--- title: "What Does the Word \"Islam\" Mean? | Islam Is Mercy" description: "The word \"Islam\" means willing submission to God, and it shares an Arabic root with the word for peace. Here is what that means." lang: en url: https://islamismercy.com/en/start/meaning-of-islam/ --- 1. [Home](https://islamismercy.com/en/) 2. [Start Here](https://islamismercy.com/en/start/) 3. What Does the Word "Islam" Mean? # What Does the Word "Islam" Mean? Written by **Islam Is Mercy Editorial Team**· 3 min readAwaiting scholar review ## The short answer The Arabic word Islam means willingly submitting and surrendering oneself to God. It comes from the root s-l-m, which also gives us salam — peace, safety and wholeness — so Muslims understand Islam as finding peace through submission to God. A Muslim is simply "one who submits" to God. ## On this page 1. The root s-l-m: submission and peace 2. Submission, not humiliation 3. Who is a “Muslim”? 4. Peace in practice 5. A name that is an invitation Most religions are named after a founder, a people or a place. Islam is different: its name describes an attitude of the heart — a relationship between a person and God. Understanding that one word goes a long way to understanding the whole faith. ## The root s-l-m: submission and peace Arabic words are built from roots, usually of three letters, that carry a core meaning. The word *Islam* comes from the root **s-l-m** (س ل م). From this root come many related words: | Arabic word | Meaning | | --- | --- | | *salam* | peace, safety, greeting | | *salamah* | safety, soundness, being unharmed | | *aslama* | to submit, to surrender, to hand oneself over | | *Islam* | (the act of) submission and surrender to God | | *Muslim* | one who submits to God | Strictly speaking, *Islam* means **submission** — handing yourself over to God willingly and wholeheartedly. But because it shares its root with *salam*, Arabic speakers naturally hear in it the ideas of peace, safety and wholeness too. Muslims understand the two as connected: when a person surrenders to their Creator, they find peace — with God, within themselves and with others. It is worth being honest here: Islam does not simply mean “peace”, as is sometimes said. It means submission to God, and peace is the fruit of that submission. ## Submission, not humiliation In everyday English, “submission” can sound like defeat. In Islam it means something closer to trust. A person who submits to God is like a patient who trusts a good doctor, or a traveller who follows a reliable guide. The [Qur’an](https://islamismercy.com/en/glossary/quran/) describes the one who submits as someone who also does good: > 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 verse joins inner surrender to God with outward goodness towards others. Islam is meant to show in how we live, not only in what we believe. ## Who is a “Muslim”? A *Muslim* is simply someone who submits to God. In the Qur’an the word is not limited to the followers of Muhammad ﷺ. It is used for earlier prophets and their followers as well. For example, the Qur’an describes Abraham (peace be upon him) like this: > مَا كَانَ إِبْرَٰهِيمُ يَهُودِيًّۭا وَلَا نَصْرَانِيًّۭا وَلَٰكِن كَانَ حَنِيفًۭا مُّسْلِمًۭا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ ﴿٦٧﴾ > Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was one inclining toward truth, a Muslim \[submitting to Allah\]. And he was not of the polytheists. [Qur'an, Aal-i-Imraan 3:67](https://quran.com/3?startingVerse=67&translations=20)Saheeh International The disciples of Jesus (peace be upon him) are also described as declaring themselves Muslims who submit to God (Qur’an 3:52). This is why Muslims see Islam as the original message of all the prophets, not a new invention — see [One Message, All the Prophets](https://islamismercy.com/en/core/one-message-all-prophets/). It also explains why Muslims do not like the old term “Mohammedanism”. Muslims do not worship Muhammad ﷺ; they follow him as God’s messenger and worship God alone. ## Peace in practice The link between Islam and peace is not only a matter of grammar. It shows up throughout Muslim life: - Muslims greet one another with *as-salamu alaykum* — “peace be upon you”. - One of God’s names in the Qur’an is *As-Salam* — the One who is perfect and the source of peace (Qur’an 59:23). - Paradise is called *Dar as-Salam*, the Home of Peace (Qur’an 10:25). - The ritual prayer ends with the greeting of peace, *as-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullah* — “peace and the mercy of God be upon you”. The Prophet ﷺ also described a true Muslim by whether those around him are safe from his words and his actions: > Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Amr: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "A Muslim is the one who avoids harming Muslims with his tongue and hands. And a Muhajir (emigrant) is the one who gives up (abandons) all what Allah has forbidden [Sahih al-Bukhari 10](https://sunnah.com/bukhari/2#:~:text=Muslim%20is%20the%20one%20who)Grade: Sahih (in Sahih al-Bukhari) The words “Muslim” and “safe” in this saying come from the same root: a Muslim is someone from whom others are *salim* — safe and unharmed. ## A name that is an invitation Because Islam is named after a relationship with God rather than a person or nation, it is open to everyone. Anyone, from any background, who sincerely turns to the one God and submits to Him is, in the language of the Qur’an, a “muslim”. To learn more about the God Muslims submit to, continue with [Who Is Allah?](https://islamismercy.com/en/start/who-is-allah/), or go back to the overview in [What Is Islam?](https://islamismercy.com/en/start/what-is-islam/) ![What Does the Word "Islam" Mean?](https://islamismercy.com/_astro/meaning-of-islam-info.CtMfWHIY_Z1PkwV9.jpg) ## Key takeaways - Islam literally means willing submission and surrender to God. - It shares the Arabic root s-l-m with salam — peace, safety and wholeness. - A Muslim is "one who submits" to God; the Qur'an uses the word for earlier prophets too. - Islam is named after a relationship with God, not after a person or a people. ## Share this article [WhatsApp](https://wa.me/?text=What%20Does%20the%20Word%20%22Islam%22%20Mean%3F%20https%3A%2F%2Fislamismercy.com%2Fen%2Fstart%2Fmeaning-of-islam%2F)[Telegram](https://t.me/share/url?url=https%3A%2F%2Fislamismercy.com%2Fen%2Fstart%2Fmeaning-of-islam%2F&text=What%20Does%20the%20Word%20%22Islam%22%20Mean%3F)[X](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=What%20Does%20the%20Word%20%22Islam%22%20Mean%3F&url=https%3A%2F%2Fislamismercy.com%2Fen%2Fstart%2Fmeaning-of-islam%2F)[Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fislamismercy.com%2Fen%2Fstart%2Fmeaning-of-islam%2F) ## Sources - [Qur'an, Al-Baqara 2:112](https://quran.com/2?startingVerse=112&translations=20) - [Qur'an, Aal-i-Imraan 3:67](https://quran.com/3?startingVerse=67&translations=20) - [Sahih al-Bukhari 10](https://sunnah.com/bukhari/2#:~:text=Muslim%20is%20the%20one%20who) ## Talk to a Muslim Have a question that isn't answered here? Ask a real person — no pressure, no judgement. [Ask your question](https://islamismercy.com/en/talk/) ## Keep reading [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/)[Start Here ### Who Is Allah? Allah is the Arabic word for the one God, Creator of everything. Learn how the Qur'an describes Him, His beautiful names, and why Arab Christians say Allah too. Read article](https://islamismercy.com/en/start/who-is-allah/)[What Muslims Agree On ### All Prophets Brought the Same Message Islam teaches that Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad ﷺ all called to the same core truth — worship the one God. Here is what that means. Read article](https://islamismercy.com/en/core/one-message-all-prophets/)