under construction
The word ‘Islam’ (اسلام) has its root in the word ‘Slam’ (سَلْمٌ). We start by understanding the meaning of (سَلْمٌ) and the words form this root:
1. Salam (سَلِمَ): ‘someone being cleansed of all impurities and vices’, ‘overcoming all the deficiencies and defects’. In Koran this word has always been used in this context, e.g. in the story of calf in Surah Baqrah, this word describes the calf which is free from any physical defects and is spotless [see 2: 71]. Thus Salam (سَلِمَ) means ‘attaining the aim in such a way that no defect remains’, and in the context of mankind it means ‘full nourishment of human potential and reaching mankind’s destination’.
2. Salam (سَلِمَ) also means ‘to be guarded against all kinds of evils, dangers and accidents’. In Koran Allah is called al-Salam (السَّلام) [see 59: 23].
3. ‘السُّلَّم’ – ladder, i.e. a means to reach heights.
4. ‘اَلسِّلْمُ’ – to live in peace and harmony. In a society’s context this would mean someone who not only lives in peace but let others live in peace as well.
5. ‘اَلسِّلْم وَ السَّلَامُ’ – obedience and surrender. In Quran it is used to denote undying obedience to Allah’s Laws.
6. ‘اسْتَسْدَم ثَكَم الطَّرِيْقِ’ – to walk in the middle of the path and not leaving the line, meaning following the path of righteousness and balance.
7. ‘اِسْتَلَمَ الزَّرْعُ’ – a field of corn which has grown spikes, i.e. bearing the fruits of hard labour.
8. ‘اَلسَّلِمَةُ’ – the woman who has very beautiful and proportionate body, which means beauty and elegance.
Taking into account the above explanations, al-Islam (اَلْاِ سْلاَمُ) represents the system of life which “fulfils all the deficiencies in a man and nurtures all the hidden potentialities while safeguarding against all the destructions and disasters of a life and guiding him through his evolutionary steps taking him to the ultimate heights and making sure that the efforts of each person bear fruit and no deed goes unrewarded.”
In short the meaning of Deen-e-Islam is “a system of life for mankind based on the teachings of Quran whence Allah is the sovereign.”
Islam is Following Allah
It is repeated number of times in Quran that Islam is following Allah and Allah alone.
“The question is not whether mine or yours is the right path. Only that path can be the right one which is shown by Allah’s Revelations (wahi) which you do not have in its original form but the Quran preserves it [2: 120].”
The same is repeated in different words when Allah says:
“In view of what has been stated above, ask them as to which Deen is better than one in which every individual surrenders to the Laws of Allah, does good to others, and follows the path of Abraham [4: 125].”
