مسلم Muslim
T
he mus in Muslim has no real English equivalent. It is usually pronounced the way 'mus' appears in the word Mustang but it is not the same.
adjective, noun, plural -Muslims.
–adjective
1.
–noun
2.
an adherent of Islam.
3.
Sunni Muslim. Shia Muslim
Previously Muslims were often and wrongly called Muhamadans.
Origin: < Arabic, literally, a person who submits in Islam.
Root word: سلم Sa li ma 1. meaning to be safe 2. to preserve 3. to keep the peace (ref Hans Weir dictionary)
From which we also get the word: سلام salaam which means 1. peace 2. unimpaired 3.security (ref Ibid)
From the root word سلم sa li ma we also get the word Islam اسلام The name of the way of life/ideology/religion of Muslims.
—Related forms
non-Mus·lim, adjective, noun, plural -lims, -lim.
pro-Mus·lim, adjective, noun
pseu·do-Mus·lim, adjective, noun.
Note: Anyone can be Muslim but not every Muslim is a Mu'min or Muhsin.
Mu'min: A believer is actually different from being just a Muslim, it requires a lot more than just accepting Islam. For example one level of being Mu'min is that you perform your prayers everyday and not drinking alcohol and not fornicating.
Ihsan is one of the highest levels of being a Muslim.
Faasiq: One who openly drinks booze, and admits having sexual relations outside marriage, whether Muslim or non-Muslim.
Kaafir: A non-believer or someone who covers up the truth.
Kufr: Disbelief. There are many types not all take a person outside the pale of Islam.
Nifaaq: Hypocrisy; e.g.to fake being a Muslim or fake belief in God.
Taqiya: of various types but usually; to conceal your faith out of protecting your life from harm or danger to yourself or family. Not the same as Hypocrisy. In times of danger and threat to life Islam allows concessions in certain areas. Normally a Muslim is forbidden from drinking booze and eating pork but to save ones life Islam allows it for the period necessary, after which it becomes forbidden again once you are out of danger.
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There are types and types of Muslims, so why do some people like to portray Muslims as being all the same?
Muslims are the same in that they all believe that Islam is the name of the religion/ideology that they practice. They believe the Quran is the final revelation from God, that was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. They believe in the life hereafter and that heaven and hell are real places. And they all believe that Allah is God.
So where do they differ?
Not all Muslims accept that all the traditions narrated in the books of Bukhari and Muslim etc to be correct.
Not all Muslims accept that the Prophet left the world without leaving and nominating his successor.
And not all Muslims accept that he perpetrators of violent terrorist crimes represents all Muslims. There are various Muslim scholars and leaders most of which agree on many areas but there are those that disagree on some issues.
Why do they differ?
There are many narrations and interpretations so naturally difference of opinions will come about. For example when the Prophet said to the early Muslims 'Do I not have more right over you than your own selves'? They said 'Yes'. The Prophet then said 'For whoever I was his master Ali is also his master'. The word Maula that was used by the Prophet has several meanings in Arabic' so different approaches are adopted to arrive at an understanding of what was intended by the Prophet (pbuh&hf). Some have even suggested that the meaning intended was friend and not master but this meaning is out of context, given the nature of the place and the amount of people being spoken to.
Because of this and other disagreements two main branches of Muslims came about that make up the majority of those that espouse Islam as their way of life. These differences are often exaggerated and manipulated to create tensions and division. But both branches are able to live together and often marry and keep close ties of friendship.
The main articles of belief
1 There is no God but Allah
2 Muhammad is the final Prophet of Allah, (and the Leadership after the Prophet).
3 There is a life hereafter where all people whether they accepted belief in God or not will be brought to account and dealt with accordingly.
Then there are the obligatory practices that every Muslim is required to maintain.
1 Prayers (Salat).
2 Fasting (Saum of Ramadhan).
3 Pilgrimage (Hajj to Mecca once in your life).
4 Commanding or enjoining good and forbidding or discouraging sin (Amr bil Maroof and Nahy anil Munkar).
5 Charity/Alms (Zakat-Khums-Sadaqa)
and there are others found in books giving much more detail.
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