What does the word "Islam" mean?

Sources

• ✓ Al-Kafi 1:63

  Shia

  Al-Kafi · Book 1, Hadith 63

  I said to Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him), 'Tell me about Islam and faith, are they different?' He said, 'Faith shares in Islam, but Islam does not share in faith.' I said, 'Describe them to me.' He said, 'Islam is the testimony that there is no deity but Allah and belief in the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family). Through Islam, blood is protected, marriages and inheritances are established, and the majority of people appear outwardly upon it. Faith is guidance and what is firmly established in the hearts of attributes of Islam and what manifests through actions. Faith is higher than Islam in rank. Faith shares Islam in outward aspects, but Islam does not share faith in the inward aspects, although they unite in words and description.' — OR — I said to Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him), "I bathe in a bathhouse where people urinate and bathe the junub. Water collects in the vessel, running from the ground." He replied, "There is no harm in that." — OR — The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) never denied a beggar; if he had something, he would give it to him, otherwise he said: Allah will bring him [whatever he needs]. — OR — Mu'awiya appointed Marwan ibn al-Hakam over Medina and commanded him to levy a tax on the youth of Quraysh. Ali ibn al-Husayn (peace be upon him) said: I went to him and he asked: What is your name? I said: Ali ibn al-Husayn. He asked: What is your brother's name? I said: Ali. He said: Ali and Ali? Your father wants to name all his children Ali. Then he imposed the tax. I returned to my father and told him. He said: Woe to the son of the bluish one, the leather tanner of Adam’s skin! If I had a hundred children, I would love to name none of them except Ali. — OR — I said to him: 'Alqamah ibn Muhammad commanded me to free a slave on his behalf, so I freed a woman. Will that be sufficient or should I free on his behalf from my wealth?' He said: 'It will be sufficient.' Then he said: 'Fatimah Umm ibnay also ordered me to free a slave on her behalf, so I freed a woman.' — OR — I asked Abu Ja'far (peace be upon him) about the four winds—the north, the south, the Ṣabā, and the Dabbūr—and said: 'People say the north wind is from Paradise and the south wind is from Hellfire.' He said: 'Indeed, Allah has soldiers of winds with which He punishes whom He wills among those who disobey Him, and every such wind has an angel in charge. When Allah wishes to punish a people with a certain kind of punishment, He inspires the angel in charge of that wind to unleash it. The angel commands it, and it stirs up as an angry lion would. Each of these winds has a name. Do you not hear His saying, "‘Ād denied (the messengers), so how was My punishment and warning? We sent against them a screaming wind on a day of continuous misfortune." Also, He said: “The sterile wind,” and He said: “A wind with painful torment,” and He said: “A hurricane with fire that burned.” These are wind punishments mentioned in the Book with which Allah punishes the disobedient. Yet, Allah also has merciful winds that fertilize and others that He spreads before His mercy: some stir up clouds for rain; others withhold clouds between sky and earth; others press the clouds and release rain by Allah’s permission; and others are among those wind types mentioned by Allah. The four winds—the north, south, Ṣabā, and Dabbūr—are the names of the angels in charge of them. When Allah wills the north wind, He commands the angel named North to descend upon the Sacred House, who stands at the Syrian corner and strikes with his wing so that the north wind disperses as Allah wills over land and sea. Similarly for the south wind and the others.' Then Abu Ja'far (peace be upon him) said: 'Do you not hear His words: the North Wind, the South Wind, the Dabbūr Wind, and the Ṣabā Wind are only added to the angels charged with them.' — OR — Malik ibn Ayan said: The Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) urged the people at Siffin, saying: Allah, the Almighty, has guided you to a trade that will save you from painful punishment, and you will heal through it with good faith in Allah and jihad in His cause. Its reward is forgiveness of sins and good dwellings in the Gardens of Eternity. Allah says: Allah loves those who fight in His way in ranks, as if they were a solid structure. Arrange your ranks like a firmly built structure; place the shield-bearers in front and the rear guards behind; bite on the reinforcements tightly for they are strong for swords on heads; and circle the spear tips for it is best for the spears. Lower your gazes as it strengthens courage and steadies hearts; silence your voices as it drives away panic and is conducive to dignity. Do not incline your banners, remove or take them away except with your troops, for they are the defenders of the backbone. They are steadfast as truth unfolds. Do not mutilate the slain. When you reach the enemy, do not violate privacy, do not enter a house without permission, nor take any possessions from them except what you find in their camps. Do not provoke women with harm. Even if they insult your honor and curse your commanders and heroes, they are weak in strength, souls, and mind. We were commanded to refrain from harming them; they are idolaters. If a man approaches a woman and is remarked for it, his successor will face blame. Know that the guardians are those who surround their banners and stand at their edges, behind, and before, not losing them, not falling behind, delivering them safely, nor going ahead leaving them isolated. May Allah have mercy on a man who comforts his brother with himself and does not leave his flank to his brother so that flanks meet and yield reproach and disgrace. Fighting two while leaving flank open to a brother fleeing is detestable and Allah abhors it. Do not bring upon yourselves Allah's anger. Your path returns to Allah, and Allah says: Escape will not avail you if you flee death or killing. You shall only have a short respite, and by Allah, if you flee the swift swords, you will not escape the prolonged ones. Seek help through patience and truthfulness; victory comes after patience. Strive in Allah's way with true striving. There is no power except through Allah. When he passed by a banner of the people of Syria and their companions who do not leave their posts, he said: They will not leave their positions except through a stabbing spear emitting breeze, striking and splitting the galea, throwing off bones and dislocating joints. Where are the patient and reward seekers? A group of Muslims went to him and restored his right flank to its place and ranks; he confronted the enemy and said: I have seen your wavering and your deviation from your ranks; you are dominated by the rough, tyrants, and desert Arabs of Syria, while you are the strong lions and the main bulk, the keepers of the night with Quran recitation and the call of the people of truth when the erring lost their way. If you did not return after retreating and turn back after deviating, you would be as the losing do in battle. This has softened some of my feelings and healed some of my chest pain. When I see you having dominated them as they dominated you and driving them with swords until their first rider becomes their last, like chased camels, be patient. Serenity has descended upon you, Allah has established you by certainty. The defeated will know that he angers his lord and destroys himself. In fleeing is shame and oppression, lasting disgrace and corruption of life. The fleeing person gains no increase in life and has no provision between him and his day. His lord is displeased with him. Dying before acquiring these qualities is better than accepting deception and yielding to it. And in another statement: When you meet these people tomorrow, do not fight them until they fight you. When they begin, advance towards them calmly and with dignity, bite your molars for your swords tell of the steel on the helmet. Lower your gaze, extend horses’ foreheads and faces of men, reduce speech as it repels panic and is appropriate for dignity. Prepare yourselves for dueling, wrestling, contention, and hold fast. Remember Allah much, for those who hold the backbone amid realities' arrival are the guardians who surround their banners, strike their edges, before them, and when carrying them do as one man. Engage in mutual protection, for war is a volley. They do not gather in groups after a flight, nor carry on charges after a turn. Whoever welcomes peace from you, accept it. Seek help through patience, for after patience comes victory from Allah, the Almighty. The earth belongs to Allah; He grants it as inheritance to whomever He wills among His servants, and the end belongs to the righteous.

• ✓ Al-Kafi 1:76

  Shia

  Al-Kafi · Book 1, Hadith 76

  I said to him, "What is Islam?" He said, "Islam is the religion of Allah; its name is Islam, and it is the religion of Allah before you wherever you were and after you exist. Whoever acknowledges the religion of Allah is a Muslim, and whoever acts according to what Allah, Blessed and Exalted, ordered is a believer." — OR — If you say the name of Allah during ablution, your whole body is purified. If you do not say it, only the parts washed by water are purified. — OR — The Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) said: Follow the words of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), for he said: Whoever opens the door of asking for himself, Allah will open for him the door of poverty. — OR — I heard Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him) say: The best companions are four, the best expeditionary forces are four hundred, the best armies are four thousand, and ten thousand cannot be defeated by a smaller number. — OR — He said, looking at a beautiful boy: The father of this boy ought to be one who eats quince. — OR — Concerning a man who died leaving a slave girl whose one-third was to be freed, but her guardian married her before any inheritance was distributed: She and her husband should be appraised and sought for the remainder of her price after appraisal. Whatever the woman receives from freeing or enslavement is attributed to her children. — OR — I heard Abu Ja'far (peace be upon him) say, 'Umar met Ali (peace be upon him) and said to him, "Are you the one who recites this verse, "Which of you is the afflicted?" and is referring to me and my companion?" He said, "Shall I inform you of a verse that was revealed regarding the Banu Umayyah? 'Do you think that if you turn away you will cause corruption on the earth and sever your ties?'" Umar said, "The Banu Umayyah did not sever ties better than you, but you refused except enmity against the Banu Taym, Banu Adi, and Banu Umayyah."