God’s Name As-Salam (The Source of Peace)

By Dr. Muhammad Ratib An-Nabulsi

[One of the meanings of God’s name “As-Salam” is that remembering Him leads to feelings of security, tranquility and safety]

God’s divine name “As-Salam” (The source of peace, safety and perfection) means that He is the source of peace and safety, and also means that He is free from any kind of defect or imperfection.

The name of God “As-Salam” is mentioned in the following verse in the Quran: 
{He is God, besides Whom there is no other god, the King, the Holy, the Peace, the Securer, the Guardian, the Mighty, the Compeller, the Exalted. Glorified be God above what partners they ascribe!} (Al-Hashr 59: 23)

The word (salam) is also mentioned in the following verses: 
{Allah calls to the Home of Peace (salam) (i.e. Paradise) and guides whom He wills to the Straight Path.} (Yunus 10: 25)

{And if he (the dying person) be of those of the Right Hand, then there is safety and peace (salam) for those of the Right Hand.} (Al-Waqi’ah 56 90, 91) and {And peace (salam) be on him the day he was born, the day he dies, and the day he will be raised up alive.} (Maryam 19: 15)

Different Meanings of God’s Divine Name “As-Salam”

1- The first meaning of God’s name “As Salam” is that He is free from all kinds of imperfection, His attributes are free from all kinds of defects and His acts are free from any kind of evil. In line with that, any kind of purposeful evil that God inflicts on his creatures is meant for the near or far benefit of mankind. Hence, His creation is perfect and faultless: 
{Verily, We have created all things in (perfect) measure.} (Al-Qamar 54: 49)

2- God is “As-Salam” that He is the giver of safety to His slaves, i.e. there is no safety in the whole universe except that which is attributed to Him for He is the Creator, who designs and controls all things.

In the universe around us, as human beings we can find innumerable events, signs, evidence of the fact that God is “As-Salam” (The Source of Peace, safety and Perfection).

God grants us safety in our body. He gave us organs and apparatuses. He gave us cells and tissues, marvelous accuracy of our digestive, nervous, muscular, and circulatory systems. If you are afraid, remember Him, and He fills your heart with peace. If you get connected with Him, He purifies you from all defects and faults; He purifies your soul, because He is “As-Salam” (The Source of peace, safety, and perfection).

In your business, He guides you to peaceful ways; in your marriage He guides you to peaceful ways; and in your relationships with your neighbors He guides you to peaceful ways. If you adhere to His divine commands and enjoinments in His Quran, He guides you, in everything and every issue, to peaceful ways. And He invites you to the Home of Peace, i.e. Paradise.

Let’s contemplate God’s Words: 
{By the sky which gives rain again and again, and the earth which splits again and again!} 
(At-Tariq 86: 11- 12)

With Him, you feel secure, and if you remember Him, you feel tranquil
In this context, God also says: 
{…Who has created the seven heavens one above another; you can see no fault in the creation of the Most Gracious. Then look again: Can you see any rifts?} (Al-Mulk 67: 3)

He also says: {He (Pharaoh) said: ‘Who then, O Moses, is the Lord of you two?’ He (Moses) said: ‘Our Lord is He Who gave all things their form and nature, then guided them aright.’} 
(Ta-Ha 20: 49-50)

3- Of the meanings of God’s name “As-Salam” is that remembering Him leads to feelings of security, tranquility and safety. To this effect, God’s Words go: 
{Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.} (Ar-Ra’d 13: 28)

In man’s heart there may dwell feelings of loneliness, fear, anxiety, and worry. Such feelings are not removed or minimized except by remembering God and being conscious of Him.

“As-Salam”, therefore, is that if you remember Him, you feel peaceful as fear and loneliness is removed from you. With Him, you feel secure, and if you remember Him, you feel tranquil with Him and feel so near to Him.

Hence, God’s name “As-Salam” brings comfort, because with it you live in peace, you live in tranquility, you live in comfort. You feel that He, the Creator of the universe, is always with you. He never lets you down or leaves you unprotected in the face of your enemies. He defends you, protects you, helps you, gives you victory; and you reap the ripe fruits after you have paid the price. God says: 
{Indeed Allah took the covenant from the children of Israel, and We appointed twelve leaders among them. And Allah said: ‘I am with you if you perform prayer and give Zakat (Alms) and believe in My Messengers, honor and assist them, and lend a good loan to Allah, verily, I will expiate your sins and admit you to Gardens under which rivers flow (in Paradise). But if any of you, after this, disbelieves, he has indeed gone astray from the Straight Path.} (Al-Ma’idah 5: 12)

If you remember Him, you feel that He defends you, that you are in His care, protection, help and grace.

4- One of the meanings of God’s name “As-Salam” is that if you get connected to Him you have all your defects and faults purified.

Connection with God purifies man from all defects, from avarice, from meanness, from malice, grudge, from feud, from envy, from arrogance and from a great many other defects and faults, which are the main source of human misery and wretchedness. If you get connected with God, the source of peace, safety and perfection, you get purified from all such defects and faults.

If you turn to Him with love, He gives you security and safety.
Thus, remembrance of God conduces to security and peace that connection with Him conduces to freedom from defects, faults and impurities, and rids of sins, grudge, envy, feud, and arrogance. All such grievous deadly evil qualities are purified and removed from you if you get connected with God.

5- Another meaning of “As-Salam” (The Source of Peace) is that if you adhere to His religion, He guides you to peaceful ways. God says in the Quran:
{Verily, this Quran guides to that which is most just and right.} (Al-Isra’ 17: 9)

In other words, if you stick to God’s divine law and legislation, He grants you safety in this life; if you turn to Him with love, He gives you security and safety; if you obey Him in all aspects of your life, He grants you safety in the world to come. God says: 
{He is Allah: There is no god but Him, the King, the Holy, “As-Salam” (The Peace).} 
(Al-Hashr 59: 23)

However, if we abide by God’s religion, God will certainly bless our marriage, work, provision, health, and children. He will also guide us to ways of peace and safety. To this effect, He says: {Verily, this Quran guides to that which is more just and right.} (Al-Isra’ 17: 9) 
and {Then if there comes to you guidance from Me, then whosoever follows My guidance will neither go astray nor shall be distressed.}(Ta-Ha 20: 123)

6- The word “As-Salam” bears another meaning in the Quran. To that God says: 
{And Allah invites to Dar As-Salam (The Home of Peace) and guides whom He wills to the Straight Path.}(Yunus 10: 25)

“Dar As-Salam” (The Home of Peace) is Paradise, wherein there is no distress or envy, wherein you are not chased by illness or worry, wherein you are not visited by fear or are transgressed against by anyone else, no wars, no persecution, nothing like this at all.

Such is Dar “As-Salam” (The Home of Peace, Paradise); what a good recompense and dwelling!

7- Also, the word “As-Salam” is mentioned in another Quranic verse: 
{And if he (the dying person) be of those of the Right Hand, then there is Salam (safety and peace) for those of the Right Hand.} (Al-Waqi’ah 56: 90, 91) 
In this verse God mentions “As-Salam” (i.e. safety and peace) that He grants to people of the “Right Hand” on the Day of Judgment.

8- The word “As-Salam” also comes in God’s Words: 
{And Salam (peace) be on him (Jesus) the day he was born, the day he dies, and the day he will be raised up to life.} (Maryam 19: 15)

In interpretation of the above Quranic verse Sufian ibn ‘Uyaynah, a venerable Islamic Scholar, said: “Man is most lonely in three positions: the day he is born, when he comes out of his mother’s womb, in which he used to be in comfort and safety away from troubles and problems of life to which he comes.

The second station in which man feels most lonely is when he dies leaving everything (his wife, children and family, house, shop, work, friends, desires, hobbies …etc.) on a no-return trip to the Hereafter. The third station is the day he is raised up to life again, on the Day of Resurrection.”
Concerning that day, Aishah asked Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon Him) “O Messenger of Allah! Shall we know one another on the Day of Resurrection?” He said, “Yes, o Mother of the Faithful! Except for three positions: at As-Sirat (The Path), upon the Mustering, and when the Scrolls are spread out.”

Edited from:
http://www.onislam.net/english/reading-islam/understanding-islam/belief/allah/449704-contemplations-on-gods-name-as-salamthe-peace.html