Discover the meaning of the term Al-salam (سَّلَم) in Islamic vocabulary.
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Updated on 11 April 2026 at 1:05 AM
📖 4 min readIt is, in language, the salf (advance sale), for it takes the immediate against the deferred; this contract is so named because it hastens ahead of its time: the time of sale is after the merchandise exists in the seller's ownership, while salm is customarily in what does not yet exist in his ownership, so the contract is accelerated; thus in al-Durr. And in al-Maghrib: one says 'aslama al-rajul fi al-bar'', that is, 'aslafa' (he sold in advance), from al-salam; and 'aslafa fi kadha'; and 'salafa': when he paid the price in advance.
With damma on the first letter and doubling of the second (sullam): a ladder. With fatha on both (salam): in language, hastening, advancement and delivery. In the Sharia: a contract that effects ownership of the price at once and of the priced goods in the future; this kind of sale is singled out by this name only for its specificity of a judgment indicating it: the acceleration of one of the two counter-values before the sold goods are obtained. The sold goods are called 'muslam fi-hi', the price 'the capital' (ra's al-mal), the seller 'muslam ilay-hi', and the buyer 'rabb al-salam'. Our saying 'aslama fi kadha' means: he concluded the contract of salam in, for example, wheat; or 'aslama al-thaman fi-hi': he paid and hastened the price before obtaining the sold goods; or the hamza is that of deprivation: he removed the soundness of the dirhams by delivering them to one insolvent, that is, lacking the sold goods and insolvent with respect to it.
In language: advancement and delivery. In the Sharia: the name of a contract that effects ownership for the seller in the price immediately, and for the buyer in the priced goods deferred; the sold thing is called 'muslam bi-hi', the price is called 'ra's al-mal' (the capital), the seller is called 'muslam ilay-hi', and the buyer is called 'rabb al-salam'.
'Salama min al-afat and their like': he was delivered from calamities and their like. 'Salama la-hu kadha': he was rid of it; he is then salim (safe) and salim (sound). 'Istaslama': he submitted.
A contract upon a described thing owed as a liability (fi dhimma), for a counter-value given immediately.
With full vowels, a tree used for tanning; its singular is salama. Thorny tree. Al-salam. Peace. Surrender ('So if they withdraw from you and do not fight you and offer you peace, then Allah has not made for you a way against them').
With kasra: it is the peace (sulh) and the abandoning of jihad against them.
﴿يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱدْخُلُوا۟ فِى ٱلسِّلْمِ كَآفَّةًۭ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا۟ خُطُوَٰتِ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنِ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّۭ مُّبِينٌۭ﴾
« O you who have believed, enter into Islam completely [and perfectly] and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy. »
Surah البقرة : 208
﴿إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ يَصِلُونَ إِلَىٰ قَوْمٍۭ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهُم مِّيثَـٰقٌ أَوْ جَآءُوكُمْ حَصِرَتْ صُدُورُهُمْ أَن يُقَـٰتِلُوكُمْ أَوْ يُقَـٰتِلُوا۟ قَوْمَهُمْ ۚ وَلَوْ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ لَسَلَّطَهُمْ عَلَيْكُمْ فَلَقَـٰتَلُوكُمْ ۚ فَإِنِ ٱعْتَزَلُوكُمْ فَلَمْ يُقَـٰتِلُوكُمْ وَأَلْقَوْا۟ إِلَيْكُمُ ٱلسَّلَمَ فَمَا جَعَلَ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ عَلَيْهِمْ سَبِيلًۭا﴾
« Except for those who take refuge with a people between yourselves and whom is a treaty or those who come to you, their hearts strained at [the prospect of] fighting you or fighting their own people. And if Allah had willed, He could have given them power over you, and they would have fought you. So if they remove themselves from you and do not fight you and offer you peace, then Allah has not made for you a cause [for fighting] against them. »
Surah النساء : 90
﴿سَتَجِدُونَ ءَاخَرِينَ يُرِيدُونَ أَن يَأْمَنُوكُمْ وَيَأْمَنُوا۟ قَوْمَهُمْ كُلَّ مَا رُدُّوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱلْفِتْنَةِ أُرْكِسُوا۟ فِيهَا ۚ فَإِن لَّمْ يَعْتَزِلُوكُمْ وَيُلْقُوٓا۟ إِلَيْكُمُ ٱلسَّلَمَ وَيَكُفُّوٓا۟ أَيْدِيَهُمْ فَخُذُوهُمْ وَٱقْتُلُوهُمْ حَيْثُ ثَقِفْتُمُوهُمْ ۚ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكُمْ جَعَلْنَا لَكُمْ عَلَيْهِمْ سُلْطَـٰنًۭا مُّبِينًۭا﴾
« You will find others who wish to obtain security from you and [to] obtain security from their people. Every time they are returned to [the influence of] disbelief, they fall back into it. So if they do not withdraw from you or offer you peace or restrain their hands, then seize them and kill them wherever you overtake them. And those - We have made for you against them a clear authorization. »
Surah النساء : 91
﴿يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِذَا ضَرَبْتُمْ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ فَتَبَيَّنُوا۟ وَلَا تَقُولُوا۟ لِمَنْ أَلْقَىٰٓ إِلَيْكُمُ ٱلسَّلَـٰمَ لَسْتَ مُؤْمِنًۭا تَبْتَغُونَ عَرَضَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا فَعِندَ ٱللَّهِ مَغَانِمُ كَثِيرَةٌۭ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ كُنتُم مِّن قَبْلُ فَمَنَّ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْكُمْ فَتَبَيَّنُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرًۭا﴾
« O you who have believed, when you go forth [to fight] in the cause of Allah, investigate; and do not say to one who gives you [a greeting of] peace "You are not a believer," aspiring for the goods of worldly life; for with Allah are many acquisitions. You [yourselves] were like that before; then Allah conferred His favor upon you, so investigate. Indeed Allah is ever, with what you do, Acquainted. »
Surah النساء : 94
﴿يَهْدِى بِهِ ٱللَّهُ مَنِ ٱتَّبَعَ رِضْوَٰنَهُۥ سُبُلَ ٱلسَّلَـٰمِ وَيُخْرِجُهُم مِّنَ ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِ إِلَى ٱلنُّورِ بِإِذْنِهِۦ وَيَهْدِيهِمْ إِلَىٰ صِرَٰطٍۢ مُّسْتَقِيمٍۢ﴾
« By which Allah guides those who pursue His pleasure to the ways of peace and brings them out from darknesses into the light, by His permission, and guides them to a straight path. »
Surah المائدة : 16
﴿وَإِن كَانَ كَبُرَ عَلَيْكَ إِعْرَاضُهُمْ فَإِنِ ٱسْتَطَعْتَ أَن تَبْتَغِىَ نَفَقًۭا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ أَوْ سُلَّمًۭا فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَتَأْتِيَهُم بِـَٔايَةٍۢ ۚ وَلَوْ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ لَجَمَعَهُمْ عَلَى ٱلْهُدَىٰ ۚ فَلَا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلْجَـٰهِلِينَ﴾
« And if their evasion is difficult for you, then if you are able to seek a tunnel into the earth or a stairway into the sky to bring them a sign, [then do so]. But if Allah had willed, He would have united them upon guidance. So never be of the ignorant. »
Surah الأنعام : 35
This term appears in 52 verses of the Quran.