The word "Muslim" (Arabic: مُسْلِمٌ, plural forms like muslimūn or muslimīn) appears multiple times in the Quran, derived from the root s-l-m, meaning one who submits (to God). It fundamentally denotes someone who submits fully to Allah, often in the context of pure monotheism (tawhid) without associating partners with God.

General MeaningThe Quran uses "Muslim" in a broad, timeless sense to refer to anyone who sincerely submits to God, regardless of era or specific revelation. This includes prophets and their true followers before Muhammad.Applied to Previous Prophets and FollowersThe term applies retroactively to earlier figures as exemplars of submission:

• Abraham (Ibrahim) is explicitly called a Muslim (e.g., 3:67: "Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was one inclining toward truth, a Muslim [submitting to Allah]. And he was not of the polytheists.").
• His sons (Ishmael and Isaac), Jacob, and other prophets are described similarly (2:132–133).
• Noah (10:72), Joseph (12:101), Moses and his people (7:143, 10:84), Solomon (27:44), Jesus' disciples (3:52, 5:111: "bear witness that we are Muslims [submitting to You]"), and even the Queen of Sheba upon converting (27:44).

Specific to Followers of MuhammadIn some contexts, it refers to the community following Muhammad's revelation:

• God names the believers "Muslims" both in prior scriptures and in the Quran (22:78: "He has named you Muslims, before [in former scriptures] and in this [revelation]...").
• It addresses or describes Muhammad's followers directly (e.g., 33:35 listing virtues "for Muslim men and women").

Distinction from "Mu'min" (Believer)A key verse highlights nuance:

• 49:14 (Bedouin Arabs say: "We believe." But God responds: "You have not believed; but say 'We have submitted (aslamna)', for faith has not yet entered your hearts." Here, "Muslim" refers to outward submission (accepting Islam), while "mu'min" implies deeper inner faith.

Overall, "Muslim" emphasizes submission and monotheism as the eternal religion (millat Ibrahim, the way of Abraham), shared across prophets, with Muhammad's followers as its final, perfected form. This is confirmed by standard Quranic exegesis and resources like Quran.com or the Quranic Arabic Corpus.

Yes, the word "Islam" (Arabic: الإسلام, romanized as al-islām) is used in the Quran.It appears explicitly several times, typically referring to submission to God (the literal meaning of "Islam" from the root s-l-m, denoting surrender or peace through submission). Reliable Quranic indices and corpora list it around 8–10 times across verses, depending on exact counting of forms (e.g., direct noun vs. contextual references).Key examples include:

• Surah Al-Imran (3:19): "Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam (إِنَّ الدِّينَ عِندَ اللَّهِ الْإِسْلَامُ)."
• Surah Al-Imran (3:85): Seeking any religion other than Islam will not be accepted.
• Surah Al-Ma'idah (5:3): Often linked contextually to the perfection of the religion (though "Islam" is not always the direct word in translations).
• Surah At-Tawbah (9:74): References to disbelief after (pretense of) Islam.
• Surah As-Saff (61:7): Invitation to Islam.
• Surah Az-Zumar (39:22): Heart expanded to Islam.
• Surah Al-Hujurat (49:17): Considering their Islam a favor.

The term is used both generally (submission to God, applicable to prior prophets) and specifically (the faith revealed to Muhammad). This is confirmed by standard Quranic resources like Quran.com, the Quranic Arabic Corpus, and scholarly analyses.