Summary: In Arabic, the word ldquo;Islam" means submission or surrender ndash; however, it was derived from the root word "salam". From this root word, you can also derive the words peace and safety. Many people feel that Islam implies some sort of enslavement to Allah, but others find it more helpful to define the word "Islam" as surrender. Many religions have a concept of surrender to God. In Jewish history, when the ancient Hebrews obeyed Godrsquo;s commands, they had a long period of prosperity and stability. In Christianity, surrendering to God is a way of putting your life into more capable hands ndash; in fact, Jesus asked many of his disciples to surrender their livelihoods and follow him. So, if we look at the word lsquo;Islamrsquo; in this way, we can understand why obeying Allahrsquo;s commands and trusting in Allahrsquo;s wisdom could bring about peace for a Muslim. The word does not represent a one-sided relationship, where the believer is enslaved to Allah. Rather, the word Islam indicates a covenant between Allah and his followers, where a Muslim surrenders his or her will to Allah in return for peace or safety.
