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I have frequently heard Muslims claim that "Islam" is Arabic for "peace".
The Arabic words Islam (إسلام), Muslim (مسلم), and Salam (سلام) predate the religion of Islam. They mean "submission," "one who submits," and "peace (from having submitted)," respectively - each derived from the trilateral root S-L-M (س-ل-م). For the past 1400 years "to Allah" has been implicitly understood to follow each term.
This gives Islamopropagandists a convenient opening for some clever sophistry. Because the words share the same root, they argue that "Islam" is essentially synonymous with "peace". This sleight of hand invites the listener to shift "peace" from its spiritual sense to a physical one, thereby leading to the mistaken belief that violence is inherently incompatible with the very meaning of "Islam".
The Arabic words Islam (إسلام), Muslim (مسلم), and Salam (سلام) predate the religion of Islam. They mean "submission," "one who submits," and "peace (from having submitted)," respectively - each derived from the trilateral root S-L-M (س-ل-م). For the past 1400 years "to Allah" has been implicitly understood to follow each term.
This gives Islamopropagandists a convenient opening for some clever sophistry. Because the words share the same root, they argue that "Islam" is essentially synonymous with "peace". This sleight of hand invites the listener to shift "peace" from its spiritual sense to a physical one, thereby leading to the mistaken belief that violence is inherently incompatible with the very meaning of "Islam".