Islam

American  

[is-lahm, iz-, is-luhm, iz-] / ɪsˈlɑm, ɪz-, ˈɪs ləm, ˈɪz- /

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.

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Islam British  

/ 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

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Islam Cultural  

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.

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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.

Other Word Forms

• Islamic
  adjective
• Islamitic
  adjective
• non-Islamic
  adjective
• non-Islamitic
  adjective

Etymology

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

Compare meaning

How does islam compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Muslim vs. Islam
• Nation of Islam vs. Islam

Example Sentences

Muslims ruled large parts of India from the early 13th to the 19th century, and during this era Muslim preachers and Sufi mystics actively proselytized for Islam.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

Andrew Tate, a popular influencer is facing rape and trafficking charges in the United Kingdom and Romania, claims to have converted to Islam in 2022.

From Salon • May 4, 2026

Arpol claims its roots are in Shiism or Shia Islam, but mainstream Muslim groups have long distanced themselves from the group.

From BBC • Apr. 30, 2026

Pakistanis disagree with each other on many issues—including women’s rights, relations with the U.S. and India, and the role of Islam in public life—but an overwhelming majority dislike Israel.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

No one seems to know where the Nation of Islam gets its money.

From "The Fire Next Time" by James Baldwin