Terminology

Definition of Ummah
The word ummah simply means a tribe, a community, or a nation. Ummah now specifically means the Muslim ummah and the expression was used for the followers of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) which comprised all men and women who responded to his universal and eternal message. The ummah is, therefore, a higher unit than nation, community, country or state.

Today Muslims are living all over the globe. They constitute a fifth of the world's total land mass, and comprising almost a sixth of the world's population. This is including the states in which 50 % or more of its populations are Muslims. The character of the Muslim ummah has changed over the centuries. The non-Arabs constitute a majority. Indonesia, with a population of over 170 million, is the largest Muslim state in the world, followed by Bangladesh and Pakistan. The Muslim minority in India is larger than the Muslim Majority in Pakistan. The Muslim ummah and the Arabs were once synonymous terms. But today the non-Arabs constitute the majority of the Muslim world.