islam

Something I learned today, somewhat interesting:

From family.org

In news reports, you'll often hear the claim that "Islam means peace." There is a grain of truth in this, because the word Islam is related to the Arabic word for "peace." But it is properly translated into English as "submission."

How does "submission" relate to "peace"? Malise Ruthven, a religious-studies professor at Colorado College in Colorado Springs and a former editor for the BBC's Arabic Service, explained that in Islam, "People protect themselves against God's wrath by humbling themselves before their Creator and undertaking the duties and responsibilities of Muslims. Islam in its original meaning is the primary act of self-surrender: an act of ... choice whereby a person places his or her destiny in the hands of Allah and submits to Allah's 'governance.'"

The very word Muslim means "one who has submitted himself to God," and the kind of peace offered such a person is expressed by the Arabic word salima, which means "to be safe, unharmed, secure or intact."