Muslims praying

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A Muslim, also spelled Moslem,^[1] is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the Qur'an—which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad—and, with lesser authority than the Qur'an, the teachings and practices of Muhammad as recorded in traditional accounts, called hadith. "Muslim" is an Arabic word meaning "one who submits to God".

Muslims believe that God is eternal, transcendent, absolutely one (the doctrine of tawhid, or strict or simple monotheism), and incomparable; that he is self-sustaining, who begets not nor was begotten. Muslim beliefs regarding God are summed up in chapter 112 of the Qur'an, al-Ikhlas, "the chapter of purity".^[2][3] Muslims also believe that Islam is the complete and universal version of a primordial faith that was revealed at many times and places before, including through the prophets Abraham, Moses and Jesus.^[4] Muslims maintain that previous messages and revelations have been partially changed or corrupted over time,^[5] but consider the Qur'an to be both unaltered and the final revelation from God—Final Testament.^[6]

Most Muslims accept as a Muslim anyone who has publicly pronounced the Shahadah (declaration of faith) which states, "I testify that there is no god except for the God [Allah], and I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of the God." Their basic religious practices are enumerated in the Five Pillars of Islam, which consist of daily prayers (salat), fasting during Ramadan (sawm), almsgiving (zakat), and the pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj) at least once in a lifetime.^[7][8]

Currently, the most up-to-date reports from an American think tank and PBS have estimated 1.2 to 1.57 billion Muslims populate the world, or about 20% of an estimated 2009 world population of 6.8 billion.^[9][10]

Etymology[link]

The word muslim (Arabic: مسلم‎, IPA: [ˈmʊslɪm]; English /ˈmʌzlɨm/, /ˈmʊzlɨm/, /ˈmʊslɨm/ or moslem /ˈmɒzləm/, /ˈmɒsləm/^[11]) is the participle of the same verb of which islām is the infinitive, based on the triliteral S-L-M "to be whole, intact".^[12][13] A female adherent is a muslima (Arabic: مسلمة‎). The plural form in Arabic is muslimūn (مسلمون), and its feminine equivalent is muslimāt (مسلمات). The Arabic form muslimun is the stem IV participle^[14] of the triliteral S-L-M.

[edit] Other words for Muslim

The ordinary word in English is "Muslim". It is sometimes transliterated as "Moslem", which is an older spelling.^[15] The word Mosalman (Persian: مسلمان‎) is a common equivalent for Muslim used in Central Asia.

Until at least the mid-1960s, many English-language writers used the term Mohammedans or Mahometans.^[16] Although such terms were not necessarily intended to be pejorative, Muslims argue that the terms are offensive because they allegedly imply that Muslims worship Muhammad rather than God.^[17]

Meaning[link]

Afghan Muslims praying inside Gardens of Babur in Kabul, Afghanistan.

In defining Muslim, the mystic Ibn Arabi said:

"A Muslim is a person who has dedicated his worship exclusively to God...Islam means making one's religion and faith God's alone.^[18]

Used to describe earlier prophets in the Qur'an[link]

The Qur'an describes many prophets and messengers as well as their respective followers as Muslim: Adam, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Moses and Jesus and his apostles are all considered to be Muslims in the Qur'an. The Qur'an states that these men were Muslims because they submitted to God, preached His message and upheld His values, which included praying, charity, fasting and pilgrimage. Thus, in Surah 3:52 of the Qur'an, Jesus’ disciples tell Jesus, "We believe in God; and you be our witness that we are Muslims (wa-shahad be anna muslimūn)." In Muslim belief, before the Qur'an, God had given the Torah to Moses, the Psalms to David and the Gospel to Jesus, who are all considered important Muslim prophets.

Demographics[link]

Muslim population by percentage worldwide

About 13% of Muslims live in Indonesia, the largest Muslim country,^[19] 25% in South Asia,^[19] 20% in the Middle East,^[19][20] 2% in Central Asia, 4% in the remaining South East Asian countries, and 15% in Sub-saharan Africa.^[19] Sizable communities are also found in China and Russia, and parts of the Caribbean. Converts and immigrant communities are found in almost every part of the world.

See also[link]

• Islamic schools and branches
• Lists of Muslims
• Muslim holidays
• Muslim world
• Musulman

References and notes[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Muslims

• Islamic directory for Muslims Find Muslim Owned businesses, Masjids (Mosques) and Islamic Centers all over the world.
• Muslim Population in Countries with different Alphabets

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (February 2012)

Stacey Dooley (born 9 March 1987) is a British television personality who rose to fame in 2009 after appearing in a number of BBC Three documentaries highlighting child labour issues in developing countries.

Career and background[link]

Originally hailing from Luton, where she once worked as a shop assistant, Dooley was approached to appear in a series of proposed cutting edge documentaries for the BBC.

While taking part in the real-life series Blood, Sweat and T-shirts, she was presented as a typical fashion-obsessed consumer. However, during her appearance Dooley was shown to develop a strong interest in the nature of third world labour laws, and subsequently had her own show, Stacey Dooley Investigates, greenlit in August 2009.

The two-part special was shown on BBC Three throughout August and September 2009. It also aired in Australia on ABC2 from 2 June 2010.^[1]

In October 2010, BBC Three aired a further two programmes, the first on former child soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the second on sex trafficking and 'underage sexual slavery' in Cambodia. Radio Times commented on the series, "She sees the joyless expressions of girls parading before men in a bar in Phnom Penh - one girl clutches a cuddly toy. It seems a hopeless situation, especially when we learn that the children are being betrayed by their own families. But spirited, empathetic Stacey won't be thwarted, and sees a way out via a charity that gives [the children] a new purpose in life."^[2]

In 2011, BBC Three aired Tourism and the Truth: Stacey Dooley Investigates. Over two episodes Stacey investigated how tourism in Thailand and Kenya is affecting local workers, in particular with regard to local wages, corruption and environmental changes.^[3]

My Hometown Fanatics was broadcast on BBC Three on 20 February 2012. In the programme, Dooley is in Luton, where she talks to Islamists and the English Defence League.

Filmography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Article at TV Moles
• The Times Article
• The Mirror Article