One keeps hearing that "Islam" means submission. That a Muslim is one who has submitted.
That's not my definition; for the last few years my definition had evolved from the patriarchal, hierarchical, top-down idea of submission to one of being at peace with, at one with, or just "with". For that is the literal translation of the word:
Just as Ma-Barak (or "Mubarak", as we say in Urdu in South Asia) means "with blessing"; one full of blessing; not "submitted and kowtowing to blessing", Ma-Salaam (and thus Muslim) says to me to be with Peace; to be one who has Peace. The semitic root S-L-M is also the root of "Musallam" which, unless I know wrong, means "to be complete"; "to be whole".
Thus a Muslim should be one who has at least declared an intention to be one with Peace, with The One, The Whole, The Unity (and thus one who believes in Tawheed).
What submission?
That's not my definition; for the last few years my definition had evolved from the patriarchal, hierarchical, top-down idea of submission to one of being at peace with, at one with, or just "with". For that is the literal translation of the word:
Just as Ma-Barak (or "Mubarak", as we say in Urdu in South Asia) means "with blessing"; one full of blessing; not "submitted and kowtowing to blessing", Ma-Salaam (and thus Muslim) says to me to be with Peace; to be one who has Peace. The semitic root S-L-M is also the root of "Musallam" which, unless I know wrong, means "to be complete"; "to be whole".
Thus a Muslim should be one who has at least declared an intention to be one with Peace, with The One, The Whole, The Unity (and thus one who believes in Tawheed).
What submission?
