Umma means Nation, more or less

Submitted by Erich W (United States), Dec 29, 2010 at 02:41

It is a kind of "nation" built not on blood kinship, but on religious kinship. The Umma means all Muslims, as Mohammed's "people" or "nation", for whom he will intercede on the Day of Judgment. Land they conquer in Jihad, they think, is irrevocably theirs, so though they are not bound by blood, they do seem to be bound by land and law...very much like a modern nation bound by a constitution and borders, but with bond to their Prophet, to their Allah, and to a focus upon the Day of Judgment, in which they hope in Mohammed's intercession on their behalf. They are "the Best Nation", as I recall their term.

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".