Root of "Islam"

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- three44
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Root of "Islam"
OP - October 21, 2011, 12:46 PM

Hey guys,

You are all undoubtedly familiar with the claim that Islam roots in "Salam" which means "peace".
Can an Arabic speaker shed some light on whether it is indeed peace or submission?
Or do both words have the same root and can it mean both?

Hassan? Harakaat? Anyone?

Thanks!

<dust>: i love tea!!!
<dust>: milky tea
<three>: soooo gentle for my neck (from the inside)
<dust>: mm
<three>: it's definitely not called neck
<dust>: lol
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- serpentofeden
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Re: Root of "Islam"
Reply #1 - October 21, 2011, 01:32 PM

salaam means 'peace'
islam means 'submission'

becos 'islam' sounds very familiar to the word 'salaam' muslims will say 'islam' as a word is derived/synonymous with the word 'salaam' ...

BUT just cos two words sound similar does not make them synonymous or similar in meaning. It's like saying 'door' and poor' are synonymous terms and have the same meaning cos they sound similar to one another !
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Re: Root of "Islam"
Reply #2 - October 23, 2011, 09:37 PM

Seen a lot of root word meaning chasing in many reformist islamic forum.

When a word does not sound nice find a word that does.

It is called Creative Translations

Little Fly, Thy summer's play
My thoughtless hand has brushed away.

I too dance and drink, and sing,
Till some blind hand shall brush my wing.

Therefore I am a happy fly,
If I live or if I die.
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Re: Root of "Islam"
Reply #3 - October 23, 2011, 09:48 PM

Words in Arabic have three-letter roots. In this case both 'islam' and 'salaam' have s-l-m as their root. However, 'islam' literally means submission.
- cosmicdancer
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Re: Root of "Islam"
Reply #4 - October 23, 2011, 10:17 PM

Quote from: three44 on October 21, 2011, 12:46 PM
Hey guys,

You are all undoubtedly familiar with the claim that Islam roots in "Salam" which means "peace".
Can an Arabic speaker shed some light on whether it is indeed peace or submission?
Or do both words have the same root and can it mean both?

Hassan? Harakaat? Anyone?

Thanks!

OK this question pops up on a regular basis so let's make this very clear (I hope):

Verbs in Arabic have several forms, (11 main ones). Each form gives a slightly different meaning to the root meaning and each form has it's own verbal noun (a noun derived from the verb). I will use the root of Islam (SLM) to illustrate this (The numbers refer to the verb form - I have only listed the main forms of this verb.)

1. (Verb) To be safe, sound, at peace سَلِمَ
Verbal noun: سلام (Salaam) Soundness, Well-being, safety, peace, security (There are other nouns from the first form with similar meanings i.e. سَلَامَة سِلْم )

2. (Verb) To keep (someone) safe, sound, to deliver, handover, surrender سَلَّمَ
Verbal noun تَسْلِيم (Tasleem) Handing over, keeping safe, delivering, surrendering (something or someone).

4. (Verb) To submit/surrender (something or someone), and also to become a Muslim أَسْلَمَ
Verbal noun: إِسْلَام (Islam) Surrendering, Submitting.

10. (Verb): اسْتَسْلَمَ To surrender (intransitive i.e. oneself).
Verbal noun: اسْتِسْلَام (Istislaam) Surrender

As you can see the noun Salaam (Peace) is the verbal noun of the 1st form.

The noun Islaam (Islam) is the verbal noun of the 4th form. It means Submitting/Surrendering. It doesn't mean Peace.

HOWEVER Muslims can make the valid claim that it carries the sense of making your self at peace by surrending/submitting yourself - since it does have that connection to the root, meaning to make safe, sound and be at peace.

But to say Islam means peace - is wrong.

I hope that helps.
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Re: Root of "Islam"
Reply #5 - October 23, 2011, 10:40 PM

^ Brilliant. Very clearly explained. Thanks Hassan!
- cosmicdancer
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Re: Root of "Islam"
Reply #6 - October 23, 2011, 10:43 PM

btw although I say Muslims can make the valid claim that Islam carries the sense of making your self at peace by surrending/submitting yourself - that is TOTALLY different to saying Islam means peace.

To say Islam means peace is to give the impression that it means peace with others. At best Islam means achieving peace for oneself by submitting to the "true" religion.

See the difference?
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Re: Root of "Islam"
Reply #7 - October 23, 2011, 10:45 PM

Perfect explanation, and one I have posted in the 'Greatest Hits' thread as I expect it could be referred to again and again when the subject arises.

It can sound a little creepy, even when the explanation for saying it means peace because submission is equal to peacefulness. It implies a state of peace cannot be achieved without submission to Islam, and it has an edge to it of dissimulation.

Not to mention, the very idea of 'submission' and the terms that arise from that can be unsettling depending on which angle you look at it and how it is promoted.

"we can smell traitors and country haters"

Quote from: arX on May 01, 2011, 03:33 AM
God is Love.
Love is Blind. Stevie Wonder is blind. Therefore, Stevie Wonder is God.
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Re: Root of "Islam"
Reply #8 - October 23, 2011, 10:48 PM

Quote from: billy on October 23, 2011, 10:45 PM
2

I hope that isn't marks out of ten and you aren't an OFSTED Inspector grading my lesson.
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Re: Root of "Islam"
Reply #9 - October 23, 2011, 10:52 PM

That was just a holder so I could quote your post fully for the Greatest Hits thread, then I came back and wrote the post

"we can smell traitors and country haters"

Quote from: arX on May 01, 2011, 03:33 AM
God is Love.
Love is Blind. Stevie Wonder is blind. Therefore, Stevie Wonder is God.
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Root of "Islam"
Reply #10 - March 07, 2015, 07:45 PM

`But I don't want to go among mad people,' Alice remarked.
`Oh, you can't help that,' said the Cat: `we're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.'
`How do you know I'm mad?' said Alice.
`You must be,' said the Cat, `or you wouldn't have come here.'
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Root of "Islam"
Reply #11 - March 08, 2015, 12:00 AM

Since s-l-m is Semitic, the same concepts exist in Hebrew and Syriac. "Ashlem nafsheh le-Mareh" is the Syriac for "submission of self to the Lord". It had connotations of death in God's service.

Crone + Cook, "Hagarism", 169 n.32.
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Root of "Islam"
Reply #12 - March 08, 2015, 10:21 AM

"Ashlem nafsheh le-Mareh"

Gosh, Syriac is so similar to Arabic. The only word I don't recognize is "Mareh" which I assume must be the word for Lord/God.
- countjulian
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Root of "Islam"
Reply #13 - March 08, 2015, 01:32 PM

"maar" means "Lord" in Aramaic/Syriac. Christians who read the letters of Paul will be familiar with Paul's frequent letter-ender "maaranaa thaa"= "(Our) Lord Come!" ("thaa" comes from the same route as "أتى" in Arabic). Interestingly, in Syriac churches it is also used to mean "Saint" and in that meaning I have seen it printed in Lebanese Maronite materials.

Edit: Example
http://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%A3%D9%81%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%85_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8A

إطلب العلم ولو في الصين

Es sitzt keine Krone so fest und so hoch,
Der mutige Springer erreicht sie doch.

I don't give a fuck about your war, or your President.
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Root of "Islam"
Reply #14 - March 08, 2015, 02:15 PM

There are thousands of organizations in the US with the name Maranatha. Now I know where they got it.

Don't let Hitler have the street.
- cosmicdancer
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Root of "Islam"
Reply #15 - March 08, 2015, 02:56 PM

Quote from: countjulian on March 08, 2015, 01:32 PM
("thaa" comes from the same route as "أتى" in Arabic).

Blow me down... thanks countjulian... I reckon I should study Syriac... I'm probably half way there and don't realise it lol
- JH121
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Root of "Islam"
Reply #16 - March 28, 2015, 08:11 PM

Just as a point of pure interest, was the word ''Islam'' ever used at any point before the advent of the religion. Were there any pre-Islamic arabic documents using the word?
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