Islam

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

/ ɪsˈlɑm, ɪz-, ˈɪs ləm, ˈɪz- /

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noun

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.

the whole body of Muslim believers, their civilization, and the countries in which theirs is the dominant religion.

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Origin of Islam

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

OTHER WORDS FROM Islam

Is·lam·ic

[is-lam-ik, -lah-mik, iz-], /ɪsˈlæm ɪk, -ˈlɑ mɪk, ɪz-/, Is·lam·it·ic

[is-luh-mit-ik, iz-], /ˌɪs ləˈmɪt ɪk, ˌɪz-/, adjectivenon-Is·lam·ic, adjectivenon-Is·lam·it·ic, adjective

Words nearby Islam

Iskander Bey, Iskenderun, Iskur, isl., Isla de Pascua, Islam, Islamabad, Islamic fundamentalism, Islamicist, Islamism, Islamist

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Islam in a sentence

His discourse is now more detailed: submission, which is the meaning of islam in Arabic, gives him a kind of enjoyment.
Houellebecq’s Incendiary Novel Imagines France With a Muslim President|Pierre Assouline|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
As far as I can tell, this magazine spent as much time making fun of French politicians as it did of Muslims or Islam.
Harry Shearer on The Dangerous Business of Satire|Lloyd Grove|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In Dresden, Germany, anti-Islam rallies each week draw thousands of demonstrators.
Police Hunt for Paris Massacre Suspects|Tracy McNicoll, Christopher Dickey|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The town, known in Arabic as Ayn al-Arab, is so significant to ISIS that the group calls it Ayn al-Islam.
The Brothers Who Ambushed ISIS|Mohammed A. Salih|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST

In any case, Pakistan as a nation has been unforgiving of any slights against Islam.
Disco Mullah Blasphemy Row Highlights Pakistan’s Hypocrisy|Shaheen Pasha|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And the prince called Allah to witness that their troubles were at an end; that three years should see them masters of all Islam.
God Wills It!|William Stearns Davis
Many went boldly to the Moslem camp, and confessed Islam in return for a bit of bread.
God Wills It!|William Stearns Davis
Again and again have the Sultans shown their inability to defend the frontiers of Islam.
The Contemporary Review, January 1883|Various
He had been reared in the religion of Mahomet, and with the faith he held the customs of Islam.
A German Pompadour|Marie Hay
The enterprise of Islam underwent several ebbs and flows over this region.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 8|Various

British Dictionary definitions for Islam

Islam

/ (ˈɪzlɑːm) /

noun

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

Muslims collectively and their civilization
the countries where the Muslim religion is predominant

Derived forms of Islam

Islamic, adjective

Word Origin for Islam

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for Islam

Islam

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 for Islam

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

notes for Islam

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