Word of the Day
Salām
سَلَام
Hello and welcome back to our Arabic Word of the Day series!
Today’s word is سلام (Salām), which means peace, safety, peace of mind, and being free from imperfections and flaws. Its origin is rooted in the concept of “being safe.”
Main Meaning
This Arabic word سلام has many meanings and is used based on its context in different everyday situations.
Allah's Name السّلام
The first meaning refers to one of the names of Allah the Almighty, which is السّلام, and it is used with the definite article in Arabic “الـ” and the letter س (Seen) is doubled with Shadda (سّ).
The giver of peace
As-Salam
السَّلام
Peace
Another meaning indicates peace, safety, peaceful living, and the state that is opposite of war.
In my country, we live in peace.
Fī baladī naʻīshu bisalāmin
فِي بَلَدِي نَعِيشُ بِسَلَامٍ
Acceptance
The word also means accepting and embracing everything, and from which comes the name of the religion “إسلام” “Islam”. In this context, the word represents the acceptance of divine commands.
Physical and psychological well-being
Sometimes the word is used in the context of external danger that is evaded or overcome in peace and safety. In other words, when someone enjoys physical and psychological well-being after emerging from danger unharmed. In English, the word, in this context is translated to “safely”. Check the following examples:
I returned safely from my trip.
Udtu min aalssafari bisalāmin
عُدْتُ مِنْ اَلسَّفَرِ بِسَلَامٍ
We reached the sea shore safely.
Waṣalanā shāṭiʼu aalbaḥri bisalāmin
وَصَلَنَا شَاطِئُ اَلْبَحْرِ بِسَلَامٍ
Collocations
The term “السلام” (As-salam) “peace” often collocates with other words to give specific meanings, such as:
Peace be upon you
Aalssalām ʻalaykum
اَلسَّلَام عَلَيْكُمْ
This is the greeting of Muslims and its response is “Peace be upon you, too” (Waʻalaykum aalssalāmu) وَعَلَيْكُمْ اَلسَّلَامُ, and it is the greeting of the people of Paradise, as God Almighty says in the Quran;
Taḥīyatuhum fīhā salāmun
تَحِيَّتُهُمْ فِيهَا سَلَامٌ – سورة يونس، آية ١٠
Salam (Peace, safe from each and every evil) will be their greetings therein (Paradise)!” Surat Yunus – 10
Dwelling of Peace
Dāru assalāmi
دَارُ اَلسَّلَامِ
The dwelling of peace here means “Paradise.”
Abd Al-Salam
Abdu assalām
عَبْدُ اَلسَّلَامْ
A male name that means one who worships Allah As-Salam
Dove of Peace
Ḥamāmatu assalāmi
حَمَامَة اَلسَّلَامِ
This Arabic expression represents a white bird holding a green branch, symbolizing peace.
Pathways to Peace
Subulu as-salāmi
سُبُلُ اَلسَّلَامِ
Ways of ensuring survival and safety
Derivations
Derived from the same root, other words include:
One who does not harm anyone.
Musālimun
مُسَالِمٌ
Undamaged or unharmed.
Salīmun
سَلِيمٌ
Peace
Silm
سِلم
The religion of Islam
Islam
إسلام
One who follows Islam.
Muslimun
مُسْلِمٌ
In Quran
وَإِذَا جَاءَكَ الَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِآيَاتِنَا فَقُلْ سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكُمْ ٥٤ – سورة الأنعام
When those who believe in Our Ayat come to you, say: “Salamun `Alaykum” (peace be on you)
Surat Al-Ana’am – Verse 54
In Hadith
We have a number of variations of the word Salam appearing in Hadith by the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be Upon Him)
A Muslim is one from whose hand and tongue the Muslims are safe.
Aalmuslimu man sallama aalmuslimūna min lisānihi wayadihi
اَلْمُسْلِمُ مَنْ سَلمَ اَلْمُسْلِمُونَ مِنْ لِسَانِهِ وَيَدِهِ
In Poetry
We have also this verse in Arabic poetry:
Greetings to a land made for peace, a land that bore witness to none.
Salāmun liʼarḍin khuliqat lilssalāmi wamā raʼat yawman salāman
سَلَامٌ لِأَرْضٍ خُلِقَتْ لِلسَّلَامِ وَمَا رَأَتْ يَوْمًا سَلَامًا
Synonyms
Finally, synonyms for the term “peace” (Salām) سلام exist in Arabic, such as the words “safety” and “peace of mind,” all carrying the same meaning.
Thus, we can say:
Peace
salāmin
سلام
Safety
amānin
أمان
Peace of mind
ṭumaʼnīnatin
طمأنينة
Conclusion
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