Question 4 and 5: Inside Islam

Question 4:

What is the difference between the terms “Muslim” and “Islam”?

Islam is the name of the religion itself. It means, in Arabic “submission to the will of Allah” Muslim is a related word that can be roughly translated as “one who submits” to Allah and his will. A Muslim, then, is someone who believes in Islam.

Question 5:

I have heard that “Islam” means peace. Is this true?

Since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, many people (including President George W. Bush) have asserted that Islam means “peace” It is true that salaam (peace) and Islam submission share the same Arabic root. The word Muslim means “one who submits [that is, surrenders himself] to the will of Allah.” But its broader meaning extends, to any person of any faith who surrenders himself to GOD’s will. This use is similar to the Christian’s use of term believer. However, Muslims most often use it to refer to someone who believes in the religion of Islam.
Muslims also use another word to refer to a believer in Islam: Mu’men, which literally means “believer.” Westerners may have heard this term in reference to Afghanistan’s Mullah Omar, leader of the Taliban, who proclaimed himself “Emir al Mu’menin” (Prince [ or Leader ] of the Believers). The two terms Muslim and Mu’men are used interchangeably in Arabic, and there is no clear distinction between them.

“Request to my blog readers to please refrain from making any derogatory comments about the Islamic faith. This is just a general knowledge sharing blog about the faith” thank you.


Reference:
Inside Islam “A guide for Catholics” – 100 Questions and Answers – Authored by Daniel Ali and Robert Spencer. Ascension Press, West Chester, Pennsylvania.