Lafazin "Jemaah Islamiyah" suna ne da ya dace kuma yana nufin kungiyar masu tsattsauran ra'ayin Islama a kudu maso gabashin Asiya da ke neman kafa daular halifanci a yankin. Kalmar “Jemaah Islamiyah” ta samo asali ne daga harshen Larabci kuma ana iya fassara ta da ma’anar “jami’ar Musulunci” ko kuma “al’ummar Musulunci.”
