The word itself is an Arabic word; so when we go to the Arabic language, we see that the word Islaam comes from the root wood aslama, linguistically meaning “to submit.”  In arabic, one could say “aslama nafsahu ila Allah”, which translates to “He submitted his own self to God (or to the will of God).”  So linguistically, the word Islaam means submission.  It is also important to note that the word Islaam comes from the same root word as the word salaam, which means peace.

     So we’ve defined it linguistically.  But what does Islaam mean in a religious sense?  To who are those who practice Islaam submitting?  Are they submitting to a tree, to a cow, perhaps to humans, or are they  submitting to other aspect of the creation?  The answer to all of these questions is, of course, no.  Islaam means submitting and surrendering your own will to the will of Almighty God.  Islaam means to put your own will and desire to the side, and to submit yourself to the will of your Creator.

     Islaam is also the name of the way of life that God has chosen for his creation.  And this fact is unique to Islaam and not found with the previously revealed religions.  The names Judaism and Christianity were not revealed in the respective books of those two religions.  Rather, Judaism takes its name from the tribe of Judea.  The followers of Jesus, peace be upon him, called themselves Christians, implying that they are following Jesus Christ.  Buddhists take their name from the one they claim to follow, Buddha.  Muslims however, are unique in that they do not call themselves Muhammadins, implying following of Muhammad.  Rather, God Himself chose the name Al-Islaam when he said:

“This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have chosen for you Islaam as religion.”  (Quraan 5:3)

     So we see that Islaam, linguistically, means submission and peace, religiously means “to submit and surrender yourself to the will of Almighty God,” and the name itself was chose n by God in His final revelation to mankind, the Quraan.