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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