Muslims

Muslims follow a faith called Islam.

They read a holy book called the Quran. It is the word of God.

Many people follow these teachings. There are about 2 billion Muslims. Most live in places like Indonesia. Some follow Sunni Islam. Others follow Shia Islam. This is a very large group of people.

Muslims are people who follow the religion of Islam.

They believe in one God, called Allah. Muslims read a holy book called the Quran. They believe this book is the word of God. It was given to a prophet named Muhammad. Muslims also respect older holy books. These include the Torah and the Gospel.

There are about 2 billion Muslims in the world. This is about 26% of all people. Islam is the fastest-growing religion today. Many Muslims live in Indonesia and Pakistan. Most Muslims follow Sunni Islam. A smaller group follows Shia Islam. Muslims follow five main rules called the Five Pillars. These include daily prayer and fasting. They also go on a special journey to Makkah. This journey is called the Hajj. People face the Kaaba when they pray. This is a special building in Makkah.

Muslims are people who follow the religion of Islam. This is a monotheistic faith, which means they believe in only one God. They call this God Allah.

Muslims believe the Quran is the holy book. They believe it is the exact word of God. This book was revealed to the prophet Muhammad. Muslims also respect older holy books from the past. These include the Torah, the Psalms, and the Gospel. They see these as earlier versions of their faith.

There are special ways that Muslims show their faith. These are known as the Five Pillars of Islam. One pillar is the shahada, which is a declaration of faith. It states there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His messenger.

Another pillar is salah, which is daily prayer. Muslims face the Kaaba in Makkah when they pray. They also practice zakat, which is giving to others. They fast during the month of Ramadan. Finally, they may go on a special journey called the Hajj. This is a pilgrimage to Makkah that they do at least once.

Islam has a very long history with many important figures. Muslims believe that many prophets came before Muhammad. These include Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. They believe these men were Muslims because they submitted to God. The faith has different branches or groups. The largest group is Sunni Islam, which makes up about 87 to 90 percent of Muslims. The second largest group is Shia Islam, which is about 10 to 13 percent. Some people also follow different schools of thought.

Today, there are about 2 billion Muslims in the world. This is roughly 26 percent of all people on Earth. Islam is the fastest-growing religion in the world. This growth happens because many Muslims are young and have more children.

Many Muslims live in Asia and Africa. Indonesia has the largest number of Muslims in the world. Pakistan has the second largest number. In South Asia, about 31 percent of the people are Muslim. In the Middle East and North Africa, the number is even higher at 91 percent.

Learning about Islam helps us understand how people live today. It connects to other major religions like Judaism and Christianity. Many people in different parts of the world share these roots. The word "Muslim" comes from a root meaning to be whole or intact. In the past, people used different names for Muslims. Some used the word "Moslem," but many people now prefer "Muslim." This change happened because the old spelling sounded like a different word in Arabic. Today, "Muslim" is the most common way to say it in English.

Muslims are individuals who adhere to the religion of Islam. Islam is a monotheistic faith belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. This means followers believe in one God, referred to as Allah. The word "Muslim" is an active participle of a verb. This verb is based on the Arabic triliteral root Š-L-M. This root means "to be whole" or "intact."

The foundational religious text for Muslims is the Quran. They believe the Quran is the verbatim word of God. They believe God revealed this text to the prophet Muhammad. Muhammad is considered the last Islamic prophet. Muslims also recognize several earlier divine revelations. These include the Tawrat, which is the Torah. They also believe in the Zabur, known as the Psalms. Additionally, they recognize the Injil, which is the Gospel. Muslims view these earlier revelations as previous versions of Islam.

Muslims follow specific religious practices called the Five Pillars of Islam. The first pillar is the shahada, a declaration of faith. To become a Muslim, one must say this statement before witnesses. The shahada professes that there is only one God and Muhammad is His messenger. In Sunni Islam, the shahada has two distinct parts. The first part is called the tahlīl. The second part focuses on Muhammad as the messenger. In Shia Islam, the shahada includes a third part. This phrase concerns Ali, who was the first Shia Imam.

Beyond the declaration of faith, there are four other pillars. The second pillar is salah, which refers to daily prayers. The third pillar is zakat, which is the practice of almsgiving. The fourth pillar is sawm, which is fasting during the month of Ramadan. The fifth pillar is the hajj. This is a pilgrimage to Makkah that Muslims should perform at least once. When performing salah, Muslims face the Kaaba in Makkah. Most Muslims also follow the sunnah. This refers to the teachings and practices of Muhammad. These are recorded in traditional accounts called hadith.

The global Muslim community is divided into several denominations. Sunni Islam is the largest branch. It makes up approximately 87% to 90% of all Muslims. Shia Islam is the second-largest denomination. It accounts for about 10% to 13% of the population. Other groups include Quranists, Ibadism, and the Ahmadiyya. Quranists believe that adding Muhammad to the shahada contradicts the Quran. They argue that adding messengers leads to idolization. Some Muslims also identify as non-denominational. There are also various Islamic schools and branches throughout the world.

Islam is currently the fastest-growing religion in the world. There are an estimated 2 billion Muslim followers globally. This represents about 26% of the total human population. This growth is driven by a younger average age. It is also driven by higher birth rates. The fertility rate for Muslims is 3.1. This is higher than the world average of 2.5. In terms of geography, South Asia holds 31% of the population. Indonesia is the largest Muslim country with 12% of the world's Muslims. Pakistan follows as the second largest.

Muslim populations are distributed across every continent. In Africa, 45% of the population identifies as Muslim. In Asia and Oceania, the figure is 25%. Europe has a Muslim population of about 6%. The Americas have a population of approximately 1%. Specific regions show even higher concentrations. The Middle East and North Africa is 91% Muslim. Central Asia is 90% Muslim. The Caucasus region is 65% Muslim. Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa are both 42% Muslim. South Asia accounts for 32% of its population. Outside of Muslim-majority countries, India has 10.9% of the world's Muslims.

The history of the term "Muslim" includes several linguistic changes. For much of the 20th century, the spelling "Moslem" was common. Many Muslims opposed this spelling in English-speaking countries. They felt the "s" sounded too much like a different Arabic root. That root, ẓ-l-m, has negative meanings like "the oppressor." In 1991, the Associated Press instructed news outlets to use "Muslim." This led to a sharp decline in the older spelling. Other historical terms include "Mohammedans" or "Saracens." Many Muslims find these terms offensive. They argue these words imply worship of Muhammad instead of God.