Also known as: As Salaam · Assalam · Ya Salam · Allah is as-Salam
اَلسَّلَامُ
The Peace
as-Salām
Reference
ʿAbd Allāh (may Allah be pleased with him) said that they used to pray behind the Prophet (peace be upon him) and say “Peace be upon Allah,” and when the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) finished praying, he said:
- Ibn Abī Shaybah 3012 · 3/139
Explanation
As-Salām comes from the root s-l-m, which means safety and being free from fault and harm. In this report the Prophet (peace be upon him) corrected the Companions, who had been saying “Peace be upon Allah, peace be upon Jibrīl, peace be upon Mīkāʾīl”. He told them that Allah Himself is as-Salām. He then taught them what to say when sitting in the prayer: the greetings belong to Allah, with peace upon the Prophet and upon the righteous servants of Allah, followed by the two testimonies of faith.
Questions and answers
What does As-Salam mean?
As-Salam means the Peace. It comes from the root s-l-m, which means safety and being free from fault and harm.
Why did the Prophet say Allah is as-Salam?
In the report in Ibn Abi Shaybah 3012, the Companions had been saying peace be upon Allah, peace be upon Jibril, peace be upon Mikail. The Prophet (peace be upon him) corrected them, told them that Allah Himself is as-Salam, and then taught them what to say when sitting.