What is the origin and meaning of the word Muslim?
The word Muslim derives from the Arabic triliteral S-L-M, which means to be whole or intact. It functions as an active participle of the same verb from which Islam originates.
Questions about Muslims
Short answers, pulled from the story.
When did English speakers stop using the spelling Moslem for Muslims?
Most English speakers preferred the spelling Moslem until the 1990s when the Associated Press instructed news outlets in the United States to switch to Muslim in 1991. The Daily Mail became the last major newspaper in the United Kingdom to use Moslem, switching to Muslim in 2004.
How many Muslims were there globally as of 2020?
As of 2020, Muslims made up about 25.6% of the global population, totaling roughly 2 billion people. Indonesia holds 12.7% of all world Muslims, followed by Pakistan at 11.0% and Bangladesh at 9.2%.
Which countries have the largest Muslim populations outside majority-Muslim regions?
Non-majority India contains 10.9% of the world's Muslims, making its community the largest Muslim-minority population globally. Ethiopia has 28 million Muslims, China has 22 million, Russia has 16 million, and Tanzania has 13 million.
What percentage of Muslims are Sunni versus Shia?
Over 87.9% of Muslims are Sunni, making this the dominant division throughout history. Shia Islam comprises 10.13% of all Muslims, forming the second largest sect while other movements collectively count for about 1%.