Islamic world
Global community of those adhering to Islam.
The Islamic world, or Muslim world, encompasses the global community of individuals who follow the faith, laws, and cultural practices of Islam, a community known as the Ummah. In modern geopolitical discourse, the term typically refers to nations where Islam is widespread, though no universally accepted criteria define membership. The history of this world spans approximately 1,400 years, beginning with the inception of Islam in the early 7th century. This period includes the Islamic Golden Age, marked by significant advances in science, medicine, philosophy, law, economics, technology, and the arts. Early Muslim conquests led to the establishment of the Umayyad Caliphate across Asia, Africa, and Europe. In the modern era, much of the Muslim world experienced European colonial domination, and post-colonial nation-states have since adopted diverse political and economic models, influenced by both secular and religious trends.
As of 2020, over 1.8 billion people, more than a quarter of the global population, are Muslims. The vast majority belong to two main denominations: Sunni Islam (87–90%) and Shia Islam (10–13%), with smaller groups such as the Ibadi existing in pockets like Oman. Non-denominational Muslims also form a distinct category. Geographically, Muslims constitute 91% of the population in the Middle East and North Africa, 89% in Central Asia, and significant percentages in Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Indonesia is the largest Muslim-majority country, while South Asia holds the largest overall Muslim population. India has the largest Muslim population outside Muslim-majority countries, followed by China and Russia. The combined nominal GDP of 50 Muslim-majority countries was US$5.7 trillion, contributing 8% of the world’s total. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, comprising 57 member states (some not Muslim-majority), had a combined GDP (PPP) of US$24 trillion in 2020, about 18% of the global economy. Islam is the fastest-growing major religion, driven primarily by high birth rates, as religious switching has a negligible net effect on its population.
- Major denominations
- Sunni (87–90%), Shia (10–13%)
- Largest Muslim-majority country
- Indonesia (13% of Muslims)
- Region with highest percentage
- Middle East–North Africa (91%)
Lore & Background
The Islamic world encompasses a vast and diverse geographical range, spanning from West Africa and the Iberian Peninsula across North Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and into South and Southeast Asia, with significant communities also present in the Americas, Europe, Russia, and China. Its defining characteristic is the adherence to Islam, forming the global community known as the Ummah, which includes all who follow the religion's beliefs, politics, and laws. The population is overwhelmingly composed of two major denominations: Sunni Muslims, who constitute 87–90% of adherents, and Shia Muslims, making up 10–13%, with smaller groups like the Ibadis found primarily in Oman. A notable portion of Muslims do not identify with any specific school or branch. The region's history spans approximately 1,400 years, beginning with the early conquests that established the Umayyad Caliphate across Asia, Africa, and Europe. In the modern era, most of the Muslim world experienced European colonial rule, and the post-colonial nation-states have since adopted varied political and economic models, influenced by both secular and religious trends. The habitat of the Islamic world is thus not a single geographic or political entity but a global, culturally and ethnically diverse civilization united by faith, with its largest national populations found in Indonesia, South Asia, the Middle East–North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Reader's Guide
The Islamic world has profoundly shaped global history through early conquests that established the Umayyad Caliphate across three continents, and through later empires such as the Abbasids, Fatimids, Seljukids, Mughals, Safavids, and Ottomans. During the Islamic Golden Age, advances were made in arts, science, medicine, philosophy, law, economics, and technology. In the modern era, most of the Muslim world came under European colonial domination; post-colonial nation states have adopted varied political and economic models, affected by both secular and religious trends. The term 'Muslim world' has been criticized as simplistic and binary, since no state is religiously homogeneous, and the idea of a uniform Muslim world is imagined. The term 'Muslim-majority countries' is often preferred in literature.
Did You Know?
- India has the largest Muslim population outside Muslim-majority countries.
- Islam is the fastest-growing major religion in the world, partially due to high birth rates; religious switching has no net impact on Muslim population.
- Some OIC member countries—such as Ivory Coast, Guyana, and Nigeria—are not Muslim-majority.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Islamic world?
The Islamic world is the collective term for the roughly 1.8 billion people worldwide who follow Islam, forming a shared religious and cultural community often called the Ummah. It has no single political boundary; rather, it encompasses nations and societies across multiple continents where Muslim faith and practice are central to daily life.
What are Islamic world's powers/role?
With over a quarter of humanity as adherents and a combined purchasing-power GDP around $24 trillion, the Islamic world carries enormous demographic and economic weight on the global stage. Its historical contributions during the Golden Age in fields like medicine, mathematics, and philosophy shaped civilizations far beyond its borders.
Why is Islamic world important?
As the second-largest religious grouping on Earth, it influences international politics, trade, and culture in ways that affect virtually every nation. Its internal diversity—spanning from Indonesia to Morocco and beyond—makes it a critical lens for understanding how a single faith can generate a wide spectrum of societies.
What are Islamic world's major factions?
The community is primarily divided between Sunni Muslims (roughly 87–90%) and Shia Muslims (roughly 10–13%), a split rooted in early succession disputes after the Prophet Muhammad's death. Within each branch, numerous sub-schools of law and theology further diversify the community's internal landscape.
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