Umma

Umma, often spelled ummah, is an Arabic term meaning community or nation. In Islamic usage, it refers to the global community of Muslims who are bound together by shared faith, ethics, and religious obligations, transcending ethnic, linguistic, and national differences. The concept appears in Islamic scripture and tradition as a unifying idea for believers and has influenced religious identity, jurisprudence, and political thought across different historical periods.

In theological and historical contexts, the Ummah denotes the collective body of Muslim believers. It has been used to describe the early Muslim community in Medina and, in modern times, to express transnational solidarity among Muslims. While it conveys unity, the term is also used in debates about political authority, national sovereignty, and the relationships between Muslim communities and their states. The Qur’an and Hadith reference the Ummah in various senses, including calls for justice, compassion, and mutual responsibility.

Modern usage often describes the Ummah as Muslims worldwide, with varying implications in politics, humanitarian work, and interfaith dialogue. The term can symbolize a sense of shared fate and mutual aid, as well as the challenges of balancing religious solidarity with diverse local identities.

Outside Islamic contexts, Umma can also function as a given name or surname. In Korean, umma (엄마) means “mother,” a meaning that appears in popular culture, such as the 2022 film titled Umma, which centers on a mother-daughter relationship.