. He is close to every caller and hears them.
Life is a test and not a jest. Every soul tastes death and returns to Allah (﷾) to be paid in full.
The Qur'an invites everyone to test it, and calls Muhammad (ﷺ) the Seal of the Prophets.
The change Islam asks is real: worship for Allah (﷾) alone, and guidance from the Qur'an and the last Prophet (ﷺ). Family kindness is kept, and believers are told to invite others with wisdom.