Islam is the religion; a Muslim is a person who follows it. Islam is a noun only; Muslim works as both noun and adjective — "a Muslim", "Muslim communities". You would say "Islamic art" rather than "Muslim art" when describing the tradition, and "Muslim families" rather than "Islamic families" when describing people.
The core difference
One names a faith, the other a follower of it — the same relationship as Christianity and Christian, or Judaism and Jew.
- Islam — the religion itself: the history of Islam
- Muslim — a person who practises it: she is a Muslim
- Islamic — the adjective from the religion: Islamic law, Islamic architecture
Muslim or Islamic?
Both work as adjectives but they modify different things. Islamic attaches to the faith, its teachings and its cultural output: Islamic scholarship, Islamic calligraphy. Muslim attaches to people and their communities: Muslim students, a Muslim neighbourhood. "Islamic families" describes families as an expression of doctrine, which is rarely what a writer means.
Capitalisation and spelling
Both are proper nouns and always capitalised, as Christianity and Christian are. Muslim is the standard modern spelling; Moslem is an older transliteration now generally avoided, and Mohammedan is obsolete and considered inaccurate, since Muslims worship God rather than the Prophet Muhammad.
Related terms
- Qur'an (also Koran) — the central religious text of Islam
- mosque — a Muslim place of worship
- Muhammad — the Prophet of Islam; not a name for the religion or its followers
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Muslim and Islam?
Islam is the religion; a Muslim is a person who follows it — the same relationship as Christianity and Christian.
Should I write "Muslim art" or "Islamic art"?
Islamic art. Islamic describes the faith and its cultural and legal output; Muslim describes people and communities.
Is "Moslem" acceptable?
It is an older transliteration now generally avoided in favour of Muslim. Mohammedan is obsolete and inaccurate.