Mushrikun

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Refers to individuals who associate partners with a singular deity, often used in religious contexts to describe those practicing polytheism or idolatry
2. Denotes persons who engage in the act of ascribing others alongside a central divine figure, typically in the framework of monotheistic belief systems
3. Identifies followers who commit the practice of attributing multiple gods or divine entities, particularly relevant in theological discussions about monotheism versus polytheism

Etymology: "Mushrikun" is the plural of "mushrik," an unadapted borrowing from Arabic, where مُشْرِك (mušrik) is an active participle of the verb "ashraka," meaning "to associate" or "to make partners." The root idea is one of joining: the mushrik is someone who attaches a partner to God, placing another being alongside the one divine ruler. The Arabic plural "mushrikun" is the form used in the Quran for those who ascribe partners to God, and it carries that religious weight into English. Because the term is taken over as it stands rather than translated, English readers meet it as a technical label from Islamic theology, not as a general word for polytheists.

Synonyms: polytheist, idolater

Antonyms: monotheist