Muslim

The word “Muslim” means a follower of the religion of Islam. In plain terms, a person who follows Islam, or something relating to Islam.

“Muslim” is pronounced MUUZ-lihm (/ˈmʌz.ləm/ in IPA).

Here is “Muslim” used in a sentence: “Muslims around the world observe Ramadan with a month of fasting.”

Words with a similar meaning to “Muslim” include Abdul, asslifter, carpet kisser, children of Ishmael, hajji and Ishmaelite.

The opposite of “Muslim” — its antonyms — are giaour, non-Muslim and kafir.

Depending on how it is used, “Muslim” can be a noun and an adjective.

The word “Muslim” comes from Arabic. Borrowed from Arabic muslim, meaning "one who submits," from the verb aslama, "he submitted" — referring to submission to God.

“Muslim” is a fairly common word in modern English.

Islam is the religion, a faith centred on belief in one God and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad. A Muslim is a person who follows that religion. In short, Islam is the belief system and a Muslim is the believer. Muslim can also work as an adjective, as in Muslim culture.

The terms describe different things. Muslim refers to religion, anyone who follows Islam. Arab refers to ethnicity and language, people from Arabic-speaking backgrounds. Many Arabs are Muslim, but not all, and most Muslims worldwide are not Arab; the largest Muslim populations are in South and Southeast Asia.

Muslims believe in one God, called Allah in Arabic, and follow the Quran as sacred scripture and Muhammad as God's final prophet. Core practices include the five daily prayers, giving to charity, fasting during Ramadan, and, if able, a pilgrimage to Mecca. These are known as the five pillars of Islam.

The preferred spelling is Muslim, pronounced "MUUZ-lim" or "MUSS-lim." An older spelling, Moslem, is now generally avoided. The word is always capitalised, like other names of religious groups, and can refer to a person or act as an adjective describing something relating to Islam.