What does Islam mean to most people. They say Islam means peace.

THE MYTH THAT ISLAM MEANS PEACE

Islam Means Peace
[The enlarged text is so you can examine the Arabic Hieroglyphics more closely yourselves.]

“That is what we (non-Muslims) are constantly told by most Muslims. In fact many Muslims believe that that is what Islam means and stands for, but is this not so according to the Arabic roots of the word?

Islam is derived from the Arabic aslama, which means 'surrender' (to the will of Allah). Muslim means 'one who has surrendered to the will of Allah'. And unfortunately, violence, under certain conditions, is a legitimate means for Muslims to affect this surrender to Allah.
The argument that Islam means peace is based on a three-fold interpretive error.
Arabic is based on consonantal roots. Islam is derived from the root SLM. Arabic is also a poetic language that uses words derived from the same root as similes that are used to deepen the meaning of other words. SLM is also the root for the words salim, which means 'safe,' saleem, 'perfection,' sallama, 'salvation,'salama, 'blameless' and salaam, 'well being.' Using all of these words gives an expanded meaning to the word Islam: 'when one surrenders to the will of Allah, as revealed by His Prophet, one will find salvation, perfection, safety and well being.'
The word salaam is often translated as 'peace' but this is only one of several meanings. Its primary meaning is actually 'well being'. It can also mean health, soundness, wholeness, safety and serenity. A common Arabic greeting is as-sallam alaykum, which is usually translated as 'peace be upon you,' but its extended meaning is 'may well being, wholeness and tranquility be upon you'.
The English word 'peace' has two meanings. The first and primary meaning is derived from its Latin root Pax. This is translated as 'cessation of conflict'. The term Pax Romania described the peace secured by surrendering to Roman law. The second meaning of peace is derived from the Latin serenus, meaning serenity/tranquillity --- when one is serene one can also be said to be peaceful. The word salaam is actually synonymous with the second meaning of peace, serenity. The first meaning is better served by the Arabic word sulh (root SLH), from salaha, meaning; reconciliation, to make peace, or peace treaty.
In saying that Islam means peace Islamic apologists are simply indulging in word play in order to put as positive a spin on things as they can. It is an attempt to argue that Islam promotes non-violence. As we will see such a peace is only available to one who has first surrendered to Allah and it is denied to those who refuse to surrender. Mohammed would sign his treaty offers with the words, aslem taslam, 'surrender and you will be safe'." [1]

The Root of SLM

Lissan al-Arab, one of the most authoritative lexicons of the Arabic language, mentions that the word 'Islam' is derived from the root verb istaslama (استسلاما); which means 'to submit' or 'give in' or 'surrender,' while the term salam (سلام) means peace, a truce, or a non-warring state.
The word Islam derives from the Arabic triconsonantal root sīn-lām-mīm (SLM [ س ل م ]). Many different words are created from this root word by inserting different vowels between the three root consonants. Many English speakers wrongly assume that if two Arabic words share the same root word then their meanings are related when in reality the fact that some words share the same root word does not imply a relationship between the meanings of the words. For instance, all of these words are derived from the root S-L-M: [2]

Word Arabic Meaning
Islam اسلام Submission
Salam سلام Well-being/Peace
(Derivation of) Salama سلما The stinging of a snake or the tanning of the leather
Saleema سليما To be saved or to escape from danger (when refering to a female)
Saleem سليم To be saved or to escape from danger (when refering to a male)
Aslam اسلم To submit
Istaslama استسلاما To surrender
Musal مسل Undisputed
Tasleem تسليم To receive a salutation or becoming submitted
Many people have wrongly attempted to equate the word Islam with peace by showing that Islam, meaning 'submission', shares a root word with Salaam, meaning 'peace'. But if such relationships between the meanings of Arabic words can be created then that would imply that there is a relationship between one of the derivations of the infinitive Salama, meaning the stinging of the snake or tanning the leather, and Salam, meaning peace; a relationship which obviously does not exist.

Islam means peace but peace doesn't mean islam. Peace is a universal concept that we experience collectively without the need of religion.

Afew, I am referring to the translation of the Arabic word Islam.


not


So logically, to say "Islam" means "Peace" is technically incorrect and is misleading.

Oh okay I get it. But muslims always call Islam the religion of peace , I don't know why.

Sounds cultish.

Afew, (1) The reason is because of several factors. Most Muslims take their religion and their culture for granted. Most Muslims are not scholars of Islam especially in the Arabic language. So they learn from one another and from their Imams. Most Muslims accept what they see or observe around them and do not question Islam as that is "haram."

(2) Arabic language is a very difficult language to truly understand. Basically it is made up of root words like s-l-m that can have several meanings. And without further amplification it can be misinterpreted by the reader. However to clarify the true meaning, "Diacritical Marks" play a very important role in the exact meaning of the word. The diacritial marks are based on various vowels, prefixes and suffixes that alter the inflection of the meaning to a more specific meaning. For more details see:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_diacritics

(3) Added to this subtlety is the commonly used Islamic greetings:
"Salaam aleikum, wa aleikum salaam
Salaam aleikum means ‘peace be upon you’. The reply is "wa aleikum salaam", meaning ‘peace be upon you too’."

Because this greeting is used exclusively among Muslims, most would associate the greetings with their religion of Islam. Hence the connection is Islam means "peace" because that is how Muslims greet one another.

It is a total misconception among Muslims themselves. And they honestly believe Islam means "Peace."

(4) But as I have shown in the original article above that "Islam" means "submission" (to Allah.) But it is beneficial/advantageous for Muslims to be able to tell others that Islam means "Peace" because it makes Islam more agreeable/acceptable and that Islam is not an aggressive and domineering religion. It makes Islam acceptable to all peoples and gives Islam a softer image.

I hope this will clarify why Muslims believe that the word "Islam" is translated as "Peace." It does not. "Islam" in Arabic means, "Submission" (to Allah.)

I hope this clarifies the mystery of the word "Islam."

If I can be proven wrong, I will submit my humble apologies publicly and retract this article.