A person who follows the religion of Islam, believing in Allah as the one God and Muhammad as his prophet. The term comes from the Arabic word meaning 'one who submits' to God's will.
From Arabic مُسْلِم (muslim), meaning 'one who submits' or 'one who surrenders (to God)', derived from the root س-ل-م (s-l-m) related to peace and submission. The word entered English in the early 17th century through various European languages that had contact with Arabic-speaking peoples. It is the active participle of the verb أَسْلَمَ (aslama), meaning 'to submit' or 'to surrender'.
The word 'Muslim' literally means 'one who submits' and shares the same Arabic root as 'salaam' (peace), revealing the deep connection between submission to God and inner peace in Islamic thought. This linguistic link shows how the very name of the faith emphasizes peaceful surrender rather than conquest or dominance.
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