Answer:
Anything people uphold and a way of worship is called a religion, even if it is false such as Hinduism, Buddhism or atheism, Judaism, Christianity, or any false religions. Allaah says in Surah Al-Kafirun:
You have your religion and we have ours [1]
He called what the idolaters worship a religion. But Islam is the only true religion. Allaah says:
Verily, the (true) religion with Allaah is Islam [2]
And He says:
And he who seeks a religion other than Islam, it will not be accepted from him, and in the hereafter he will be amongst the losers [3]
And Allaah says: This day I have perfected your religion for you, and completed My favour upon you and have accepted for you Islam as religion [4]
Islam is to worship Allaah alone, obey His commands, refrain from whatever He forbids, do not cross the limits set by Him, and to believe everything Allaah and His Messenger said about what was and what will be in the furure. None of the false religions are revealed, nor approved by Allaah. Rather, all of them are innovated. Islam is the religion of all the Messengers. It is only their laws are different. Allaah says:
To each of you we have assigned a law and methodology [5]
[1] Al-Kafirun 109:6 [2] Aal Imran 3:19 [3] Aal Imran 3:85 [4] Al-Ma'idah [5] Al-Ma'idah 5:48
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