All creatures are submissive to Allaah either willingly or unwillingly
1-2-2014 | IslamWeb
Question:
Greetings. Allah says in 3.83. that all creatures in …earth have bowed to Him. But there are billions of unbelievers living in present era. Isn’t it contradictory ? Reply me as soon as possible. Its urgent!
Answer:
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.
What you have mentioned about the existence of billions of non-Muslims in the present time does not contradict the verse you have referred to in the question. This is because the intended meaning of the Arabic term 'aslama' - derived from 'Islam'- translated as 'submitted to' in this context is surrender and acceptance of the will of Allaah; and as far as the disbelievers are concerned, it means that they submissively surrender to the divine will and might of Allaah. They cannot go against the will and dominion of Allaah, The Almighty. Ibn Katheer 
commented on this verse, saying: “A believer is submissive to the will of Allaah, The Exalted, by his heart and body (and his whole existence). A disbeliever is also submissive to Allaah, The Almighty, but unwillingly; he is submissive to the might, dominion, and will of Allaah. None can challenge or resist His dominion over the universe.”
As-Sa‘di commented on the verse, saying: "All creatures are submissive to Allaah, The Exalted, either by free will as the believers who surrender to Him and His worship willingly, or unwillingly such as other creatures, including the disbelievers; they submit to Him and to His decrees unwillingly. They cannot prevent what Allaah decrees for them nor can they act against His will, challenge, or resist His dominion. On the Day of Judgment, all creatures shall return to Him to judge among them and reward or punish them by His just and merciful judgment." This underlines that the intended meaning of the verse is not Islam, the religion of Allaah, which denotes voluntary submission and surrender to the will and might of Allaah, The Exalted.
Allaah Knows best.