Arabic Grammar: The Root S-L-M: What is Islam's root in the Arabic Language?

A lot of people have misconceptions about what the word Islam means and where it comes from due to some self proclaimed spokespeople of Islam make broad statements, such as: Islam means peace, or Islam means submission.
Therefore, I have created this video to clarify a bit of the mist around where this word comes from and it's root in the Arabic language.

[@gentuarmehanja5765]

I really learner so very very much from you, and that's is what I was still searching for 3 or 4 days. And I please you to learn us the word Arabic most important, may God bless you. I'm your subscriber. ♥️

[@azeemmohammed7419]

Lovely discourse! 👏 Greetings from Trinidad and Tobago and wa alaikum asalaam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatahu! 💫

[@SilverSkySE]

It's actually pretty simple: Islam, comes from the fourth form of the root SLM. Aslama, and it's the verbal noun of this form. Aslama means, to submit to or to surrender to (a god).

[@yonistech2478]

Thanks bro this has made me really interested in studying arabic

[@Hikmah21st]

MashaAllah Brother very clearly snd beautifully explained. keep up the good work. May Allah reward you and your family immensely Ameen

[@i4irsh]

Quran is the best explanation for Quran. In Quran 72:14, we can understand that MUSLIM means one who SUBMITTED (Aslama). Because the ayah starts by saying we are Muslims, and ends with whoever submitted(Aslama) they sought Right path. So most preferred meaning for Islam means "Submission" only.

[@wanderingwonderer5442]

You definitely deserve more views.

[@imamhosen-tt2iv]

Thank you, sir

[@gentuarmehanja5765]

O have question: What does SLM mean in arabic ?

[@HK-dq1eg]

What are the 7 and 8?

[@SilverSkySE]

The word asylum, comes from the Latin word 'asylum', from the ancient greek 'asulon'. Not related to Semitic SLM, just saying.

[@TheArabist]

+SilverSkySE Thank you :)

[@TheArabist]

+SilverSkySE Is it possible that the two aren't mutually exclusive though?

[@SilverSkySE]

Maybe, Ancient greek in turn comes from proto-indo-european, which does not really have anything in common with the Semitic languages. If it did, it would've rather come from the root SLM through Aramaic or Hebrew, rather then Arabic.

[@Smithpolly]

Does God only speak Arabic?

[@TheArabist]

+Smithpolly Good afternoon! You're question is quite charged and a bit ambiguous really but I will try to answer it to the best of my understanding. There are many different components to speaking. Such as, Communication, language and being to do with speech. There is no doubt that God the almighty communicates with and hears human beings off all languages and all cultures. I am not an Arab myself, I am English and English is my first language (I became a Muslim about 7 years ago). Muslims can speak to God in their own language just as people of any other religion speak to God in their own language and feel a connection with God through it. Also, in the Qur'an God speaks directly to people of many different languages and cultures which shows that God has even sent down scripture in other languages. However, The Arabic language has liturgical value to Muslims. This is because the Qur'an, the final message for all mankind was revealed in a human language which everyone can learn and access. It is also most fitting that it were revealed in Arabic because it's linguistic dexterity, grammatical richness and range of vocabulary dwarfs that of any other language in the world. It is also from the same Semitic roots which other languages of Prophets were from which makes it a perfect language of scripture for continuation in the line of prophethood. I hope that helps a bit and I pray that you have a lovely day, May peace be upon you and the mercy an blessings of God.

[@Smithpolly]

The Arabist So God couldn't have written the Quran in Chinese or Swahili or Urdu or French? It would have been a miserable failure nowhere near the standard of what the Quran is in Arabic?

[@TheArabist]

+Smithpolly Hello again and salaam! God can do as he pleases as he is the most powerful. It would have been very easy for him to make Chinese or Urdu or French or Swahili suitable if he had wished. However, he made Arabic the most suitable language for the final message and would therefore be outside of his majesty to send down a miracle and a revelation in a language which he himself made not suitable. But He knows best. Also, there is no way of knowing how a Qur'an revealed in another language would compare to the Arabic Qur'an. Revealed in another language, it wouldn't even be a Qur'an as the word Qur'an it's self is an Arabic word. It's not even something which we would consider or see as relevant. However, we do consider the message in translations of the Qur'an to be beautiful and can help non-Arabs begin to start to understand the Qur'an. We do encourage non-Arabs to read translations of the Qur'an at first to come to know their Lord in their own language. For example, for yourself, if you are not an Arab, I would be very happy to get you a translation of the Qur'an.

[@Smithpolly]

The Arabist" can help non-Arabs begin to start to understand the Qur'an." I assume you mean non-Arabic speakers as opposed to non-Arabs. Is that correct?

[@TheArabist]

+Smithpolly There is a huge discussion around Arab identity and what it means to be an Arab, many even say that being an Arab is defined just by speaking Arabic, in which case the two are synonymous anyway. However, In my own usage, yes I did mean Arabic speakers, or rather native-Arabic speakers. My wife for example is not an Arab but she is a native Arabic speaker and Arabic is her first language. I am also not an Arab but Arabic is my second language and I'm not a native speaker. So the way I said that "translations can help non-Arabs begin to start to understand the Qur'an." is for people like myself rather than my wife.

[@rizwanahmed2662]

Not satisfactory