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Islam FAQ
What does Islam mean?
Understanding what the actual word "Islam" means is helpful in understanding the religion which
derives its name from it. Why? Because the word is rich in meaning and has many connections to
other fundamental Islamic concepts.
The Arabic term 'islam means "submission" and itself comes from the term 'aslama,
which means "to surrender, resign oneself." In Islam, the fundamental duty of each member is to
submit to Allah (Arabic for "the God") and whatever Allah wants of them. A person who follows
Islam is called a Muslim, and this means "one who surrenders to God."
The term Islam is related to the Syriac 'aslem which means "to make peace, surrender" and
that in turn appears to be derived from the Semtic stem of *slem which means to be
complete.
Islam is closely related to the Arabic word for peace, salem. Muslims believe that true
peace can only be achieved through true obedience to the will of Allah. Commitment to Islam is
supposed to result in a constant struggle to achieve peace, justice and equality.
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