Islam means "peace" really? revisited

Submitted by Lactantius Jr. (European Union), Nov 29, 2006 at 07:39

To Muslim,

Not being an Arabic speaker, and not being convinced by your 'correction' of my understanding of the word "Islam," I asked the help of a University Senior Lecturer, someone whose first language is Arabic, and who is a Senior Lecturer in Arabic and Qur'anic studies, with the following academic qualifications, BA English language & Literature MA in general theoretical European linguistics Postgraduate Diploma in translation and interpreting PhD specializing in Arabic and Qur'anic linguistics. and whose current research interests are Arabic linguistics, Qur'anic linguistics and exegesis, Qur'anic studies, Qur'anic text analysis and textuality, Arabic stylistics, Arabic rhetoric, and translation studies.

I thus believe I have asked someone whose opinion is authoritative and dependable, and this was his response to my question about the meaning of the word "Islam," which you will recall Muslim, my understanding being that it means "submission" or "submission to the will of "Allah." Here are the relevant comments of the University Senior Lecturer, "The word Islam means total submission to the 'will' of Allah i.e., to submit totally to Him with regards to His commands and the complete obedience to His law.

The Arabic term salaam, however, means peace, or more precisely: safety, security. An abbreviated version of the Islamic greeting being as-salaamu 'alaykum (peace be upon you)." And here are the comments of Muslim scholar Qadi 'Iyad on the meaning of the Islamic greeting : There are three possibilities contained by the expression, As-Salamu 'alaykum (‘Peace be upon you'): 1) It means safety (salama) for you and with you - taking the word salaam (peace) as a verbal noun. 2) As-Salam means your protection, being guarded and your preservation - in this case it is As-Salam as the name of Allah. 3) As-Salam in the meaning of musalama (reconciliation) and submission to him in the words of Allah, "No, by your Lord, they will not believe until they ask you to judge between them regarding what they disagree about. Then they will not find any impediment in themselves about your decision and will submit to you completely." Surah 4:65 Muhammad Messenger of Allah (Ash-Shifa of Qadi 'Iyad), Qadi 'Iyad Musa al-Yahsubi, translated by Aisha Abdarrahman Bewley [Madinah Press, Inverness, Scotland, U.K. 1991; third reprint, paperback], pp. 250-251)

I therefore submit Muslim, that my understanding of the word "Islam" is correct, that it means "submission" or "submission to the will of Allah," and that your assertion that it means "peace" is wrong.

With kind regards Lactantius Jr.

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