Who is a Muslim?

What makes someone a Muslim

The word Muslim means one who submits to God. In the simplest terms, a Muslim is a person who believes in the one God (Allah) and in His final Messenger, Muhammad ﷺ, and who accepts the core teachings of Islam.⁸⁹¹⁰ (For what Islam itself teaches, see What is Islam?.)

The single act that marks entry into Islam is the declaration of faith (the shahada): bearing witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad ﷺ is the Messenger of Allah. It is the first of the Five Pillars and the foundation of everything else.⁴

Belief, practice, and excellence

Being a Muslim is not only a label but a way of living, which the Prophet ﷺ summarized in three levels in a famous narration: Islam (the outward acts of worship, such as the Five Pillars), Iman (inner faith, such as belief in God, His angels, and the Last Day), and Ihsan (excellence — to "worship God as though you see Him, and though you do not see Him, He sees you").⁵

Faith and good character

Faith is expected to show in how a Muslim treats others. The Prophet ﷺ tied genuine faith directly to goodwill and to character:

A single, diverse community

Muslims understand themselves as one worldwide family of faith — the ummah — that crosses every boundary of nation, language, and ethnicity:

The Quran teaches that the only measure of a person's worth before God is their righteousness, not their lineage or background:

Becoming a Muslim

A person becomes a Muslim by sincerely believing in this message and declaring the shahada. The Quran is clear that such belief must be a free and willing choice, never forced:

In short

A Muslim is one who submits to God — a person who affirms the oneness of God and the messengership of Muhammad ﷺ, lives by Islam's worship and beliefs, and strives for good character. Together, Muslims of every background form a single global community, the ummah.