Who are Muslims?

The Arabic word “Muslim” literally means “someone who is in a state of Islam (submission to the will and law of God)”.  The message of Islam is meant for the entire world, and anyone who accepts this message becomes a Muslim.  There a over a billion Muslims worldwide.  Muslims represent the majority population in fifty-six countries.  Many people are surprised to know that the majority of Muslims are not Arab.  Even though most Arabs are Muslims, there are Arabs who are Christians, Jews and atheists.  Only 20 percent of the world’s 1.2 billion Muslims come from Arab countries.  There are significant Muslim populations in India, China, Central Asian Republics, Russia, Europe, and America.  If one just takes a look at the various peoples who live in the Muslim World - from Nigeria to Bosnia and from Morocco to Indonesia - it is easy enough to see that Muslims come from all different races, ethnic groups, cultures and nationalities.  Islam has always been a universal message for all people.  Islam is the second largest religion in the world and will soon be the second largest religion in America.  Yet, few people know what Islam is.