---
title: "Islam — Meaning of the Word | Islam Is Mercy"
description: "Islam is an Arabic word meaning willing submission to God, from the same root as salam, peace. It is also the name of the religion."
lang: en
url: https://islamismercy.com/en/glossary/islam/
---

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3.  Islam — Meaning of the Word

# Islam — Meaning of the Word

Written by **Islam Is Mercy Editorial Team**· 1 min readAwaiting scholar review

## The short answer

Islam means willing submission to the One God. It comes from the same Arabic root as salam, "peace", and Muslims understand it as finding peace by entrusting one's life to God.

## On this page

1.  Meaning
2.  How Muslims use it
3.  Example

**Islam** (Arabic: الإسلام) is pronounced *is-LAAM*, with a clear “s” (not a “z”) and a long second “a”.

## Meaning

The word comes from the Arabic root *s-l-m*, which carries the ideas of safety, wholeness and peace. The same root gives *salam* (peace) and *muslim* (one who submits). To “do islam” is to give yourself fully and willingly to God. The Qur’an describes the reward of such a person:

> بَلَىٰ مَنْ أَسْلَمَ وَجْهَهُۥ لِلَّهِ وَهُوَ مُحْسِنٌۭ فَلَهُۥٓ أَجْرُهُۥ عِندَ رَبِّهِۦ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ ﴿١١٢﴾

> Yes \[on the contrary\], whoever submits his face in Islam to Allah while being a doer of good will have his reward with his Lord. And no fear will there be concerning them, nor will they grieve.

[Qur'an, Al-Baqara 2:112](https://quran.com/2?startingVerse=112&translations=20)Saheeh International

Notice that the religion is not named after a founder, a tribe or a place. That is why Muslims dislike old terms such as “Mohammedanism”: they do not worship Muhammad ﷺ, but God alone.

## How Muslims use it

Today *Islam* is the name of the religion taught by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and followed by nearly a quarter of the world’s population. In a broader sense, Muslims believe every prophet — from Noah to Abraham, Moses and Jesus — taught *islam*: sincere surrender to the One God.

## Example

*“She embraced Islam after years of reading about the prophets.”*

For more, read [What Does “Islam” Mean?](https://islamismercy.com/en/start/meaning-of-islam/) or the overview [What Is Islam?](https://islamismercy.com/en/start/what-is-islam/)

## Key takeaways

-   Islam means willing submission to God.
-   It shares a root with salam, the Arabic word for peace.
-   The religion is named after a relationship with God, not after a person or a people.

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## Sources

-   [Qur'an, Al-Baqara 2:112](https://quran.com/2?startingVerse=112&translations=20)

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## Keep reading

[Start Here

### What Does the Word "Islam" Mean?

The word "Islam" means willing submission to God, and it shares an Arabic root with the word for peace. Here is what that means.

Read article](https://islamismercy.com/en/start/meaning-of-islam/)[Start Here

### What Is Islam? A Simple Introduction

A clear, friendly introduction to Islam — what Muslims believe about God, the prophets and the Qur'an, and how faith shapes everyday life.

Read article](https://islamismercy.com/en/start/what-is-islam/)[Glossary

### Muslim — Meaning of the Word

A Muslim is a person who submits to the One God and follows Islam. Muslims come from every race, nation and language.

Read article](https://islamismercy.com/en/glossary/muslim/)