Countries Where Islam Is The Official Religion: One doesn’t need anyone to persuade them that Islam is also the world’s fastest-growing religion given its history as the second-largest religious group, its estimated 1.8 billion adherents, or more than 24% of the world’s population, and the fact that it is the recognized religion in 26 countries in Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa, and the Middle East. Muslims are people that practice the belief of Islam. Islam is a monotheistic religion that dates back to Muhammad’s teachings in the seventh century. Muslims consider Muhammad to be the final religious prophet and the one to whom God delivered the Koran.
Additionally, Islamic theology holds that Islam is the original, whole, and universal expression of a prehistoric faith that was repeatedly revealed.
Islam is a totalitarian way of life that serves as a complete code of social conduct that governs all interpersonal connections. Therefore, the status of an individual or family relies on how well society’s values are upheld.
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These values are founded on ideas that are stated in Islam. Honesty, austerity, charity, virtue, piety, justice, truthfulness, tolerance, and respect for others are characteristics of these.
But like other religions, this one has different denominations, specifically two. the Sunni (which make up a whopping 86–90% of all Muslims) and the Shi’a (10–13%), with the other Muslims being spread out among a few minor denominations.
Nevertheless, for the sake of clarity, we will limit our discussion to nations where Islam is the state religion. So these are some Islamic-based countries that need to be explored, whether you’re a Muslim or just fascinated by them.
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Top 8 Countries Where Islam Is The Official Religion
1. Maldives: An island nation in South Asia, the Republic of Maldives is officially recognized as an Islamic country. It is the smallest nation with a majority of Muslims on the planet in terms of land size and one of the most geographically scattered sovereign republics in the whole globe.
Maldives Muslims, who number 374,775, practice Islam, which is the country’s official religion. Even in its Constitution, “Fehi Ganoon” underlines the importance of Islamic law to citizenship.
Several mosques can be found on the majority of the inhabited Maldivian islands, which serve as the primary location for practicing Islam. All stores and offices close early on Friday because it is the most significant day for Muslims to visit the mosque. Additionally, there are fewer working hours and daytime closures of cafés and restaurants during the ninth Muslim lunar month of Ramadan.
2. Afghanistan: Afghanistan, known as the Heart of Asia, is a landlocked nation situated at the meeting point of Central and South Asia.
Approximately 99.7% of Afghans identify as Muslims, making Islam the official religion of the country. Around 90% of people in the world practice Sunni Islam, while 10% are Shias. Local tribes started switching to the new religion, which is largely regarded by the community as a replacement for Buddhism.
Islam has a significant and enduring impact on Afghan society, and religious celebrations mark the rhythm of each day and season. Almost every Afghan has attended a mosque school at some point in his or her upbringing; for many, it serves as their sole official education.
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3. Bangladesh: This South Asian nation is called the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. It has the highest population density in the whole planet.
With 91.04% of the population being Muslims, Islam is the official religion of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. The majority of Bangladeshis are Hanafi Muslims who belong to the Sunni branch of Islam.
Bangladeshi identity is fundamentally
influenced by religion. Islam was a big part of the people’s culture and way of life, but it was not the primary element of national identity, hence religion did not dominate national politics. But the majority of observers thought that the declaration of Islam as the state religion might have a big impact on the country’s way of life.
4. Pakistan: With an estimated 4.7 million people, Pakistan, a nation in South Asia, is also the home of a sizable diaspora, most of whom live in the Arab nations around the Persian Gulf.
The Islamic Republic of Pakistan’s official religion and the biggest group is Islam. Sunni Islam is practiced by up to 90% of the population. According to some, Pakistan is a “global center for political Islam.”
According to the constitution, Islam is the official religion of Pakistan. As stated in the Quran and Sunnah, all laws must be brought into compliance with these tenets of Islam, and no legislation that conflicts with these tenets may be passed.
5. Iraq: A Western Asia country, sometimes known as the Republic of Iraq, is a nation. Baghdad is both the biggest and the capital city.
Many significant religious cities for both Shia and Sunni Muslims are located in Iraq. Only Mecca and Medina are thought to welcome more Muslim travelers than the nation, which boasts outstanding centers for pilgrimage from all over the Shi’a Islamic world.
The population of Iraq is 95–99% Muslim, while exact statistics on its religious composition are not available. According to a 2015 estimate from the CIA World Factbook, there are 61-64% Shia Muslims and 29-34% Sunni Muslims.
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6. Iran: The Iranian peoples are a varied collection of Indo-European peoples who may be distinguished from one another by their use of Iranian languages and other shared cultural traits.
The earliest Iranians to embrace Islam were those who lived in the cities; the peasantry and landowner magnates adopted Islam relatively slowly. But the accomplishments of the earlier Persian civilizations were not lost; rather, they were largely assimilated by the new Islamic polities.
Nearly all of Iran’s population is Muslim, with 90% practicing Shia Islam, according to the official survey of the Islamic Republic.
The most influential thinkers from nearly all of the Islamic sects were Persian or lived in Iran and believed that Iran’s Islamization would result in significant changes to the country’s cultural, scientific, and governmental structures.
7. Algeria: Algeria is a nation in North Africa that is formally known as the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria. Algeria’s official religion and largest religion is Islam.
Muslim Sunnis make up the large bulk of the population. Following Uqba ibn Nafi’s invasion, the Umayyad dynasty gradually conquered and converted Algeria between the years 670 and 711, introducing Islam. But its ascent had a big impact on Algerian society.
More women started donning the veil, some as a result of their increased religiosity and others because it protected them from harassment on the streets, campuses, and places of employment.
A more liberal family code was also not implemented despite lobbying from feminist organizations and groups from Islamists.
8. Brunei: Southeast Asian nation known as Brunei, the Abode of Peace is situated on Borneo’s northern shore. A blend of English common law, Sharia law, and conventional Islamic traditions is used by the government, which is an absolute monarchy under the control of its Sultan, known as the Yang di-Pertuan.
82.70 percent of the population of Brunei practices Islam, the majority of whom are Sunnis of Malay descent who adhere to the Syafi’e school of thought. The majority of the other Muslim communities include Dayak Iban converts, local Chinese, and Malay Kedayans (converts from indigenous tribal groupings).
In the 15th century, Islam was embraced after a Muslim Malay was appointed Sultan. However, it has a well-structured and organized Islamic religious education.
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Conclusion
This page includes a list of nations whose official religion is Islam. Islam stands for a potentially uniting symbolic system in the aforementioned nations, counteracting the division that usually results from the strong feeling of tribal allegiance and the abundance of personal and familial honor prevalent in multitribal and multiethnic communities in these countries.
Islam is the official religion of these nations, however, other religions may be cautiously practiced since everyone has the freedom to proclaim, practice, and spread their religion.
Edeh Samuel Chukwuemeka, ACMC, is a lawyer and a certified mediator/conciliator in Nigeria. He is also a developer with knowledge in various programming languages. Samuel is determined to leverage his skills in technology, SEO, and legal practice to revolutionize the legal profession worldwide by creating web and mobile applications that simplify legal research. Sam is also passionate about educating and providing valuable information to people.