Umma
/ˈʊm.ə/noun
The worldwide community of Muslims regarded as a unified religious body.
Did you know?In the Qur’an, umma can refer not only to human communities but also to communities of animals, expanding the word beyond politics into a vision of shared creation.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Islamic Arabic
Arabic
umma
“A community, people, nation, or collective bound by a shared condition or purpose.”
7th Century
Qur’anic Arabic
ummah
“A community or people; the Qur’an applies the term to human groups and, in one passage, animal communities.”
7th–10th Centuries
Classical Arabic
al-ummah
“The Muslim community as a religious collective, especially the community formed through Islam.”
19th Century
English
umma
“An English transliteration used in scholarly and journalistic writing for the Muslim community.”
Modern English
English
umma
“The global Muslim community, often used in discussions of religious solidarity and transnational identity.”