A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO RESEARCH METHODOLOGY (PART 1) TIPS FOR SAMPLING AND SAMPLE TECHNIQUES

A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO RESEARCH METHODOLOGY (PART 1): TIPS FOR SAMPLING AND SAMPLE TECHNIQUES

BY

Japheth A. Yaya 

PhD Candidate; Babcock University, Ilishan Remo, Ogun State,

Nigeria. yjapheth@yahoo.com+2347033762965 & +2347011904287. June 10, 2014

Introduction
Research can simply be described as a diligent and scientific enquiry or investigation into a subject or problem in order to come up with the latest discovery (ies) so as to resolve an identified societal problem. In any field of knowledge, research is very important as it enables the researcher to discover new ground to cover in meeting human needs and thereby makes society worth living. Research is the bedrock of any serious minded scholar which he/she has to carry out in order to salvage a decaying economy of a nation and also sustain development for his country. Adeniyi; Oyekanmi and Tijani (2011:49) posit research as “generally based on scientific inquiry in which available facts are closely examined or investigated” by a researcher. In making scientific enquiry and come up with a fact in which to base any meaningful research, it is pertinent to note that a researcher has to consult some educational resources and contact some group of people in order to ascertain the validity of his or research work. That group of individuals or respondents or elements or observable materials that a researcher has to contact is known as population of the study. Population in this sense, according to Adeniyi et al (2011) represents all conceivable elements, subjects or observations relating to a particular area of interest to the researcher.
However, it is quite not really possible for a researcher to make use of the entire large population for his study; this could be as a result of limited financial resources of the researcher, too large area to cover which may not be easily covered by the researcher or it could be as a result limited period allocated for such study. Hence, there is need to draw out some fraction known as sample size out of the entire population which can be easily managed by the researcher. Basically, Popoola (2011) posits that the major components of research methodology especially in Library and Information science or in any research work include: research design; the population of study; sampling procedure and sample size; research instrument(s); validity and reliability of the research instrument(s) and methods of data analysis.
Nevertheless in this paper, we shall be dealing with how to choose the best sampling technique and sample size for a study. The paper shall lay more emphasis on population of the study, also educate our readers on how to choose a sample technique and sample size for any study they are presently undergoing or intend to carry out in future.

Population of study

Population of study for any research work has been variously defined by different scholars and their definitions pointed toward the same direction. Avwokeni (2006:92) refers to population of study as the “set of all participants that qualify for a study” while Akinade and Owolabi (2009 :72)  defined population as “the total set of observations from which a sample is drawn”;   Adeniyi et al (2011:49) see it as the “total number of large habitations of people in one geographical area, for example, the population of a country”; besides, Popoola (2011:2) defines population as the “totality of the items or objects under the universe of study. It often connotes all the members of the target of the study as defined by the aims and objectives of the study”. We concur with the definitions of the above scholars. But we conceptualize population to mean the whole body of items, objects, materials or people that fall within the geographical location in which a researcher intends to investigate for his study. That is the whole participants of a study. The constituents of population have certain attributes in common; the number may be large or small. What should a researcher do if the population is large or small?
However, as earlier pointed out in this paper, it is quite impossible for a researcher to study the entire population due to some reasons. In objecting this view, Popoola (2011:2) points out some reasons under which a researcher may study the entire population, these include:

• When the size of the population is small.
• When there is no time constraint in carrying out the study. That is if there is enough time for the researcher to carry out his study.
• When the resources (human, money and materials) available for the study are adequate.
• When the sole objective of the study is to take census of the elements in the population.

Types of Population 

According to Akinade and Owolabi (2009:73) and Adedokun (2003:43-44) population of a study can be classified to include:

• Listed population: All the elements or subjects are known and can be identified by name or number e.g. students who registered for a particular course or all employees in an organization.
• Homogeneous population: Population that consists of discrete elements that have common property with very little variation such as same age, sex, level of education and rank in a job, or people of the same skin colour (black or white).
• Heterogeneous population:  Here the population consists of different categories of participants or elements that have uncommon characteristics e.g. children in all classes in a school or all categories of workers in an organization (lecturers, accountants, clerks, secretaries, managers, directors and artisans). This type is further  subdivided into:
• Unlisted population: This is a very large and nebulous type. The elements cannot all be identified by names or numbers e.g. all the men or women in a country.
• Group population: This is a structured and listed population e.g. students offering a course of study may be classified into male and female; local and foreign; single or combined honours students; workers (junior, senior) management and supervisory staff.
• Scattered population:Population of listed members who are found in different geographical locations e.g. members of Nigerian Library Association or lecturers of private universities of a country or lawyers in a country.
• Clustered population:Population of unlisted individuals who are known to exist together in different locations e.g. Nigerian footballers in European and Asian countries.
•  Target population:This consists of all members of a group of under the investigation to which the result of the investigation can be applied. They are population of interest (e.g. university students) but all of whom are not of interest to the researcher.
• Accessible population: This refers to the members of a target population, which are within the reach of the researcher, work with and obtain their sample for his study.

Furthermore, it is pertinent to note that characteristics of a population of scores are called parameters and characteristics of a sample of scores from a larger population are statistics. The mean of an entire population of scores is a parameter and the mean of a sample is a statistics (Akinade & Owolabi, 2009). However, when the population is relatively too large to be covered within the period allocated for the study and also with the limited human and material (fund) resources of the researcher, it is necessary for the researcher to take sample size from the entire population for the study.  

Sample and Sample Size

A sample is a manageable section of a population but elements of which have common characteristics. Also, it refers to any portion of a population selected for the study and on whom information needed for the study is obtained ( Awoniyi; Aderanti & Tayo, 2011; Akinade & Owolabi, 2009; Adedokun, 2003). It is the elements making up the sample that are actually studied and generalizations or inferences about the population are made. This generalization of result based on the sample to the population is the major purpose of sampling and also a major concern in any scientific investigation. It can be reemphasized here that, to study the entire population may be cumbersome, time consuming and of course very costly, hence, a sample takes a fair portion as representative of the entire population. In statistical analysis, population of the study is being denoted with ‘N’ while sample size is denoted with ‘n’
Sample size is the number of elements that can be selected for a research. This number varies from one study to another. In homogenous population (where there is little variation) requires a small size. Experimental studies tend to use relatively small sample size. But for heterogeneous population (where there is a wider variation) requires a larger sample size. This is common in survey research as in education and behavioural sciences (Akinade & Owolabi, 2009).

Types of Samples 

The following types of samples are adopted from Akinade & Owolabi (2009: 74), they include: 

Random Sample: Is one in which all the elements have equal chances of being selected for a study. It is the basis of most of the other types of samples. For example, all the male students in a classroom.

Subjective Sample: This refers to a subset of an accessible population. It is deliberately or purposefully chosen. On the basis of researcher’s predetermined intention, selecting experimental subjects this way is open to bias. For instance, if a researcher wants to find out the reading habits of students in a university and uses the students he/she teaches. This sample is not representative of all the students in the university not to talk of the world. It is a sample that is neither random nor representative. It is a sample that the researcher has allowed his/her preferences to influence his choice of items to be selected for the study. It may not be a captive sample. However, generalization cannot be made from the results. Captive samples and biased samples are good for quick collection of data from the respondents.

Captive Sample: it is a sample obtained from a captive population such as students in a classroom or workers in an industry, patients in a psychiatric hospital ward. The elements have no population and so one cannot generate finding from it. It is not used in serious research. It may be useful for pilot study or where a researcher wants a quick result before commencing the actual study.

Purpose of Sampling 

Basically, sampling is done to ensure that there is no bias or subjectivity in the selection process. It also helps the researcher to work with reasonable size of elements since it is difficult to do so with the entire population. It thus saves time spent on each research and also reduces cost of research operations (Akinboye & Akinboye, 1998 in Akinade & Owolabi, 2009).
However, according to Adeniyi et al (2011: 50) other reasons for sampling include:

• In a large population, there could be some similarities and uniformities along the line of research investigation, drawing up a sample along these similarities will give a general result for the whole population.
• It makes the researcher more thorough and affords more time for better study.
• Sampling makes data analysis easier and more skillful with qualitative results.
• Since sampling enables us to deal with a part of the population, it is obviously cheaper to study a sample rather than the entire population.
• It enables us to obtain quicker results than covering an entire population with its attendant problems.
• At times, it is practically impossible to take a complete and comprehensive study of the population because of the nature and pattern of distribution or dispersion of the population elements.
• For research study involving practical enumeration of subjects, sampling is the only best option to achieve it.
• Sampling helps the researcher to guard against incomplete and inaccurate instruments such as questionnaires.
• Sampling makes it possible to study infinite population.

Nevertheless, limitations of sampling include the following. Some samples may be too small or heterogeneous to collect a representative sample. In some cases, the researcher may not be equipped with sufficient knowledge of diverse or relevant sampling methods in that case there may be bias (Akinade & Owolabi, 2009: 75). 

Sampling Techniques

Sampling techniques can be classified into two main groups, namely: probability and non-probability sampling.

• Probability Sampling Technique:

Here all the items/units in a population have equal chance of being selected as sample for a study. The advantages of this method of sampling is that it only when the items have been selected with known probabilities that one is able to evaluate the precision of the sampling result (Popoola, 2011; Adeniyi et al, 2011). The examples include:

• Simple Random sampling
• Systematic sampling
• Stratified sampling
• Cluster/Area sampling, and
• Double sampling.

Each of the listed probability sampling techniques shall be discussed in turn:

• Simple Random Sampling:

In simple random sampling, every member of the population has equal chance of being selected for a study. It is a method that gives each member of the population non-zero probability of being selected. This type of sampling technique is used when the population has similar characteristics (homogeneous population), the sampling frame is available and the population size is determinate or finite.  To ensure a random sample, the selection of samples may be done through balloting, table of random numbers and computer simulation. In most cases, the sampling is done without replacement (Popoola, 2011).   

• Systematic Sampling:

This involves the selection of every nth subject or item from serially listed population subjects or units. Where n is any number determined from the population. For example, obtaining a systematic sample of 100 from a population of 800. The will be as follows:

• Number the items serially up to 800.
• Divide 800 by 100 i.e. N/n = 800/100 = 8
• Randomly select a starting point, say number ‘8’ of the population list.
• Then select every 8th unit after the first. The list will include the following: 8th, 16th, 24th, 32nd, 40th, 48th, 56th, 64th, 72nd etc. on the population list (Adeniyi et al, 2011).

   

• Stratified Random Sampling:

This is a method in which the heterogeneous population is first stratified by dividing it into a set of mutually exclusive or non-overlapping sub-populations or strata, and thereafter random samples are then selected from each stratum for detailed study (Popoola, 2011). It must be noted that the stratified random sampling may involve stratifying the respondents into infected and uninfected; males and females; old and young; residents and non-residents; employed and unemployed; literates and illiterates; rich and poor. The author reiterates that four basic methods could be employed to determine the sample size per stratum or total sample size for all the strata. These include probability proportionate to size (PPS), optimum allocation, Neyman allocation and equal allocation.    

• Cluster/Area sampling:

 This type of sampling technique is similar to stratified random sampling that had been discussed in this paper. Cluster or area sampling is otherwise known as multistage sampling in that the population is subdivided into units and a random sampling of smaller units; that is, it is a population that exists in clusters over a geographical area. The selection of individual cases in the group may also employ simple random technique (Awoniyi et al, 2011).  This method is used when the population is very large and covers a large geographical area. For example a country can be divided into regions or states which constitute sampling units called clusters.

• Double sampling:

A double sampling method is a sampling design in which some information is gathered from the whole sample and additional information is either at the same time or later collected from sub-samples of the full sample. With only one sub-sample, the technique is called two-phase sampling or double sampling (Popoola, 2011:8).

• Non-probability Sampling Technique:

Here the elements or items of the population to be studied have no equal chance to be selected for the study. Rather, randomness if it occurs is by mere chance. Examples of this sampling technique include:

• Quota sampling;
• Purposive sampling;
• Accident/Availability sampling;
• Convenience sampling;
• Snowball sampling; and
• Event sampling.

Each example of the non-probability sampling techniques listed above shall be briefly discussed in this write up:

• Quota sampling:

Quota sampling method is a subjective method of selecting samples from a population of study. It is always difficult to determine the probability of drawing samples from a study population. Also, quota sampling is the type of sampling scheme in which deliberate control factor is used to draw samples from a study population on the assumption that the chosen samples have similar characteristics with the sampling population (Popoola, 2011; Hammed & Popoola, 2006).

• Purposive/Judgmental sampling:

This is otherwise called judgmental sampling. Judgmental sampling is a non-probability sampling technique where the researcher selects units to be sampled based on their knowledge and professional judgment. It is a sampling procedure that is characterized by a deliberate effort to obtain representative samples from a study population (Explorable.com, 2009). Purposive sampling is used in cases where the specialty of an authority can select a more representative sample that can bring more accurate results than by using other probability sampling techniques. The process involves nothing but purposely handpicking individuals from the population based on the authorities or the researcher's knowledge and judgment. For example, in a study wherein a researcher wants to know what it takes to graduate summa cum laude in college, the only people who can give the researcher first hand advise are the individuals who graduated summa cum laude. With this very specific and very limited pool of individuals that can be considered as a subject, the researcher must use judgmental sampling (Explorable.com, 2009). However, two major drawbacks of this method are that of reliability and the bias that accompanies the sampling technique.

 Accident/Availability sampling:

It is a sampling procedure whereby a researcher selects available samples without any scientific bases. This type of sampling procedure must be avoided when conducting a research in any research activity.

• Convenience sampling:

A convenience sample is simply one where the units that are selected for inclusion in the sample are the easiest to access. This is in stark contrast to probability sampling techniques, where the selection of units is made randomly. For example in a population of 10,000 university students; where the researcher is only interested in achieving a sample size of 100 students who would take part in his research. As such, he would continue to invite students to take part in the research until his sample size is reached. Since the aim of convenience sampling is easy access, he may simply choose to stand at the main entrance to campus of the University where it would be easy to invite the many students that pass by to take part in the research (Lund Research, 2012).
Moreover, the merits of convenience sampling method include: it is very easy to carry out with few rules governing how the sample should be collected; relative cost and time required to carry out a convenience sample are small in comparison to probability sampling techniques and the convenience sample may help the researcher in  gathering useful data and information that would not have been possible using probability sampling techniques, which require more formal access to lists of populations. However, the convenience sampling technique has the following limitations: it often suffers from biases from a number of biases. This can be seen in the example aforementioned and since the sampling frame is not know, and the sample is not chosen at random, the inherent bias in convenience sampling means that the sample is unlikely to be representative of the population being studied. This undermines researcher’s ability to make generalizations from his sample to the population he is studying (Lund Research, 2012).

 Snowball sampling:

This has to do with a situation when a researcher builds up a sample for his study through information from other people. He starts with one person who then suggests another people and so on until the researcher gets enough sample size for his study.

• Event sampling:

According to Awoniyi et al (2011), it involves a situation when a researcher uses the opportunity presented by a particular event to gather information (sample) for his study. For example if a researcher is investigating the perceptions of Nigerian people towards 2014 FIFA world cup tournament, he can get his sample size from the football fans during the ongoing world cup event.

Conclusion
Thus far in this paper, we’ve tried to do justice to population and various types of sampling techniques that can be used in any research activity.  However, researchers are not restricted only to what we’ve presented, the choice of which sampling technique to use depends solely on the researcher and the investigation he intends to carry out. Therefore, conducting a scientific investigation in any human endeavor is a peculiar task globally; hence, the accepted process must be taken in order to come up with a valid result.

 References:  
Adedokun, J.A. (2003). Basics of Research Methodology. Sagamu: New Hope Publisher.

Adeniyi, A.L.; Oyekanmi, A.O. & Tijani, M.O. (2011). Essentials of Business Research        Methods. Lagos: CSS Bookshops Limited.

Akinade, E.A. & Owolabi, T. (2009). Research Methods: A Pragmatic Approach for Social         Sciences, Behavioural Sciences and Education. Lagos: Connel Publications.

Avwokeni, J.A. (2006). Research Methods: Process, Evaluation & Critique. Portharcourt:         Unicampus Tutorial Services.
Awoniyi, S.A.; Aderanti, R.A. & Tayo, A.S. (2011). Introduction to Research Methods. Ibadan:  Ababa Press Ltd.

Explorable.com (2009). Judgmental Sampling. Retrieved from        https://explorable.com/judgmental-samplingon Jun 27, 2014.

Hammed, A. & Popoola, S.O. (2006). Selection of Sample and Sampling Technique: In G.O.        Alegbeleye; I. Mabawonku & M. Fabunmi (ed). Research in Education. Ibadan: Faculty of        Education, University of Ibadan: 138 – 154.

Lund Research (2012). Convenience sampling. Retrieved from       http://www.dissertation.laerd.com/convenience-sampling.php on 27/06/14.

Popoola, S.O. (2011, September). Research Methodologies in Library and Information Science.      A paper presented at a training workshop on building research capacity for Library and      Information Science professionals. Organized by the Nigerian Library Association, Ogun      State Chapter, held at Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria on 18th – 22nd September, 2011

Each person  is born in a circumstance which  is not of his own  choosing. The  religion of his family or the ideology of the state is thrust upon him from the very beginning of his existence in this world. By the time he reaches his teens, he is usually fully brain-washed into believing that  the  beliefs  of  his  particular  society  are  the  correct  beliefs  that everyone  should  have.
However, when  some  people mature  and  are  exposed  to  other  belief-systems,  they  begin  to question the validity of their own beliefs. The seekers of truth often reach a point of confusion upon realizing that each and every religion, sect, ideology and philosophy claims to be the one and only correct way for man. Indeed, they all encourage people to do good. So, which one is right?  They  cannot  all  be  right  since  each  claims  all  others  are wrong.  Then  how  does  the seeker of truth choose the right way?

God gave us all minds and intellects to enable us to make this crucial decision. It is the most important  decision  in  the  life  of  a human  being. Upon  it  depends his  future, Consequently, each  and  every  one of us must  examine  dispassionately  the  evidence  presented  and  choose what appears to be right until further evidence arises.

The three basic  components of what logic and reason dictate necessary for a religion to be considered the true religion of God are .
1)    The divine origin of the names of  the religion and  the comprehensiveness of  its meaning

2)    The  unique  and  uncomplicated  teachings  concerning  the  relationship between  God,  man,  and         creation.

3)    The Unviversalilty and the  attainability of the Religions.

The Religion’s Name
The  first  thing  that one  should  know  and  clearly understand  about  Islam  is what  the word ‘Islam” itself means. The Arabic word “Islam” means the submission or surrender of one’s will to the only true God, known in Arabic as “Allah”. One who submits his will to God is termed in Arabic a  “Muslim”. The religion of  Islam  is not named after a person or a people, nor was  it decided by  a  later  generation  of man,  as  in  the  case  of Christianity which was named  after Jesus Christ, Buddhism after Gautama Buddha, Confucianism after Confucius, Marxism after Karl Marx, Judaism after the tribe of Judah and Hinduism after the Hindus. Islam (submission to the will of God) is the religion which was given to Adam, the first man and the first prophet of God, and it was the religion of all the prophets sent by Allah to mankind. Further its name was chosen by God Himself and clearly mentioned in the final scripture which He revealed to man. In that final revelation, called in Arabic the Qur’an Allah states the following:
“This  day  have  I  perfected  your  religion  for  you,
completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for
you Islam as your religion.” [Qur’an 5:3]
“If  anyone  desires  a  religion  other  than  Islam (submission  to  God),  never  will  it  be  accepted  of Him.” [Qur’an 3:85].
Hence, Islam does not claim to be a new religion brought by Prophet Mohammed into Arabia in the  seventh  century, but  rather  to be a  re-expression  in  its  final  form of  the  true  religion  of Almighty God, Allah, as it was originally revealed to Adam and subsequent prophets.
At this point we might comment briefly on two other religions that claim to be  the  true path. Nowhere in the Bible will you find God revealing to Prophet Moses’ people or their descendants that  their religion is  called Judaism, or  to  the  followers of Christ  that  their  religion  is called Christianity. In other words,  the names  “Judaism” and  “Christianity” had no divine origin or approval.  It was  not  until  long  after  his  departure  that  the  name Christianity was  given  to
Jesus’ religion.
What, then, was Jesus’ religion in actual fact, as distinct from its name? (Both the name Jesus and  the name Christ are derived  from Hebrew words,  through Greek and Latin. Jesus  is  the English and Latin form of the Greek Iesous, which in Hebrew Is Yeshua or Yehoshua’ (Joshua).
The Greek word Christos is a translation of the Hebrew [for] 'messiah', which is a title meaning 'the  anointed'.) His  religion  was  reflected  in  his  teachings,  which  he  urged  his  followers  to accept as guiding principles in their relationship with God. In Islam, Jesus is a prophet sent by Allah and his Arabic name is Eesa. Like the prophets before him, he called upon the people to surrender their will to the will of God (which is what Islam stands for). For example, in the New Testament it is stated that Jesus taught his followers to pray to God as follows:
“Our father in heaven, hallowed be your name, may your
will  be  done  on  earth  as  it  is  in  heaven.”  [Luke 11:2/Matthew 6:9-10]
This concept was emphasised by Jesus in a number of his statements recorded in the Gospels. He  taught,  for  example,  that  only  those who  submitted would  inherit  paradise.    Jesus  also   pointed out that he himself submitted to the will of God.
“None of those who call me ‘Lord’ will enter the kingdom of God, but only the one who does the will of my Father
in heaven.” [Matthew 7:21]
“I cannot do anything of myself I judge as I hear and my judgment  is  honest  because  I  am  not  seeking my  own will but the will of Him who sent me.” [John 5:30]
There are many reports  in  the Gospels which show  that Jesus made  it  clear  to his  followers that he was not the one true God. For example, when speaking about the final Hour, he said:
“No-one  knows  about  the  day  or  hour,  not  even  the angels  in  heaven,  not  the  son,  but  only  the  Father.” [Mark 13:32]
Thus, Jesus like the prophets before him and the one who came after him, taught the religion
of Islam: submission to the will of the one true God.

God And Creation
Since  the  total  submission of one’s will  to God  represents  the  essence of worship,  the  basic message  of  God’s  divine  religion,  Islam,  is  the  worship  of  God  alone.  It  also  requires  the avoidance of worship directed to any person, place or thing other  than God. Since everything other  than God,  the creator of all  the  things,  is God’s creation,  it may be said  that  Islam,  in essence, calls man away from worship of creation and invites him to worship only his Creator.
He is the only one deserving of man’s worship, because it is only by His will that prayers are answered.  Accordingly,  if a man prays  to a  tree and his prayers are answered,  it  is not  the  tree which answers  his  prayers  but God,  who  allows  the  circumstances  prayed  for  to  take  place.  One might  say,  “That  is  obvious”.  However,  to  tree-worshippers,  it  might  not  be  so.  Similarly, prayers  to  Jesus,  Buddha,  or  Krishna  or  Saint  Christopher,  or  Saint  Jude  or  even  to Muhammad,  are  not  answered  by  them,  but  are  answered  by  God.  Jesus  did  not  tell  his
followers to worship him but to worship God, as the Quran states:
“And  behold!  Allah  will  say:  ‘O  Jesus,  the  son  of Mary!  Did  you  say  to  men,  worship  me  and  my
mother as gods besides Allah?, He will say: “Glory to you, I could never say what I had no right  (to say).”
[Qur’an 5:118]
Nor did Jesus worship himself when he worshipped, but rather he worshipped God. And Jesus was reported in the Gospels to have said,
“It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’” [Luke 4:8]
This basic principle  is  contained  in  the opening  chapter of  the Qur’an, known as Soorah al-Faatihah, verse 4:
“you alone do we worship and from you alone do we seek help.”
Elsewhere, in the final book of revelation, the Quran, God also said:
“And  you  Lord  says:  ‘Call  on Me  and  I  will  answer your (prayer).’” [Qur’an 40:60]
It is worth emphasizing that the basic message of Islam (namely, the worship of God alone) also proclaims that God and His creation are distinctly different entities. God is neither equal to His creation nor a part of it, nor is His creation equal to Him or a part of Him.
This might seem obvious, but man’s worship of  creation,  instead of  the Creator  is  to a  large degree based on ignorance, or neglect, of this concept. It is the belief that the essence of God is everywhere  in His  creation  or  that His  divine  being  is  or was  present  in  some  parts  of His creation, which has provided justification for the worship of God’s creation and naming it the worship  of  God.  However,  the message  of  Islam,  as  brought  by  the  prophets  of  God,  is  to worship only God and to avoid the worship of His creation either directly or indirectly. In the Qur’an God clearly states:
“For  we  assuredly  sent  amongst  every  people  a prophet,  with  the  command Worship Me  and  avoid false Gods.” [Qur’an 16:36]
When idol worshippers are questioned as to why they bow down to idols created by men, the invariable  reply  is  that  they  are  not  actually worshipping  the  stone  image,  but God  who  is present within it. They claim that the stone idol is only a focal point for God’s essence and is not in itself God! One who has accepted the concept of God being present in any way within His creation will be obliged to accept this argument for idolatry. Whereas, one who understands the
basic message of Islam and its implications would never agree to idolatry no matter how it  is rationalized.
Those who have claimed divinity for themselves down through the ages have often based their claims on the mistaken belief that God is present in man. Taking one step further, they claim that  God  is more  present  in  them  than  in  the  rest  of  us,  and  that  other  humans  should  therefore submit to them and worship them as God in person or as God concentrated within their persons. Similarly, those who have asserted the godhood of others after their deaths have
found fertile ground among those who accept the false belief of God’s presence in man.
It should be abundantly clear by now that one who has grasped the basic message of Islam and its  implications could never agree to worship another human being under any circumstance. God’s  religion,  in  essence,  is  a  clear  call  to  the worship  of  the Creator  and  the  rejection  of creation-worship in any form. This is the meaning of the motto of Islam: “Laa Ilaaha Ill Allah” (there is no God but Allah)
The sincere declaration of this phrase and the acceptance of prophethood automatically bring one within the  fold of  Islam, and sincere belief  in  it guarantees one Paradise. Thus,  the  final Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h) is reported to have said, “Any one who says: There is no God but Allah, and dies holding that (belief) will enter paradise.”
Belief in this declaration of faith requires that one submit his/her will to God in the way taught by the prophets of God. It also requires the believer to give up the worship of false gods.

The Message Of False Religions
There  are  so many  sects,  cults,  religions,  philosophies,  and movements  in  the  world,  all  of which claim to be the right way or the only true path of God How can one determine which one is correct or whether, in fact, all are correct? One method by which the answer can be found is to  clear  away  the  superficial  differences  in  the  teachings  of  the  various  claimants  to  the ultimate  truth, and  identifies  the  central object  of worship upon which  they  call,  directly or indirectly. False religions all have in common one basic concept with regard to God they either
claim that all men are gods, or that specific men were God, or that nature is God, or that God
is a figment of man’s imagination.
Thus, it may be stated that the basic message of false religion is that God may be worshipped in the form of His creation. False religions invite man to the worship of creation by calling the creation or some aspect of it God. For example, prophet Jesus invited his followers to worship God, but those who claim to be Jesus’  followers  today call people to worship Jesus, claiming that he was God.
Buddha was a reformer who  introduced a number of humanistic principles  in  the  religion of India. He did not claim to be God, nor did he suggest to his followers that he be an object of worship. Yet today most Buddhists who are to be found outside of India have taken him to be God and they prostrate themselves to idols made in their perception of his likeness.
By using the principle of identifying the object of worship, we can easily detect false religions and the contrived nature of their origin. As God said in the Qur’an:
“That which you worship besides Him are only names and  you  and  your  forefathers  have  invented  for which  Allah  has  sent  down  no  authority:  the command  belongs  only  to  Allah  He  has  command that you worship Him; that is the right religion, but most men do not understand.” [Qur’an 12:40]
It may be argued  that all religions  teach good  things, so why should  it matter which one we follow?  The  reply  is  that  all  false  religions  teach  the  greatest  evil  the  worship  of  creation. Creation-worship  is  the  greatest  sin  that man  can  commit  because  it  contradicts  the  very purpose of his creation. Man was created to worship God alone as Allah has explicitly stated in the Qur’an:
“I have  only  created  jinns  and men,  that  they may worship Me” [Qur’an 51:56]
Consequently , the worship of creation, which is the essence of idolatry is the only unforgivable sin. One who dies in this state of  idolatry, has sealed his  fate  in  the next life. This  is not an opinion, but a revealed fact stated by God in his final revelation to man:
“Verily Allah will not  forgive  the  joining of partners with Him, but He may forgive (sins) less than that for
whomsoever He wishes.” [Qur’an 4:48 and 116]

Universality Of God’s Religion
Since the consequences of following a false religion are so grave, the true religion of God must have  been  universally  understandable  and  universally  attainable  in  the  past  and  it  must continue eternally to be understandable and attainable  throughout  the entire world.  In other words, the true religion of God cannot be confined to any one people, place, or period of time. Nor is it logical that such a religion should impose conditions that have nothing to do with the
relationship  of  man  with  God,  such  as  baptism,  or  belief  in  man  as  a  savior,  or  an intermediary. Within the central principle of Islam and its definition (the surrender of one’s will to God) lie the roots of Islam’s universality. Whenever man comes to the realization that God is one and distinct from His creation, and submits himself to God, he becomes a Muslim in body and spirit and is eligible for paradise.

Consequently, anyone at any time in the most remote regions of the world can become Muslim, a follower of God’s religion, Islam, by merely rejecting  the worship of creation and  turning  to God alone. It should be noted, however, that in order to actually submit to God’s will, one must continually choose between right and wrong. Indeed, man is endowed by God with  the power
not only  to distinguish  right  from wrong but also  to  choose  between  them.  These God-given powers carry with them an important responsibility, namely, that man is answerable to God for the choices he makes. It follows,  then,  that man should  try his utmost  to do good and avoid evil. These concepts are expressed in the final revelation as follows:
“Verily, those who believe (in the Qur’an), and those who follow the Jewish faith, and the Christians, and the  Sabians  (angel-and-star-worshippers)  --  any  of these who believe in Allah and the Last Day and work righteousness  shall  have  their  reward  with  their Lord.  They  will  not  be  overcome  by  fear  or  grief.”
[Qur’an 2:62]
If, for whatever reason, they fail to accept the final message after it has been clearly explained to them, they will be in grave danger. The last Prophet said:
“Whoever among the Christians and Jews hears of me but does not  affirm  his  belief  in what  I  brought  and  dies  in
this  state  will  be  among  the  inhabitants  of  hell.”  (Sahih Muslim [English Translation], Vol.1 P.91 No, 284)

Recognition Of God
The question which arises here is : How can all people be expected to believe in  the one true God, given their varying backgrounds, societies and cultures? For people to be held responsible for worshipping the one true God, they all need to have access to knowledge of Him. The final revelation teaches that all humans being have the recognition of the one true God imprinted on their souls as a part of their very nature with which they are created.
In the seventh chapter of the Qur’an (Al-A’raaf, verses 172-173), God explained that when He created  Adam  He  caused  all  of  Adam’s  descendants  to  come  into  existence  and  He  took  a pledge from them saying:
“‘Am  I  not  your  Lord?’  To  which  they  all  replied, ‘Yes, we testify to it’”
Allah then explained why He had all of mankind bear witness that He is their creator and the
only true God worthy of worship. He said:
“That was  in case  you  (mankind)  should  say  on  the
day  of Resurrection,  ‘Verily we were  unaware  of  all
this’” [Qur’an 7:172]
That is to say, we cannot claim on that day that we had no idea that Allah, was our God and that no one told us that we were only supposed to worship Allah alone. Allah went on to further explain that: “It was also in case you should say, ‘Certainly it was our ancestors who made partners (with Allah) and we are only their descendants; will you then destroy us for what those liars did?’” [Qur’an 7:173]
Thus, every child  is born with a natural belief  in God and an  in-born  inclination  to worship Him alone. This in-born belief and inclination is called in Arabic the “Fitrah“. The  Prophet  Muhammad  reported  that  Allah  said,  “I  created  my  servants  in  the  right religion, but devils made them go astray.” The Prophet also said, “Each child is born in a
state of Fitrah. Then his parents make him a Jew, Christian or a Zoroastrian.” If the child were  left  alone, he would worship God  in his  own way,  but  all  children  are  affected  by  the environment. So, just as the child submits to the physical laws, which Allah has  imposed on nature, in the same way his soul also submits naturally to the fact that Allah is his Lord and Creator. But,  if his  parents  try  to make him  follow  a  different  path,  the  child  is not  strong enough in the early stages of his life to resist or oppose the will of his parents. In such cases, the religion, which the child follows, is one of custom and upbringing, and God does not hold him to account or punish him for his religion up to a certain stage of his life.

The Signs Of God
Throughout people’s  lives,  from  childhood until  the  time  they die,  signs of  the one  and  only true God are shown to them in all regions of the earth and in their own souls, until it becomes clear that there is only one true God (Allah). God says in the Qur’an:
“We will show them our signs In the furthest regions (of  the  earth)  and  in  their  souls,  until  it  becomes clear to them that this is the truth.” [Qur’an 41:53]
The following is an example of God revealing by a sign to one man the error of his idol-worship. In  the  south-eastern  region of  the Amazon  jungle  in Brazil, South America, a primitive  tribe erected  a  new  hut  to  house  their man-idol  Skwatch,  representing  the  supreme  God  of  all  creation. The following day a young man entered the hut to pay homage to the God, and while he was in prostration to what he had been taught was his Creator and Sustainer, a mangy old flea-ridden dog slunk into the hut. The young man looked up in time to see the dog lift his hind
leg and pass urine on the idol.
Outraged, the youth chased the dog out of the temple; but when his rage died down he realized that the idol could not be the Lord of the Universe. God must be elsewhere, he concluded. As strange as it may seem, the dog urinated on the idol was a sign from God for that young man.
This sign contained  the divine message  that what he was worshipping was  false.  It  liberated from slavishly following his traditionally learned worship of a false god. As a result,  this man was given a choice: either to seek the true god or to continue in the error of his ways. Allah mentions Prophet Abraham’s quest for God as an example of how  those who  follow His signs will be rightly guided:
“So  also  did  we  show  Abraham  the  power  and  the Laws  of  the  heavens  and  the  earth  that  he  might (with understanding) have certitude.  When the night covered him over, he saw a star. He said: ‘This is my Lord.’ But when it set, he said: ‘I love not those that set’   When  he  saw  the moon  rising  in  splendor,  he
said:  ‘This  is my  Lord.’ But when  the moon  set, he said:  ‘Unless  my  Lord  guide  me,  I  shall  surely  be
among those who go astray.’  When he saw the rising sun in splendor, he said: ‘This is my Lord this is the
greatest  (of  all).’  But when  the  sun  set,  he  said;  ‘O my people I am indeed free from your (guilt) of giving
partners to Allah.  For me, I have set my face, firmly and truly, towards Him who created the heavens and the  earth,  and  never  shall  I  give  partners  to  Allah” [Qur’an 6:75-79]
As was mentioned earlier, prophets have been sent to every nation and tribe to support man’s natural belief in God and man’s in-born inclination to worship Him, as well as to reinforce the divine  truth  in  the daily  signs  revealed by God. Although much of  these prophets’  teachings became distorted, portions revealing their God-inspired messages have remained untainted and have served  to guide mankind in  the choice between  right and wrong. The  influence of God inspired   messages  down  through  the  ages  can  be  seen  in  the  “Ten  Commandments”  of Judaism’s  Torah  which  were  later  adopted  into  Christianity’s  teachings,  as  well  as  in  the existence  of  laws  against  murder,  stealing  and  adultery  in  most  societies  throughout  the ancient and modern world.
As a result of God’s signs to mankind through the ages combined with His revelation through His prophets, all mankind has been given a chance to recognize the one only true God.

Consequently, every soul will be held accountable for its belief in God and its acceptance of the true religion of God, namely Islam, which means total submission to the will of Allah.

Conclusion
The preceding presentation has demonstrated that the name of the religion of Islam expresses Islam’s most central principle, submission to God, and that the name “Islam” was chosen not by man, but by God, according  to  the holy  scripture of  Islam.  It has also been  shown  that Islam alone teaches the uniqueness of God and His attributes and enjoins the worship of God alone without intermediaries. Finally, due to the divinely instilled inclination of man to worship
God  and  the  signs  revealed  by  God  throughout  the  ages  to  each  individual,  Islam may  be achieved by all men at all times.
In  short,  the  significance  of  the  name  Islam  (submission  to  God),  Islam’s  fundamental acknowledgment of the uniqueness of God and Islam’s accessibility to all mankind at all times convincingly support Islam’s claim that from the beginning of time in whatever language it was expressed, Islam alone has been, and will be the true religion of God.
In conclusion we ask Allah, the exalted, to keep us on the right path to which He has guided us, and to bestow on us His blessings and mercy, for He is indeed the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, and peace and blessings be on prophet Muhammad and on all the prophets of God and their righteous followers.