islam
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Is·lam /ɪsˈlɑm, ɪz-, ˈɪsləm, ˈɪz-/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[is-lahm, iz-, is-luhm, iz-] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation –noun 1.
the religious faith of Muslims, based on the words and religious system founded by the prophet Muhammad and taught by the Koran, 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.
Also called Muhammadanism.
[Origin: 1605–15; < Ar islām lit., submission (to God)]
—Related forms
Is·lam·ic /ɪsˈlæmɪk, -ˈlɑmɪk, ɪz-/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[is-lam-ik, -lah-mik, iz-] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation, Is·lam·it·ic /ˌɪsləˈmɪtɪk, ˌɪz-/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[is-luh-mit-ik, iz-] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006. |
Is·lam (ĭs-läm', ĭz-, ĭs'läm', ĭz'-) Pronunciation Key n.
[Arabic 'islām, submission, from 'aslama, to surrender, resign oneself, from Syriac 'ašlem, to make peace, surrender, derived stem of šlem, to be complete; see šlm in Semitic roots.] Is·lam'ic adj. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
Islam
"religious system revealed by Muhammad," 1818, from Arabic, lit. "submission" (to the will of God), from root of aslama "he resigned, he surrendered, he submitted," causative conjunction of salima "he was safe," and related to salam "peace." Islamic is attested from 1791. Earlier Eng. names for the faith include Muhammadism (1614) and Ismaelism (1604), which in part is from Ishmaelite, a name formerly given (esp. by Jews) to Arabs, as descendants of Ishmael (q.v.), and in part from Arabic Ismailiy, name of the Shiite sect that after 765 C.E. followed the Imamship through descendants of Ismail (Arabic for Ishmael), eldest son of Jafar, the sixth Imam. The Ismailians were not numerous, but among them were the powerful Fatimid dynasty in Egypt and the Assassins, both of whom loomed large in European imagination.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper |
islam | |
noun | |
1. | the civilization of Muslims collectively which is governed by the Muslim religion; "Islam is predominant in northern Africa, the Middle East, Pakistan, and Indonesia" |
2. | the monotheistic religious system of Muslims founded in Arabia in the 7th century and based on the teachings of Muhammad as laid down in the Koran; "Islam is a complete way of life, not a Sunday religion"; "the term Muhammadanism is offensive to Muslims who believe that Allah, not Muhammad, founded their religion" |
WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University. |
Islam [ˈizlaːm] noun
the Muslim religion
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See also: Islamic
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary (Beta Version), © 2000-2006 K Dictionaries Ltd. |
Islam
A religion, founded by Muhammad, whose members worship the one God of Jews and Christians (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, Muhammad's birthplace, at least once in their lives.
Note: Shi'ite and Sunni Muslims make up the two main branches of Islam.
Note: Islam is the dominant faith in Arab nations, a number of countries of central Asia, and Malaysia and Indonesia.
[Chapter:] World Literature, Philosophy, and Religion
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
islam