Islam vs. Muslim — What's the Difference?

"Islam" is a term that refers to the religious belief system that revolves around the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, as documented in the holy book, the Quran. It is a monotheistic religion that has its roots in 7th-century Arabia. On the other hand, "Muslim" is the term used to describe someone who follows the religion of Islam. In this context, "Islam" describes the faith, while "Muslim" describes the individual believer.

In the English language, both "Islam" and "Muslim" are nouns, but they serve different functions within a sentence. For example, you would say, "Islam promotes charity," to discuss the religion's teachings. To describe a follower, you might say, "A Muslim prays five times a day," highlighting the individual's religious practice.

"Islam" is also an Arabic word that means "submission," referring to the submission of one's will to God. In contrast, "Muslim" in Arabic means "one who submits," again underlining that the term is used to describe an individual who follows the tenets of Islam. Both words originate from the same root, "S-L-M," which relates to peace and submission in Arabic.

From a grammatical perspective, "Islam" is usually used as a proper noun without an article, e.g., "Islam has five pillars." "Muslim" can be used as both a noun and an adjective. As a noun, you would say, "He is a Muslim." As an adjective, it would be "Muslim communities."