4,547
edits
The Meaning of Islam: Difference between revisions
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
→Etymology
| [unchecked revision] | [checked revision] |
| (16 intermediate revisions by 4 users not shown) | |||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{QualityScore|Lead=2|Structure=3|Content=2|Language=4|References=3}} | |||
[[Image:Arabic Islam.gif|right]] | [[Image:Arabic Islam.gif|right]] | ||
The noun إسلام "Islam" is the masdar (literally "source", but in Arabic grammar "verbal noun") of the verb أسلم "aslama" meaning "to give up, to submit, to surrender, to give into, or to hand over." "Islam" in its literal sense thus means "submission", "surrender" or "giving up" though of course it is also the name of the religion to which this Wiki is devoted. "Aslama" is the verbal form IV, in Arabic grammar وزن أفعل "wazn afa'ala", from the root s-l-m س-ل-م. The root س-ل-م s-l-m is also the root of the word سلام "salaam" meaning "peace." As with all Arabic words and roots, it should be remembered that the root doesn't have a particular meaning but rather a swarm of semantic relations often produced by history and analogy, and thus words derived from the same root came have very different meanings despite a common linguistic heritage. | |||
==Etymology== | ==Etymology== | ||
The word ''Islam'' derives from the Arabic triconsonantal root sīn-lām-mīm (SLM [<font size=4> س </font> <font size=4> ل </font> <font size=4> م </font>]). | The word ''Islam'' derives from the Arabic triconsonantal root sīn-lām-mīm (SLM [<font size="4"> س </font> <font size="4"> ل </font> <font size="4"> م </font>]). As with other Semetic roots in language such as Hebrew, Syriac, and Arabic, many different words are created from this root word by inserting different vowels or constants between and in front of the three root consonants. As mentioned above, these semetic roots do not have meanings per se but rather clouds of semantic relationships often connected only by history and analogy but not actual meaning. For instance, all of these words are derived from the root S-L-M: | ||
{| border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" | {| border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | | | ||
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" align="left | {| class="wikitable" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" align="left" | ||
! width = 150px | ! width="150px" |Word | ||
! width = 80px | Arabic | ! width="80px" |Arabic | ||
! width = 210px | Meaning | ! width="210px" |Meaning | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Islam | |Islam | ||
| <font size=5> اسلام </font> | |<font size="5"> اسلام </font> | ||
| Submission | |Submission | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Salam | |Salam | ||
| <font size=5> سلام</font> | |<font size="5"> سلام</font> | ||
| Well-being/Peace | |Well-being/Peace | ||
|- | |- | ||
|(Derivation of) Salama | |||
|<font size="5"> سلما</font> | |||
|The stinging of a snake or the tanning of the leather | |||
|- | |- | ||
| | |Sullam | ||
| <font size=5> | |<font size="5"> <big>سلّم</big></font> | ||
| | |a ladder or flight of stairs | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Saleem | |Saleem | ||
| <font size=5> سليم</font> | |<font size="5"> سليم</font> | ||
| | |Safe from harm, undamaged | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Aslam | |Aslam | ||
| <font size=5> اسلم</font> | |<font size="5"> اسلم</font> | ||
| To submit | |To submit | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Istaslama | |Istaslama | ||
| <font size=5> | |<font size="5"> استسلام</font> | ||
| To surrender | |To surrender | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |Salamlik | ||
| <font size=5> | |<font size="5">سلاملك</font> | ||
| | |Reception room, greeting room, parlor | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Tasleem | |Tasleem | ||
| <font size=5> تسليم</font> | |<font size="5"> تسليم</font> | ||
| | |To receive a salutation or becoming submitted | ||
|} | |} | ||
|- | |- | ||
|A common translation proposed for Islam in English and other languages is "peace." The root of this idea is that' 'Islam, meaning 'submission', shares a root word with Salaam, meaning 'peace', however the existence of these two words with the same root in no way necessarily implies a semantic relationship between the two. By way of example with the same root, there is no a relationship between the meanings of the derivations of the verb سلم Salama, meaning to be safe and sound, and سلّم sullam, meaning a ladder. There may be an analogy from which one was formed from another or an opaque historical connection that links these two words, but there is not obvious semantic connection. | |||
|} | |} | ||
| Line 60: | Line 66: | ||
:''[2:136] Say (O Muslims): We believe in Allah and that which is revealed to us and that which was revealed to Abraham, and Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the tribes, and that which Moses and Jesus received, and that which the prophets received from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we have surrendered. [Arabic "Muslimoon"]'' | :''[2:136] Say (O Muslims): We believe in Allah and that which is revealed to us and that which was revealed to Abraham, and Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the tribes, and that which Moses and Jesus received, and that which the prophets received from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we have surrendered. [Arabic "Muslimoon"]'' | ||
In addition to the above mentioned linguistic reasoning, Allah in the [[Qur'an]] makes it clear this his religion and that of his prophet is one of submission. Peace only comes through submission to Allah and his prophet.<ref>[{{Reference archive|1=http://web.archive.org/web/20060206062955/http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/notislam/misconceptions.html|2=2011-11-12}} Ten Misconceptions About Islam] - USC-MSA Compendium of Muslim Texts, Internet Archive Wayback Machine capture dated February 6, 2006</ref>}} | |||
==Scripture== | ==Scripture== | ||
| Line 110: | Line 116: | ||
{{Quote||It is meaningless to talk about the holy war as only defensive, otherwise, what did the prophet mean when he said, "from now on even if they don’t invade you, you must invade them."<ref>Dr. M. Sa’id Ramadan Al-Buti - "Jurisprudence of Muhammad’s Biography", Pg. 242, seventh Arabic edition, published by Azhar University of Egypt</ref>}} | {{Quote||It is meaningless to talk about the holy war as only defensive, otherwise, what did the prophet mean when he said, "from now on even if they don’t invade you, you must invade them."<ref>Dr. M. Sa’id Ramadan Al-Buti - "Jurisprudence of Muhammad’s Biography", Pg. 242, seventh Arabic edition, published by Azhar University of Egypt</ref>}} | ||
==External Links== | |||
== | |||
*[http://answering-islam.org/Hoaxes/salamislam.html Islam & Peace]'' - Answering Islam'' | |||
*[http://answering-islam.org/Hoaxes/salamislam.html Islam & Peace]'' - | *[http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/Pages/Top-10-Reasons.htm Ten Obvious Reasons Why Islam is ''NOT'' a Religion of Peace] ''- The Religion Of Peace'' | ||
*[http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/Pages/Top-10-Reasons.htm Ten Obvious Reasons Why Islam is ''NOT'' a Religion of Peace] ''- | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
{{reflist}} | {{reflist}} | ||
[[Category:Revelation]] | |||
[[Category: | [[Category:Allah]] | ||
[[Category: | [[Category:Muhammad]] | ||
[[ | [[Category:Society and human nature]] | ||
[[Category:Slavery]] | |||
[[Category:Arabic]] | |||