The Linguistic Meaning of the Word “Islam” and the Root Salima
The Arabic word islam is the masdar47 of the verb “aslama.” This verb, in turn, is derived from the root s-l-m (salima).
In the Arabic dictionaries48, the following meanings are associated with this root:
• سلِم مِن الآفاتِ والعيوبِ يَسْلَمُ سَلاماً وسَلامَةً، أي: بَرِئَ.
• والسَلامُ والسَلامَةُ: البَراءَةُ، والسَّلامُ في الأَصل: السَّلامةُ، ومنه قيل لِلجنَّةِ دارُ السَّلامِ، لأَنّها دارُ السَّلامةِ مِنَ الآفات.
• Salima min: He/it is free/spared/unharmed from things like illnesses, faults, or defects.
The words “as-salamu” and “as-salamatu” mean “freedom” or “unharmed state.” These are the masdar [verbal noun] of salima. Therefore, Paradise is also referred to as “daru s-salam”, meaning “the House of Soundness”, because it is defined as a place free from illnesses and harmful things.
• سَلِمَ له كذا أي خَلَصَ فهو سَالِمٌ وسَلِيمٌ.
• Salima lahu: It is pure/exclusive for him.
An object or a thing that belongs exclusively to a particular person is described with the attribute salim or salim.
In order to properly understand the content of the word Islam correctly, it is important to remember and internalize the basic meaning of the word Islam as explained here.
As the explanations above have shown, the word Islam revolves around being free from negative influences, such as illnesses, defects, and similar flaws. In the following chapters, it will become clear that a specific negative influence is particularly meant here – namely, polytheism, which in Arabic is referred to as shirk.
Notes
- The masdar is the verbal noun, meaning the noun derived from the verb. Arabic linguists say: “The masdar is the noun that carries the meaning of the verb without indicating a specific tense.” The verb aslama means “he has completely submitted.” Thus, Islam refers to “complete submission.” ↩
- See, for reference, the early Arabic dictionaries from the second to the fourth century AH, such as Kitab al-'Ayn, Tahdhibu l-Lughah, as-Sihah, and Maqayisu l-Lughah. ↩