The review of instances of “islaam” and “muslim” together confirms that those who follow Islam are Muslims, spelling out that believing in God and His messenger mean to uphold His words is the way to become submitters to God to be eligible for recompose from Him. Here is the review of instances of “salaam” meaning “peace” in the Quran together with the instances of “islaam” to understand that Islam is a religion of God with a set of beliefs and practices defined and perfected by God to lead a life with peace on earth as well as to achieve the abode of peace is a success of every Muslim.
- There are 8 occurrences of “إِسْلَٰم” (Islaam) meaning “Submission” in the noun form in the following 8 verses across 7 suras of the Quran.
[3:19] Indeed, the religion with God is submission (al-islaamu), and those who received the scripture did not dispute except after the knowledge came to them out of jealousy between them. And whoever rejects God’s revelations, then God is swift in reckoning.
[3:85] And whoever seeks other than submission (al-islaami) as a religion, will not be accepted from him, and in the Hereafter he will be with the losers.
[5:3] Forbidden upon you the dead animal, and the blood, and the meat of pig, and what was sacrificed to other than God; and that which has been strangled, and that which has been beaten to death, and that which has fallen from a height, and that which has been gored, and that which the wild animals have attacked except what has been slaughtered (before it dies), and what has been slaughtered on the alters, and that you divide by the arrows of chance – that are all abominable. Today, those who disbelieved have given up from your religion, so do not fear them, but fear Me. Today, I have perfected your religion for you, and have completed My blessings upon you, and have chosen submission (al-islaama) as a religion for you. So, whoever is forced by severe hunger and not being willful to sin, then God is Forgiving, Merciful.
[6:125] So whoever God wishes that He guides him extends his chest for the Submission (lilislaami); and whoever He wishes that He lets him go astray makes his chest tight and constricted, as if that he is climbing in the sky. It is such that God afflicts those who do not believe.
[9:74] They swear by God that they did not say, while they said a word of disbelief and they disbelieved after their submission (islaamihim), and they planned of what they could not attain; and they could not take revenge except that God and His messenger had enriched them from His bounty. If they repent, it will be better for them, but if they turn away, then God will punish them a painful punishment in this world and the Hereafter, and they will have no protector nor a helper in the earth.
[39:22] Is it not the one who opens his chest for submission (lilislaami), then he will be on a light from his Lord?. So woe to those whose hearts are hardened from remembering God. They are in far astray.
[49:17] They consider a favor on you (Muhammad) that they have submitted. Say, “You should not consider your submission (islaamakum) a favor on me. No, God has bestowed a favor upon you that He has guided you to the faith, if you have been truthful.”
[61:7] And who is more evil than one who fabricates lies about God, and he is invited to submission (al-islaami)? And God does not guide the evil people.
- There are total 50 occurrences of “سَلَٰم” (salaam) and “سَلَم” (salam) meaning “peace” in the Quran. Out of 50 instances, 49 instances in the noun form and 1 instance in the adjective form found in the following 47 verses across 29 suras of the Quran:
[2:208] O you who believed, you shall come in the peace (al-sil’mi) of perfection; and you should do not follow the footsteps of the Satan. Indeed, he is an open enemy for you.
[4:90] Except those who reach a people between whom you have a treaty, or those who come to you restraining their hearts to fight you or to fight their own people. And if God willed, He would have given them strength and they would have fought you. But if they leave you, and do not fight you, and they offer you the peace (al-salama); then God does not make for you a way against them.
[4:91] You will find others who want to be secure from you as well as from their own people. Every time they are returned to the test, they fall back in it. If they do not withdraw from you, nor do they offer you the peace (al-salama), nor do they restrain their hands, then you shall seize them and kill them wherever you find them. And these for whom we have given you a clear authority.
[4:94] O you who believe, if you go forth in the cause of God, then you shall be sure, and do not say to one who offers the peace (al-salaama) to you, “You are not a believer,” seeking the gains of the worldly life while with God there are plenty. Like that you were before, then God bestowed favor upon you. So you shall be sure. Indeed, God is Cognizant of what you do.
[5:16] God guides whoever seeks His pleasure with it (scripture), to the ways of the peace (al-salaami); and He brings them out of the darkness into the light by His leave; and He guides them to a straight path.
[6:54] And when those who believe in our revelations come to you, you shall say, “Peace be (salaamun) upon you.” Your Lord has decreed mercy on Himself that anyone among you who commits evil out of ignorance, then repents thereafter and reforms, then indeed, He is Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
[6:127] They have deserved the abode of the peace (al-salaami) at their Lord; He is their Protector because of what they used to do.
[7:46] And there will be a partition between them; and the people on the elevated platform will recognize all by their marks. And they will call the dwellers of Paradise: “Peace (salaamun) be upon you!” They have not yet entered it, but they are hoping.
[8:61] And if they intend to the peace (lilssalmi), then you shall intend to it, and put your trust in God. Indeed, He is the Hearer, the Omniscient.
[10:10] Their prayer in it is: “Glory be to You, O God!”, and their greeting in it is: “Peace” (salaamun), and their final prayer is: “Praise be to God, Lord of the universe.”
[10:25] And God calls to the abode of the peace (al-salaami), and He guides whomever He wills to a straight path.
[11:48] It was said: “O Noah, disembark with peace (bi-salaamin) from us and blessings upon you and upon nations to come from those with you; and nations whom we will grant pleasure, then a painful retribution will reach them from us.”
[11:69] And certainly, our messengers came to Abraham with good news, they said: “Peace” (salaaman). He said: “Peace” (salaamun), and he had not delayed to bring a roasted calf.
[13:24] “Peace (salaamun) be upon you for what you have been patient for. Excellent is the final achievement of the abode.”
[14:23] And those who believed and did righteous works will be admitted into gardens with rivers flowing beneath them. They will abide therein forever by permission of their Lord. Their greeting therein will be: “Peace” (salaamun).
[15:46] “Enter it in peace (bi-salaamin), secure.”
[15:52] When they (angels) entered unto him (Abraham), they said, “Peace” (salaaman). He said, “We are afraid of you.”
[16:28] Those whom the angels put them to death in wrongdoing to their souls, then they would say the peace (al-salama), “We have not been in doing any evil.” Yes indeed, God is Knower of what you have done to achieve.
[16:32] Those whom the angels put them to death while they are righteous, they (angels) will say: “Peace be upon you (salaamun `alaykum), enter Paradise because of what you used to do.”
[16:87] And they have offered the peace (al-salama) to God on that day, and lost from them what they used to invent.
[19:15] And peace be upon him (salaamun `alayhi) the day he was born, and the day he dies, and the day he will be brought to life.
[19:33] “And peace be upon me (salaamu `alayya) the day I was born, and the day I will die, and the day I will be brought to life.”
[19:47] He said: “Peace be upon you (salaamun `alayka), I will ask forgiveness of my Lord for you. Indeed, He has been most kind to me.”
Note: This statement was a promise of Abraham that he made to ask forgiveness of his Lord for his father when his father let him know that he will stone him unless he would stop saying of worshiping God instead of idols.
[19:62] They will not hear in it (Paradise) any nonsense except peace (illaa salaaman). And they will have their provision in it morning and evening.
[20:47] So, go to him and say, “We are two messengers from your Lord. Let the Children of Israel go with us. You must refrain from persecuting them. We bring a sign from your Lord, and peace be upon (salaamun `alaa) those who follow the guidance.”
[21:69] We said: “O fire, be comfort and peace upon Abraham (wa-salaaman `alaa ibrahima).”
[25:63] And the servants of the Most Gracious are those who walk on the earth humbly, and when the ignorant speak to them, they say, “peace” (salaaman).
[25:75] These will be awarded the abode because of their patient, and they will find in it greeting and peace (wa-salaaman).
[27:59] Say, “Praise be to God and peace be upon His servants (wa-salaamun `alaa ibaadihi) whom He has chosen. Is God better or the ones whom they associate (with Him)?”
[28:55] And when they hear the vain talk, they turn away from it and say: “To us are our deeds, and to you are your deeds. Peace be upon you (salaamun `alaykum); we do not seek the ignorant.”
[33:44] Their greeting the day they meet Him is: “Peace” (salaamun), and He has prepared for them honorable recompense.
[36:58] “Peace” (salaamun) is a word from a Merciful Lord.
[37:79] Peace be upon Noah (salaamun `alaa noohin) in the world.
[37:109] Peace be upon Abraham (salaamun `alaa ib’raaheema).
[37:120] Peace be upon Moses and Aaron (salaamun `alaa moosaa wa-haaroona).
[37:130] Peace be upon the family of Elias (salaamun `alaa il yaaseena).
[37:181] And peace be upon (all) the messengers (salaamun `alaa al-mur’saleena).
[39:29] God has cited an example – a man with him disputing partners, and a man with a man of peace (salaman lirajulin). Are they equal? Praise be to God, but most of them do not know.
Note:This example is a symbolic use of not to associate partners with God or with His guidance.
[39:73] And those who reverenced their Lord will be driven to Paradise in groups. Until when they reach itand its gates are opened, and its guards will say to them: “Peace be upon you (salaamun `alaykum). You have done well, so enter it to abide forever.”
[43:89] So turn away from them and say: “Peace” (salaamun). But soon they will come to know.
[47:35] So, do not be weak and ask for peace (ilaa al-salmi) while you are of better morality, and God is with you and He will not deprive you of your works.
[50:34] Enter it in peace (bi-salaamin). This is the day of eternal life.
[51:25] When they entered unto him, and they said: “Peace” (salaamun). He said: “Peace (salaamun), a people, strangers!”
[56:26] Only the utterances of: “Peace (salaamun), peace (salaamun).”
[56:91] Then, peace for you (salaamun laka) from the people of the right.
[59:23] He is God who is the One; there is no other god besides Him. The Sovereign, the Sacred, the Peace (al-salaamu), the Trustworthy, the Supreme, the Almighty, the Powerful, the Dignified. Glory be to God, above what they associate (with Him).
[97:5] Peace (salaamun) it is until the advent of dawn.
Here is the summary of God’s teachings that we can learn from the occurrences of “salaam” and “salam” in the Quran to understand that God is the source of peace and He provides it whomever He wills, can be achieved through the righteous works while it is commonly used in our greeting:
- God has commanded the believers to achieve the perfect peace that can be accomplished not to follow the footsteps of the Satan as he is the source of evils and disputes.
- He wants His believers not to make any hardship in the way of those who offer the peace.
- It was war rule that those who were with the believers to secure them from their own people but could not maintain their integrity could be taken captives or could be killed wherever found.
- You shall not say that they are not believers who offer you peace just for the worldly life gain.
- God guides those who seek His pleasure to the ways of the peace and brings them out of the darkness into the light.
- Those who come to you believing in the revelation of God, you shall say to them, “Peace be upon you.”
- Anyone who commits evil out of ignorance, then repents and reforms, then He is Forgiving, Merciful.
- Anyone can deserve the abode of the peace at his Lord through the righteous works.
- On the day of Judgment the people on the elevated platform will recognize all by their marks and will call the dwellers of Paradise, “Peace be upon you.”
- If they incline to the peace, then you shall incline to it as well and put your trust in God, who is the Hearer, the Omniscient.
- The greeting of those who believe is “Peace” while their prayer is “Glory be to You, O God” and the ultimate prayer is “Praise be to God, Lord of the universe.”
- God calls to the abode of the peace and He guides whomever He wills to a straight path.
- It was said to Noah to disembark with peace and blessing upon him and the nations to come from those who were with him from God.
- When messengers from God (angels) visited Abraham said, “Peace” and He also, “Peace”.
- Those whom the angels put to death while doing wrong, they would say, “Peace and we are not doing wrong” but God knows what they used to do. On that day, they would say “peace” to God and had lost them what used to invent.
- When the angels put to death of those who are doing righteous, would say to them, “peace be upon you, enter Paradise”, and God knows what they used to do.
- Peace be upon him (Jesus) the day he was born, the day he dies and the day he will be resurrected.
- Abraham said to his father, “Peace be upon you, I would ask forgiveness of God for you”.
- The dwellers of Paradise will not hear any nonsense except peace and will have their provision day and night.
- When Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh said “peace” to those who would follow the guidance.
- It was said to the fire to be comfort and peace upon Abraham.
- The servants of God walk humbly and say “peace” when they speak to the ignorant.
- Those who have been awarded the abode will have greeting and peace therein.
- When you hear the vain talk, you shall turn away from it and say, “Peace be upon you, we do not seek the ignorant.”
- Those who glorify God day and night will have peace as their greeting and an honorable recompense when they meet Him.
- Peace is cited in the example, which is a teaching for us in a symbolic way not to associate any partners with God or with His source.
- We are taught to say, “Praise be to God and peace be upon His servants whom He has chosen.”
- All messengers are blessed with peace, which is a word from God and an inspired blessing.
- All messengers are blessed with peace, which is a word from God and an inspired blessing.
- God has commanded Muhammad to ask for peace and let him know that He is with him and He will not deprive him of his works.
- On the day of eternity (judgment) the righteous will be invited to enter Paradise with peace and they will hear no nonsense but “Peace” in it.
- Peace is one of the attributes of God, and He has linked peace to the night the whole Quran was revealed.
Mathematical confirmation
50 instances of both “salaam” and “salam” along with 8 instances of “islaam” found in 55 verses across 33 suras participate in the mathematical confirmation. The total of the relevant sura and verse number is a multiple of 19 =>4180 = 19x220 (see the table below for details):
Note: This mathematical confirmation establishes a direct relationship between “islam” and “salaam” to understand that those who follow Islam (submission) to be driven to Paradise wherein its guards will greet its dwellers, “Peace be upon you.” The instances of “strong>islam” are highlighted blue in the table while the presence of more than one instance in the same verse is highlighted orange.
Conclusion
“Salaam” can be understood being freedom from violence, cessation of war, tranquility, security, success etc. in different contexts but peace is an accurate translation of the term. Both “salaam” and “salam” mean peace while the uses of “salam” in the unusual contexts. However, peace is directly related to the actions and attitudes of individuals; but it is ultimately a blessing from God while its uses are found in greeting, inspired blessing from God and linking with special events.
God has commanded the believers to defeat the Satan to achieve the perfect peace with Him. He wants His believers not to make any hardship in the way of those who offer peace or not to say those who were not with them that you are not believers just for seeking the gains of the worldly life. If they incline to the peace, then you shall incline to it as well and put your trust in God. Those who were with the believers to secure them from their own people but found them betrayer could be taken captives or could be killed wherever they are found. God guides those who seek His pleasure to the ways of the peace and brings them out of the darkness into the light. Thus, anyone can attain the abode of the peace at his Lord through righteous behavior and works.
Those who believe their greeting is “Peace.” Muhammad was commanded to say, “Peace be upon you” to those who came to him believing in the revelation of God. On the day of Judgment the people on the elevated platform will recognize all by their marks and will call the anticipated dwellers of Paradise, “Peace be upon you.”The greeting of those who believe is “Peace” while their prayer is “Glory be to You, O God” and the ultimate prayer is “Praise be to God, Lord of the universe.” When messengers from God (angels) came to Abraham said to him “Peace” and he answered it. When the angels put the wicked to death, the wicked would say, “Peace and we are not doing wrong.” On the day of judgment, they would say peace to God when they had lost those what they used to invent. When the angels put the righteous to death, would say to them, “Peace be upon you, enter Paradise. They walk humbly on earth and say “peace” when they speak to the ignorant. When they hear the vain talk, turn away from it and say, “Peace be upon you, we do not seek the ignorant.” When Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh said peace to those who follow the guidance. Those who reverenced their Lord will be driven to Paradise and its guards will greet them, “Peace be upon you, you have done well. So, enter it to abide for forever.” Abraham said to his father, “Peace be upon you, I would ask forgiveness of God for you”.
Peace is one of the attributes of God, and it is an inspired blessing from Him. He has blessed the night with peace the whole Quran was placed in Muhammad’s soul. The Fire was said to be comfort and peace upon Abraham. It is said, “Peace be upon to His servants whom He has chosen as well as all the messengers.” It is cited in an example as a symbolic representation for us not to associate any partners with our Lord or with His source. Thus, those who glorify Him alone will have peace and an honorable recompense when they meet Him. On the day of eternity (judgment) the righteous will be invited to enter Paradise with peace and they will not hear any nonsense except peace therein.
This study including mathematical confirmation confirms that the derived message from the instances of “salaam” is quite different from that of the instances of “islaam”. Since the appropriate meaning of “salaam” is “Peace”, and its consistency is also found with the same meaning of Hebrew counterpart “Shalom”, the translation of any instances of salaam (peace) to submission (Islam) or “salaam” means submission would be misinterpretation even though the messages are closely related. Hence, Islam is a religion of peace wherein there is no place of violation or injustice, ensures our peace on earth as well as leads us to the abode of peace being blessed by God if it is followed as reflected in the final reminder revealed in the night blessed with peace (44:3 and 97:5).
Peaceful Friday, salaam and God bless.
Tafazzal (11/24/2017)