Meaning of 'Islam'

event horizon

Yes, a secondary meaning of Islam is peace

Great, now you only need to cite some credible sources in support of your view.

shafique

event horizon wrote:
- Yes, a secondary meaning of Islam is peace
Great, now you only need to cite some credible sources in support of your view.

See, I knew you don't actually read what is posted!
Let me connect the dots for you - Islam's meaning derives from the root s-l-m and the verb 'aslama' (you yourself quoted a reference saying this).
The meaning of 'aslama' is primarily 'he submitted' but, as per all Arabic dictionaries (the 'credible source' you are asking for) 'aslama' also means 'he entered into peace' - and this is shown in the FIRST post of this thread.
Islam therefore primarliy means 'way of life of a person who chooses to submit to the will of God' and secondary meaning is 'way of life of a person who chooses to submit to the Will of God to find internal and external peace'.
You really can't have your cake and eat it - if you derive the primary meaning of Islam from the verb 'Aslama' then you cannot ignore the meanings of the verb 'Aslama'.
Here endeth the lesson (I'll take a copy of this post in case it gets lost in the upgrade).
Cheers,
Shafique
Cheers,
Shafique shafique An article explaining Islam's stance on Terrorism started with the sentence 'Islam means religion of peace'.
Our resident 'expert' on Islam objected to this definition and maintains that this is wrong. A Google search was carried out and a quote given in support of his view.
I suspect the intention was to distract people from the article's many references and clear conclusions about what Islam teaches about terrorism, but he does raise an interesting question - does Islam actually mean 'religion of peace'.
Well, let us see.
There is no disagreement that the word is Arabic and has as it's root the world 's-l-m'.
The verb which Islam is derived from is 'Aslama'.
So, let us see what the meaning(s) are of this:

Aslama
From WikipediaIslam
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Aslama (Ar. for: surrender; submission; obey; sincerity; peaceful attitude toward life) The word "aslama" derives from the three letter root in Arabic; s, l, m (pronounced - seen, laam, meem).
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Aslama forms the basis for the noun "ISLAM" and implies the meaning of being in a state of surrender, submission, obedience, sincerity and peace. The implication is the existence of two entities; one is the master and the other the slave or servant. This best describes the servitude of those who truly believe in the One God of the semitic language, "Allah" and indicates the choice of being in a state of aslama to Him.

'sincerity and peace'
Cheers,
Shafique event horizon So now your claim is that Islam is derived from another word that can mean submission, peace, sincerity, etc.? Please don't shift the goal posts. Berrin The word "Islam" literally stems from the root "s-l-m" and the words "silm" and "salamah" which mean peace, and which indicate the "submission" or 'surrender" of oneself to God Almighty, being obedient to His commands, embarking on a safe and secure path that leads to salvation, promising a sense of trust to everyone and everything, while also denoting the fact that the person surrendering will not inflict any harm on others, be it physical or verbal. The basis of Islam is "iman" and "iz'an", that is, faith, and conscious obedience. The fruits of Islam are "ihsan" (blessings) and "ihklas" (sincerity), that is acting or living as if seeing God, and doing everything only for the sake of God Almighty. The concept of Islam can be briefly summarized as the unconditional and doubtless belief of the "Tawhid", the Unity of God, and His divine Existence, and the submission of the self to Him. Also included in this, are the performance of every act and the responsibility of acting as if one sees Him, and is observed by Him, and doing everything only for His sake. A person who acts according to these or to similar descriptions is called a "Muslim" (not an Islamist). Such a person is accepted as a candidate to eternal prosperity. Based on the messages of God Almighty, and the teachings and practices of His prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, Islam is a Divine religion. A person who believes and practices Islam is called a "Mu'min" and a "Muslim" (one who has faith, and who has submitted). Scholars have described Islam as "the sum of all divine laws that urge people to do good deeds with their freewill and consciousness." Hence, if such a dynamic system can be practiced in life, then its fruits will become obvious in this world and in the hereafter. On the contrary, when this system is expelled from life, then it is not easy to find anything positive to say about religion. From the perspective of language, there is a fine distinction between "iman" and "Islam", that is, faith and submission. However, it is a strongly believed that Islam without faith (iman), and faith (iman) without Islam (submission and/or actions) are incomprehensible. Faith is the interior, and Islam is the physical expression of this faith that constitutes the exterior. Their union makes the Divine Religion, which establishes all aspects of faith and practice in this life (iman and Islam). A person who practices and who accordingly represents this religion can only be called a Muslim. From this perspective, those who consider religion to be no more than a system of beliefs, and those who only practice it culturally without understanding the deeper meanings, are mistaken. It is obvious that both groups have been and will be left bereft of the fruits of this religion, fruits promised by the Lord, in this and in the next world. To continue reading: event horizon Uh oh, Berrin. It doesn't look like shafique understands what a root word is.
Perhaps you can explain to him that Islam and peace are two separate words? I imagine shafique will eventually realize the error of his ways and go on to claim he never actually said that. This will also provide shafique with an excellent opportunity to pontificate some more on the meaning of Islam. You know, because it wasn't already explained numerous times that slm has several meanings (the primary meaning being submission) but Islam simply means to submit.
But in the mean time, it looks like shafique gotz some splainin to do:

Similarly you are taking a clarification of the primary meaning of Islam out of context and ignoring that it does indeed also mean peace.

shafique :) A simple enough challenge to eh-oh to produce one expert who agrees with him results in defensive posts and boasts about his comprehension of Arabic. ;) Cheers, Shafique Berrin Event horizon he is not wrong…both literal and general meaning is peace… If we go back to the article which explains why we are sent here to this world…it’s said; In short, we are sent here to improve our abilities and skills through the responsibilities God ordains for us. Not all people are created with the same ability and the same disposition; rather, they are like rough minerals waiting to be purified and refined. Islam deals with the most precious and valuable mineral—humanity. It kneads, improves, and matures each individual so that all impurities are expelled. Humanity is placed in creation to be tested, purified, and prepared for eternal bliss in Paradise. So according to above description, if divine guidance through responsibilities helping someone to mature and expel impurities than that person is getting refined, so anyone who is refined is ultimately reaching to the status of calmness, pleasance therefore peace within himself.. Then anyone who is able to present peace within himself is also able to hold peace within the family, community and in the world. Hence justifying the general purpose and meaning of the religion-islam. Now, how one actually achieves and holds peace is also something gets my interest, so I was reading various articles on the net. Contemplative education is one of them, hence I provided the article “contemplative spirituality” in islam… shafique I guess that Bush was also wrong in eh-oh's eyes when he said:
"Islam is Peace"
(Which shows the wisdom in the saying that 'a broken clock is right twice a day' - and by extension we shouldn't write off event horizon - one of these days he might write something sensible!) :)
Edit - here's the full quote:

3:12 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all very much for your hospitality. We've just had a -- wide-ranging discussions on the matter at hand. Like the good folks standing with me, the American people were appalled and outraged at last Tuesday's attacks. And so were Muslims all across the world. Both Americans and Muslim friends and citizens, tax-paying citizens, and Muslims in nations were just appalled and could not believe what we saw on our TV screens.
These acts of violence against innocents violate the fundamental tenets of the Islamic faith. And it's important for my fellow Americans to understand that.
The English translation is not as eloquent as the original Arabic, but let me quote from the Koran, itself: In the long run, evil in the extreme will be the end of those who do evil. For that they rejected the signs of Allah and held them up to ridicule.
The face of terror is not the true faith of Islam. That's not what Islam is all about. Islam is peace. These terrorists don't represent peace. They represent evil and war.
When we think of Islam we think of a faith that brings comfort to a billion people around the world. Billions of people find comfort and solace and peace. And that's made brothers and sisters out of every race -- out of every race.
America counts millions of Muslims amongst our citizens, and Muslims make an incredibly valuable contribution to our country. Muslims are doctors, lawyers, law professors, members of the military, entrepreneurs, shopkeepers, moms and dads. And they need to be treated with respect. In our anger and emotion, our fellow Americans must treat each other with respect.
Women who cover their heads in this country must feel comfortable going outside their homes. Moms who wear cover must be not intimidated in America. That's not the America I know. That's not the America I value.
I've been told that some fear to leave; some don't want to go shopping for their families; some don't want to go about their ordinary daily routines because, by wearing cover, they're afraid they'll be intimidated. That should not and that will not stand in America.
Those who feel like they can intimidate our fellow citizens to take out their anger don't represent the best of America, they represent the worst of humankind, and they should be ashamed of that kind of behavior.
This is a great country. It's a great country because we share the same values of respect and dignity and human worth. And it is my honor to be meeting with leaders who feel just the same way I do. They're outraged, they're sad. They love America just as much as I do.
I want to thank you all for giving me a chance to come by. And may God bless us all.
END 3:19 P.M. EDT

Cheers,
Shafique Berrin

we shouldn't write off event horizon

Of course since he is our brother from adam and eve..so we pay him our due respect by: The Positive Way
by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

We have been advised in the Qur’an that goodness and evil are not equal. Therefore we should return good for evil (41:34). This has been expressed repeatedly in the Qur’an in different wording.
This means that believers should always react positively. At all events they should refrain from negative reaction. Their behavior should be proper, not only in normal circumstances, but also in abnormal circumstances. That is, even when any group displays bad behavior, it is still incumbent on the believers not to display a retaliatory mentality. At that moment, too, they should prove to be men of principle. They should maintain their good behavior, even in the face of bad behavior from others.
Interpreting this verse, Abdullah ibn Abbas comments: ‘God has commanded Muslims in this verse, even when they are angered, to resort to patience and tolerance. Whenever anyone shows any signs of ignorance or a biased mentality, believers should adopt the path of tolerance and fortitude. And whenever anyone displays bad behavior, believers should forgive him.
This Islamic course of action may be described as positive behavior. That is, opting for moderation instead of retaliation. Whatever the attitude of others may be, believers should always remain true to the highest Islamic standards of human character.
A believer is one who begins to lead his life in accordance with the higher realities; the level of whose thinking is above that of ordinary human beings. Such a person comes to have a limitless capacity for tolerance. His inner-self is so deeply immersed that in peace, no outward event can disturb his emotional balance. He takes pity on those who are easily angered. Where ordinary people become provoked, he remains blissfully serene.

in return he pays his due respect by: Intentions
by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

Islam attaches the utmost importance to intentions (niyyah). No action is acceptable to God purely on the basis of its outer appearance. He accepts only such actions as are performed with proper intention, and rejects those performed with ill-intention. Right intention is the moral purpose which underlies all actions performed solely for God’s pleasure. One who acts on such feelings will be rewarded by God in the Hereafter.
Ill-intention, on the other hand, is a negative spur to worldly attainment. Ostensibly religious acts, if performed for worldly gain or public commendation, are in this sense ill-intentioned. Any fame, honor or popularity which ensues from an ill-intentioned act is a hollow triumph and is looked upon by the Almighty with extreme disfavor.
Intention is rooted in man’s inner thinking and feelings. A common man is unable to penetrate the inner recesses of a person’s mind but God knows full well what a man’s thought processes and feelings are. People can be deluded by appearances, but God has complete knowledge of everything. He will deal with people according to His knowledge and will reward everyone exactly as he or she deserves.
Intention has to do with the inner reality. A thing which loses its reality or its meaningfulness is valueless. Similarly, an act which is performed with ill intention or with no good intention, has no value—neither in the eyes of man, nor of God.
Things are of value only when they are pure, without any adulteration. An act done with right intention is a pure act, and an act performed without right intention is an impure act.

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event horizon

I guess that Bush was also wrong in eh-oh's eyes when he said:

discussion over. event horizon

Event horizon he is not wrong…both literal and general meaning is peace…

News to me. I was told that Islam and peace are two separate words. What are you basing your claim on? Please don't confuse root words since this has already been discussed and was sorted out for shafique. Berrin

I was told that Islam and peace are two separate words

Who has told you?
Islam is peace becouse to reach peace, you accept submitting(surrender)yourself to the will of God, If you submit yourself, that means you make effort to ponder what’s wanted from you by God, once you understand that you start obedience, obedience means sincerity that means your are getting more of a prufied person.. and the more prufied you become, the higher the safety and peace you’ll get within yourself..
So peace is also the umbrella world..which contains of all the terminology comes with or in it…
I found the following descriptions on the net…Can you please try hard to think and reflect…No one cares that much what exactly "the root" word means when there is huge devine revelation in a book called quran to be studied and understood.

The Meaning of Islam
ISLAM is derived from the Arabic root "SALEMA": peace, purity, submission and obedience. In the religious sense, Islam means submission to the will of God and obedience to His law.
Everything and every phenomenon in the world, other than man is administered TOTALLY by God-made laws i.e. they are obedient to God and submissive to His laws i.e. they are in the STATE OF ISLAM. Man possesses the quality of intelligence and choice, thus he is invited to submit to the good will of God and obey His law ie. become a Muslim. Submission to the good will of God, together with obedience to His beneficial law, i.e. becoming a Muslim is the best safeguard for man's peace and harmony.
Islam dates back to the edge of Adam and its message has been conveyed to man by God's Prophets and Messengers including Abrahim, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad. Islam's message has been restored and enforced in the last stage of the religious evolution by God's last Prophet and Messenger Muhammad.
The word Allah in the Arabic language means God, or more accurately The One and Only Eternal God, Creator of theUniverse, Lord of all lords, King of all kings, MostCompassionate, Most Merciful. The word Allah to mean God is also used by Arabic speaking Jews and Christians.
Articles of Faith
Allah, the One and Only God A muslim believes in ONE GOD, Supreme and Eternal, Infinite and Mighty, Merciful and Compassionate, Creator and Provider. God has no father nor mother, no sons nor was He fathered. None equal to Him. He is God of all mankind, not of a special tribe or race.
God is High and Supreme but He is very near to the pious thoughtful believers; He answers their prayers and help them. He loves the people who love Him and forgives their sins. He gives them peace, happiness, knowledge and success. God is the Loving and the Provider, the Generous, and the Benevolent, the Rich and the Independent the Forgiving and the Clement, the Patient and the Appreciative, the Unique and the Protector, the Judge and the Peace. God's attributes are mentioned in the Quran.
God creates in man the mind to understand, the soul and conscience to be good and righteous, the feelings and sentiments to be kind and humane. If we try to count His favours upon us, we cannot, because they are countless. In return for all the great favours and mercy, God does not need anything from us, because He is Needless and Independent. God asks us to know Him, to love Him and to enforce His law for our benefit and our own benefit and our own good.

This was a description from a christian lady..She was doing quite well finding the meaning despite being a non-muslim.

In Arabic, the word “Islam” means submission or surrender – however, it was derived from the root word “salam”. From this root word, you can also derive the words peace and safety. Many people feel that Islam implies some sort of enslavement to Allah, but others find it more helpful to define the word “Islam” as surrender.
Many religions have a concept of surrender to God. In Jewish history, when the ancient Hebrews obeyed God’s commands, they had a long period of prosperity and stability.
In Christianity, surrendering to God is a way of putting your life into more capable hands – in fact, Jesus asked many of his disciples to surrender their livelihoods and follow him.
So, if we look at the word ‘Islam’ in this way, we can understand why obeying Allah’s commands and trusting in Allah’s wisdom could bring about peace for a Muslim.
The word does not represent a one-sided relationship, where the believer is enslaved to Allah. Rather, the word Islam indicates a covenant between Allah and his followers, where a Muslim surrenders his or her will to Allah in return for peace or safety

The literal meaning of the word 'Islam' is Peace and also Surrender to the Will of Allah/God Almighty. It is also a comprehensive word which can also include meanings such as Love, Harmony, Tranquility, etc.

I have been surprised by the recent trend in claiming that Islam means 'submission' not 'peace', because allegedly, the root word for Islam is Al-Silm and not Al-Salaam. First of all, I'd like to clarify that there is only one root word from which both words are derived, it is Silm (not Al-Silm - because the Al would mean it's a noun, and not a root word).
Silm is the root word for many words in classical arabic including:
Salaam
Greeting (peace be upon you) / also Peaceful in some contexts
Istislaam
Surrender / Submission
Silm
Peace
Salamah
Safety / Well-being
Islam
The religion of The Prophet Muhammad, originally named by the Prophet Abraham.
I hope it's clear from the above that the root word gives rise to a range of words with a closely related theme: that of "peaceful submission". The idea in islamic philosophy is that when someone understands something or becomes enlightened (e.g. the meaning of life, etc.) all internal conflicts within that person dissolve & disappear. As such, the concept of submission and peace become one and the same.
It is indeed very linguistically (and philosophically) inaccurate, and even dangerous (enemies of Islam would love to say that it's a religion stripped of any peace!), to claim that Islam has erroneously been linked with peace. Anyone who reads the Quran can see that it is a light which brings peace, and from this peace..submission becomes an inevitable and pleasurable consequence.

"When a person completely surrenders to God by obeing all His Commandements, he finds peace (i.e a state of internal harmony) and when he does not submit, he is faced with a disrupted internal state. Using this is a basis, many have infered, and correctly so, that sin leads to depression for depression is a state of internal disruption, and sin is the 'not submitting' to God."

event horizon

In Arabic, the word “Islam” means submission or surrender

Thanks berrin for pointing out that Islam does not have a secondary meaning of peace as some Islamophiles may claim.
Queue shafique 'I know everything' temper tantrum in
3...2...1... shafique :)
Why should I get angry with your denial?
It's just another example of 'belief' over facts - I'll just add it to the list of other quaint beliefs which you can't provide one corroborating expert eg:

shafique wrote:

Do you have any new points? I think we've established that you believe:
1. The Quran teaches that Muslims should be in a perpetual state of war with unbelievers because of an interpretation of 9.29 and one or two other verses.
2. There are no contradictions in the Bible (despite historical evidence to the contrary).
3. There are no fabricated verses in the Bible - just 'interpolations' where the words have been rearranged.
4. Pauline Christianity is an invented notion - the current canonised Bible does reflect Jesus' teachings.
5. Despite no Biblical scholar agreeing with points 2, 3 or 4 - you are right.
6. 7 Muslim convert terrorists vs 232 Christian convert terrorists shows that the Quran is much more evil than the Bible (I still don't get this logic, but hey - that's what makes your views so interesting)

So, we now can add:
7. Islam does not have a secondary meaning of 'Peace' and the phrase 'Islam means the religion of peace' is incorrect and misleading.
(You really should't believe what the Islamophobic sites say about 'myths about Islam' without doing some real research).
That said, if you do find an expert that believes point 7 above, please quote them. Selective quotes and your interpretation doesn't count.
Cheers,
Shafique event horizon You know, you should really read Berrin's copy/pastes. The answer to your question has been provided in your own thread and you are unaware of it.
I do find it amusing, however, that you want me to find an expert to show that Islam does not mean peace. I don't know what is more quaint, that you want me to prove a negative or that you have ignored numerous articles that thoroughly explain that Islam simply means submission.
Let me know what your google searching uncovers. I suspect in five posts from now, you'll even go so far to claim that you never said that Islam has a secondary meaning of peace!

Similarly you are taking a clarification of the primary meaning of Islam out of context and ignoring that it does indeed also mean peace.

Oh, and since you're rattling on about 'experts', could you also quote some yourself??? event horizon Since I'm feeling charitable today, I'll quote from the authoritative source on Islam, wikipedia:

The word Islam is a verbal noun originating from the triliteral root s-l-m, and is derived from the Arabic verb Aslama, which means "to accept, surrender or submit." Thus, Islam means acceptance of and submission to God, and believers must demonstrate this by worshipping him, following his commands, and avoiding polytheism. The word is given a number of meanings in the Qur'an. In some verses (ayat), the quality of Islam as an internal conviction is stressed: "Whomsoever God desires to guide, He expands his breast to Islam."[15][improper synthesis?]
Other verses connect islām and dīn (usually translated as "religion"): "Today, I have perfected your religion (dīn) for you; I have completed My blessing upon you; I have approved Islam for your religion."[16] Still others[who?] describe Islam as an action of returning to God—more than just a verbal affirmation of faith.[17] Another technical meaning in Islamic thought is as one part of a triad of islam, imān (faith), and ihsān (excellence) where it represents acts of worship (`ibādah) and Islamic law (sharia).[18]

shafique What did I say about copy/pastes and not understanding the question? ;) It is funny to see you paste a quote about the root 'aslama' and ignore the fact that this also has a meaning 'peace' - and is referenced in the first post above!! As I said, you have to rely on pastes and your quaint interpretations - I'll just wait for you to produce someone in authority that agrees with your view/interpretation that Aslama does not also mean peace. Let me know if the question is too hard - but I'm surprised you did not read the first post and notice that it contains the word 'peace' in the definition. It wasn't, after all, that long a post! ;) Cheers, Shafique event horizon

It is funny to see you paste a quote about the root 'aslama' and ignore the fact that this also has a meaning 'peace' - and is referenced in the first post above!!

Unfortunately, the issue of contention isn't over the meaning of the root word of Islam, but the word Islam itself.
As I said, I don't feel like proving a negative.
You made the claim that Islam, not its root word, has a secondary meaning of peace.
I've said that Islam and peace are two separate words. Other than claim that this view is discredited, you haven't actually shown otherwise.

but I'm surprised you did not read the first post and notice that it contains the word 'peace' in the definition. It wasn't, after all, that long a post!

Please don't set up anymore straw-men. The post in the OP discussed the root word of Islam. It never claimed that Islam can also mean peace.
But perhaps you can show where the article (not written by an expert as far as I can tell, btw) does indeed claim what you have said yourself?

shafique I think the penny is starting to drop. Yes, a secondary meaning of Islam is peace - hence why the author of the article on Islam and Terrorism was correct in stating that 'Islam means the religion of peace' and why you cannot find an expert who agrees with your contention that this is incorrect. This is a common misconception found on many anti-Islam web sites - that Islam does not also mean peace. It is fascinating that in your last post you pasted the meaning of 'aslama' in support of your view (because the site you chose missed out the meaning 'peace') and yet forgot to read the first post of this thread which has the fuller definition. Do we agree that Aslama also means 'entered into peace' and that Islam derives from this verb? I could re-state that your views rely on deliberate misinterpretations and selective quotes, but I won't ;) Cheers, Shafique