Islam

[ is-lahm, iz-, is-luhm, iz- ]

noun

1. the religious faith of Muslims, based on the words and religious system founded by the prophet Muhammad and taught by the Quran, the basic principle of which is absolute submission to a unique and personal god, Allah.
2. the whole body of Muslim believers, their civilization, and the countries in which theirs is the dominant religion.

Islam

/ ˈɪzlɑːm /

noun

1. the religion of Muslims, having the Koran as its sacred scripture and teaching that there is only one God and that Mohammed is his prophet; Mohammedanism
2. 1. Muslims collectively and their civilization
   2. the countries where the Muslim religion is predominant

Islam

1. A religion, founded by Muhammad , whose members worship the one God of Jews (see also Jews ) and Christians (see also Christian )(God is called Allah in Arabic) and follow the teachings of the Koran . Islam means “submission to the will of God”; adherents of Islam are called Muslims . The fundamental belief of Islam is “There is only one God, and Muhammad is his prophet .” Muslims are obliged to pray five times a day, to fast in the daytime during the holy month of Ramadan , to abstain from pork and alcohol, and to make gifts to the poor. All of them are expected to make a pilgrimage to Mecca (see also Mecca ), Muhammad's birthplace, at least once in their lives.

Notes

Shi'ite and Sunni Muslims make up the two main branches of Islam.

Islam is the dominant faith in Arab nations, a number of countries of central Asia , and Malaysia and Indonesia .

Derived Forms

• Isˈlamic, adjective

Other Words From

• Is·lam·ic [is-, lam, -ik, -, lah, -mik, iz-], Is·lam·it·ic [is-l, uh, -, mit, -ik, iz-], adjective
• non-Is·lamic adjective
• non-Is·lam·itic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Islam¹

First recorded in 1610–20; from Ottoman Turkish islām, from Arabic islām “submission (to God),” from aslama “to surrender, resign oneself, submit oneself (to God's will),” from the Semitic root šlm “to be whole, sound”; akin to Arabic salām and Hebrew shālōm “peace,” from the Semitic noun šalām

Word History and Origins

Origin of Islam¹

C19: from Arabic: surrender (to God), from aslama to surrender

Example Sentences

Meanwhile Sheikh Abubakar Bini, chair of the North Rift Council of Imams and Preachers of Islam, urged the government to take the bishops' remarks as advice rather than criticism.

From BBC

They are proud followers of Islam - a religion practised by roughly one in five Ghanaians.

From BBC

One could read into this a subtextual commentary on the subjugation of women found in conservative strains of what Reed refers to as “the big three” — Judaism, Christianity and Islam — or even society in general.

From Los Angeles Times

Jihad means “struggle” in Arabic and in Islam it can be a personal struggle for spiritual improvement or a military struggle against unbelievers.

From BBC

Rushdie, 76, continues to face threats over his outspoken views on Islam.

From BBC