Information AboutMuslim |
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A Muslim (. Literally, the word means "one who submits [to God ]". As of 2005 , estimates for the total number of Muslims worldwide ranges around 1.3 billion.see Demographics Of Islam Most Muslims accept as a fellow Muslim anyone who has publicly pronounced the Shahada , a ritual declaration of submission to God ( Allah ) and assertion that Muhammad is the messenger of God. Muslims believe that Islam existed long before Muhammad. Muslims describe many Biblical figures, such as Adam , Musa ( Moses ) and Isa ( Jesus ) as Muslims because they are said to have submitted to God and preached his message as Prophets . Etymology The word Muslim is an Arabic Agent Noun formed from the Causative (Form IV) of the tri-consonantal root S-L-M سلم (be at peace), which is أَسْلَمَ meaning "to submit" or "to surrender". The plural form is "Muslimeen" (مسلمين) in Arabic and "Muslims" in English. The word Islam is the corresponding abstract noun, meaning "submission God ." "Moslem", an old-fashioned transliteration generally avoided at present, approximates the Persian pronunciation of the word; "Musulman" (with various spellings) is based on the corresponding Urdu form. The Qur'an offers several illustrations of the word's usage, and of the resulting ambiguity in English translation, as exemplified in two translations of verse : : Pickthall : "And when Abraham and Ishmael were raising the foundations of the House, (Abraham prayed): Our Lord! Accept from us (this duty). Lo! Thou, only Thou, art the Hearer, the Knower. Our Lord! And make us submissive unto Thee and of our seed a nation submissive unto Thee, and show us our ways of worship, and relent toward us. Lo! Thou, only Thou, art the Relenting, the Merciful." : Yusuf Ali : "And remember Abraham and Isma'il raised the foundations of the House (With this prayer): "Our Lord! Accept (this service) from us: For Thou art the All-Hearing, the All-knowing. Our Lord! make of us Muslims, bowing to Thy (Will), and of our progeny a people Muslim, bowing to Thy (will); and show us our place for the celebration of (due) rites; and turn unto us (in Mercy); for Thou art the Oft-Returning, Most Merciful." Pronunciation and spelling Until around the late 1980s, the word was commonly spelled ''Moslem''. The spelling has since fallen into disuse. Muslims do not recommend this spelling because it is often pronounced "mawzlem" // which sounds somewhat similar to an Arabic word for "oppressor" (''Za'lem'' in Arabic ). The word is pronounced // in Arabic, but often // in English. The word is now most commonly written "Muslim". Other words for Muslim Many English-language writers used to call Muslims '' Mohammedan s'' or ''Mahometans''. Muslims consider this terminology offensive, as it suggests that they worship the prophet Muhammad rather than God . It is also seen as too similar to Christian s as followers and worshippers of Christ . English writers of the 19th century and earlier sometimes used the words Mussulman, Musselman, or Mussulmaun. Variant forms of this word are still used by many Indo-European Languages . These words are similar to the French, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese words for "Muslim." Arabic terms used in discussions of Muslim identity When discussing whether or not someone is a ''real'' Muslim, the following terms may be used by those arguing:
One verse in the Qur'an makes a distiction between a Mu'min and a Muslim: :(na) for the faith ( Al-eeman'''u ) hath not yet found its way into your hearts. But if ye obey God and His Apostle, he will not allow you to lose any of your actions: for God is Indulgent, Merciful. Disagreements There are some groups that claim to be Muslim, but are not accepted as Muslim by the majority of Muslims. For example, neither Sunni nor Shi'a Muslims accept Ahmedi s as fellow Muslims. Some Sunni regard the Shi'a and the Alawī sects as non-Muslim. There have also been numerous instances in which some Sunnis have declared other Sunnis to be unbelievers, some Shi'a have declared other Shi'a the same. The act of declaring other Muslims to be unbelievers is called '' Takfir ''. Notes See also |