What does “Islam” mean?
The word الإسلام [Islam] is an infinitive word derived from س ل م [silm] root in if‘al pattern and used as noun and infinitive. The word silm means “release/keeping away; and to be distant from fear, doubt, trouble, lack of peace, unhappiness, fight, war, pain, suffering, material and spiritual inconveniences, weakness and decaying, and all the negativities.” This word is also the root of salim, selam, teslim, Islam etc. The word’s “Islam” form means “strengthening” [removal from problems, worries, fear, unhappiness, fights, wars, and similar negative things]. Hence, the religion Islam means the “the religion that strengthens humans [entire range of principles that protects and secures people by putting a distance between them and problems, worries, war, weakness, spiritual illness, unhappiness, and similar things].”
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SURAH AT-TARIQ (A GROUP OF AYAT WHICH CREATED A
TREMENDOUS IMPRESSION)
MECCAN PERIOD
Division: 59
1-4By Scholars and At-Tariq; may the piercing group of Ayat of the Qur’an be
witness; surely every devoted soul has protectors upon it.79
5Therefore, let man see from what he was created; 6,7from between the bones of
spine and chest, from a liquid ejaculated; created starting from “estrogen” and
“testosterone”.
8,9Surely the Creator is the one who is able to resurrect him on the day all
secrets are spilled. 10Then there is no power nor an assistant.
11-14By the condition of those scholars who believe that they would resurrect
after they die, those ignorant, unbeliever infidels; and those who consciously deny
the Divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb [the Lord, the Cherisher, the
Nurturer, the Sustainer] that it is a distinguishing decision. And it is not a joke.80
15Surely they set traps. 16And I will punish them.81
17Therefore allow time to those infidels; to those who consciously deny the
Divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb [the Lord, the Cherisher, the Nurturer,
the Sustainer]; give them respite.
(36/86; At-Tariq/1-17)
79 The actual meaning of the phrases mentioned in the Ayah is “I hereby swear by the
Heavens and the Tariq – and what made you know what Tariq is? (It) is the star that penetrates. –
No soul is without a guard [surely every man has guards over him]”, however in our interpretation,
we used the metaphorical meaning.
The guards mentioned in the Ayah are such bodily functions as the “immune system,
endocrinal systemand mental functions as focusing and vigilance”.
80 The actual meaning of the phrases mentioned in the Ayah is “I hereby swear by the
heavens that returns and by the earth that cracks open, surely it is a distinguishing decision. And it is
not a joke”. In our interpretation, we used the metaphorical meaning.
81 Allah sets traps for no one. Mushakala, the “figure of speech” used here, is widely
used in other languages as well. Mushakala can be defined as the “using a word to substitute its
antonym” or “reiterate a word of another person other than its intended meaning”. For instance, the
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second ignorantly in the threatening Arabic phrase “Do not act ignorantly against us or we will act
ignorantly against you!” actually means “or we will punish you; we will act harshly”. English has
such examples as well. For instance, the second “sad” in the Turkish phrase “do not make me sad or I
will make you sad” actually means “to punish”. As can be seen in the above examples, the act
[offence] and the reaction [punishment] are defined with the very same word. The Qur’an contains
many Ayat that may be given as example thereof: Ash-Shu’ara/40; Al-Hashr/19; Al-Imran/54; Al-
Sajda/14; An-Nisa/142; An-Naml/50; Ta-Ha/126; Al-Jathiyah/34; Al-Baqara/14-15, 194; At-
Tawbah/79; Ar-R’ad/42; An-Naml/50; Ibrahim/46; Al-Anfal/30.
Accordingly, in the Ayah, in which it is stated that Allah set traps, it is actually meant to say
that Allah will punish those who set traps, mu’minun [believers] will be warned thereof by the
warnings contained in this Ayah and traps and plots of those who associate others with Allah will fail
thanks to the precaution Allah induces herein. Then, this is what exactly happened; the light that
those who associate others with Allah made their best efforts to prevent has spread all over the world.