Islam is the state religion of Maldives. [2] The 2008 Constitution or "Fehi Qānoon" declares the significance of Islamic law in the country. The constitution requires that citizenship status be based on adherence to the state religion, which legally makes the country's citizens hundred percent Muslim. [3] However residents, tourists and workers in the Maldives are free to be of any religion and practise them in private. However, in 2020, studies found that 0.29% of the population is Christian (roughly split between Catholic and Protestant). [4] During the late 1990s, the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs issued warnings, cautioning individuals against listening to radio programs broadcast in the Dhivehi language by the Far East Broadcasting Association, headquartered in the Seychelles. In 1998, 50 Maldivian Christians faced arrest and were detained on the prison island of Dhoonidhoo, while foreign Christians suspected of engaging in missionary activities were expelled from the country. [5]
Islam in the Maldives is primarily represented by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, which oversees religious affairs and promotes Islamic values and teachings in the country. Additionally, the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs plays a significant role in advising the government on matters related to Islam and ensuring the adherence to Islamic principles in Maldivian society. Mosques and religious scholars also contribute to the representation and practice of Islam in the Maldives.
In the Maldives, while Islam is the predominant religion and holds the status of the state religion, there are small communities of other faiths present in the country. These communities include Christians, Buddhists, and Hindus, among others. [6] Foreign residents, such as expatriate workers and tourists, often practice their respective religions in private settings, respecting the predominantly Islamic culture of the Maldives. Despite the limitations, efforts towards interfaith dialogue and understanding have been observed, contributing to a diverse cultural landscape within the Maldives.
The significant role played by Arab traders in the Indian Ocean during the 12th century likely contributed to the conversion of Dhovemi, the last Buddhist king of the Maldives, to Islam in the year 1153. [7] Muhammad al-Adil, initiating a series of six Islamic dynasties consisting of eighty-four sultans and sultanas that lasted until 1932 when the sultanate became elective. [7]
Arab interest in the Maldives also was reflected in the residence there in the 1340s of Ibn Battutah. [7] The renowned Moroccan traveler documented the tale of Abu Barakat Yusuf the Berber, hailing from North Morocco, who is believed to have played a pivotal role in spreading Islam in the Maldives. According to accounts, he purportedly persuaded the local king to embrace Islam after purportedly defeating Rannamaari, a sea monster. [8] [9] Even though this report has been contested in later sources, it does explain some crucial aspects of Maldivian culture. For instance, historically Arabic has been the prime language of administration there, instead of the Persian and Urdu languages used in the nearby Muslim states. Another link to North Africa was the Maliki school of jurisprudence, used throughout most of North Africa, which was the official one in the Maldives until the 17th century. [10]
However, certain scholars have proposed the possibility that Ibn Battuta might have misinterpreted Maldivian texts, potentially influenced by a bias or preference for the North African Maghrebi/Berber narrative surrounding this Shaykh. This theory suggests that Ibn Battuta may have overlooked or downplayed the alternative account of East African origins, which was also known during that period. [11]
Since the Maldives requires that citizenship status be based on adherence to the state religion, census from religion are not taken, since then—the Maldives' biggest religion is Sunni Islam, with a percentage of 100. However, including the foreigners living in the country, Muslims become a percentage of 100%. [1]
Non-Muslim foreigners, including more than 500,000 tourists who visit annually (predominantly Europeans and Chinese) and approximately 54,000 foreign workers (mainly Pakistanis, Sri Lankans, Indians, and Bangladeshis), are in general allowed to practice their religions only in private. Although Muslim tourists and Muslim foreign workers are allowed to attend local mosque services, in the past most practice Islam in private or at mosques located at the resorts where they work and live. [12]
Year | Maldivian citizens religion by percentage |
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2024 | 100% Muslims |
Religion | Percentage |
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Islam | 100% IslamIslam is the predominant religion of the country and is recognised as the state's official religion. [13] [14] It is practised by about 99 percent of Maldivians. [15] Numerous significant Muslim holy days are celebrated as national holidays in the Maldives, including Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan; Eid al-Adha, commemorating the end of the Hajj pilgrimage. Islam is thought to have been brought to the Maldives around the 12th century by Abu Barakat Yusuf—Al barbari, a Moroccan traveller. [16] Embedded within the framework of the 2008 Constitution of the Maldives is the unequivocal mandate stipulating the obligatory adherence to Islam for every individual under the jurisdiction of the nation. This constitutional provision underscores the paramount importance of Islamic principles within the legal and societal fabric of the Maldives. Enshrined within this document is the recognition of Islam as the state religion, thereby establishing its pervasive influence across various facets of Maldivian life. By enacting this constitutional requirement, the Maldives reaffirms its commitment to upholding Islamic values, customs, and traditions as integral components of its national identity and cultural heritage. Consequently, all residents, citizens, and visitors within the territorial boundaries of the Maldives are bound by the legal imperative to observe and respect the tenets of Islam, reflecting the deeply ingrained significance of the faith within the socio-political landscape of the country. ChristianityChristianity constitutes a minority religion within the Maldives. Scholar Felix Wilfred from Oxford University conducted research in 2013 estimating the Christian population in the Maldives to be approximately 1,400 individuals, representing about 0.4% of the total population. [17] The small community of Christians exists amidst a predominantly Muslim society, adhering to the state religion of Islam. Despite their minority status, these Christians maintain their faith, often practicing in private due to legal restrictions on public displays of non-Islamic religions in the Maldives. Citizens in the Maldives who seek to convert to Christianity face the consequence of automatic loss of their citizenship. President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom asserted that the Maldives' preservation of its independence is contingent upon maintaining its status as a wholly Muslim nation. However, the Maldivian High Commission in Colombo refuted reports of persecution in 1998, stating them to be inaccurate and unfounded. The presence of the Portuguese in the region marked the introduction of Christianity to the Maldives. However, rather than genuine conversion, the adoption of Christianity among the Maldivians was primarily motivated by the severe persecution and torture inflicted by the Portuguese upon those who adhered to Islam. Faced with the choice between conversion and survival, some locals reluctantly embraced Christianity. In 1558, the Portuguese established a modest garrison with a Viador (Viyazoru), overseeing a trading post in the Maldives, which they governed from their principal colony in Goa. Despite their efforts to impose Christianity on the populace, only a portion of the nobility succumbed to conversion. [18] BuddhismBuddhism was the state religion of Maldives before 1153 CE. [19] Maldives converted to Islam in that year. Recent archaeological evidence proves that until the advent of Islam, the Buddhist religion had existed in the country. Buddhist relics and ruins of monasteries have been found in many islands. Additional evidence of a Buddhistic past was found in late 12th century copperplate grants, translated in the 1980s. [20] Buddhism spread to the Maldives in the 3rd century BCE, at the time of Aśoka. Nearly all archaeological remains in the Maldives are from Buddhist stupas and monasteries, and all artifacts found to date display characteristic Buddhist iconography. Buddhist (and Hindu) temples were mandala shaped; they are oriented according to the four cardinal points, the main gate being towards the east. The ancient Buddhist stupas are called "havitta", "hatteli" or "ustubu" by the Maldivians according to the different atolls. These stupas and other archaeological remains, such as foundations of Buddhist buildings Vihara, compound walls and stone baths, are found on many islands of the Maldives. They usually lie buried under mounds of sand and covered by vegetation. Local historian Hassan Ahmed Maniku counted as many as 59 islands with Buddhist archaeological sites in a provisional list he published in 1990. The largest monuments of the Buddhist era are in the islands fringing the eastern side of Haddhunmathi Atoll. Although Bell claimed that the ancient Maldivians followed Theravada Buddhism in the same manner as their Sinhalese ancestors from neighboring Sri Lanka, [21] Maldivian Buddhist archaeological remains that were preserved in the Malé Museum in fact display Mahayana and Vajrayana iconography. [22] According to a legend in Maldivian folklore, a prince named Koimala from India or Sri Lanka entered the Maldives from the north (Ihavandhu) and became the first king from the House of Theemuge. Earlier, the Maldives had been settled by people of Dravidian origin from the nearest coasts, like the group today known as the Giravaaru who claim ancestry from ancient Tamils. It is unlikely that the Giraavaru islanders were the only early settlers in the Maldives. The importance they have been given is because they are mentioned in the legend about the establishment of the capital and royal rule in Malé. The Giraavaru people were just one of the island communities predating Buddhism and the arrival of a Northern Kingly dynasty and the establishment of centralized political and administrative institutions. The copperplate grants, or loamaafaanus, of the 12th century record the names of the kings of the late pre-Islamic period. The first king recorded there is "the great King, Shri Mahaabarana of the noble house of Theemuge, the lord of the prosperous Lunar Dynasty", [23] who ascended the throne in c.1118 CE. The king was the founder of the Theemuge dynasty, which ruled the country from c.1118 until c.1388. He is said to have become "king of this entire country" and ruled for a period of 21 years, perhaps implying that at the time of his accession to the throne, the country was divided, and that he brought the kingdom under one rule. King Mahaabarana is thought to be the Koimala of legend, a foreigner of noble blood who arrived in Maldives with his family, and was invited by the islanders to become their king. “Kaimal” is said to be a title given to certain Keralese noblemen, [24] therefore it is quite possible that this was a nobleman from Malabar fleeing a hostile situation in his country. Mahaabarana was succeeded by his nephew, Swasthi Shri Tribhuvana Aadheethiya, who ruled for a period of 35 years. It was during Tribhuvana Aadheethiya’s reign, in the year 1153, that Maldives converted to Islam. [25] HinduismBefore embracing Buddhism as their way of life, Maldivians had practised an ancient form of Hinduism, ritualistic traditions known as Śrauta, in the form of venerating the Surya (the ancient ruling caste were of Aadheetta or Suryavanshi origins). [26] Hinduism in the Maldives describes the practice of the Hindu religion in the Maldives archipelago. Evidence suggests that Hinduism had a presence in pre-Islamic Maldives. [27] Archaeological remains survive from the 8th or 9th century CE portraying Hindu deities such as Shiva, Lakshmi and the sage Agastya. [28] Maldivian folklore contains legends about the sage Vashishta, known locally as Oditan Kalēge, a mighty sorcerer. Oditan Kalēge's wife is the beautiful Dōgi Aihā who possesses a fiery temperament and is as powerful a sorceress as her husband. Her name is derived from the Sanskrit word Yogini . [28] Freedom of religionThe 2008 Constitution of Maldives designates Sunni Islam as the state religion. Only Sunni Muslims are allowed to hold citizenship in the country and citizens may practice Sunni Islam only. Non-Muslim citizens of other nations can practice their faith only in private and are barred from evangelizing or propagating their faith. All residents are required to teach their children the Muslim faith. The president, ministers, parliamentarians, and chiefs of the atolls are required to be Sunni Muslims. Government regulations are based on Islamic law. Only certified Muslim scholars can give fatawa. [29] As of 2021 [update] , freedom of religion remained significantly restricted. Individual societal abuses and discrimination based on religious beliefs or practices have been reported. According to many officials and interlocutors, most citizens regarded Islam as one of their society's most distinctive characteristics and believed that having it established as the state religion promotes harmony and national identity. [30] Since 2014, apostasy from Islam has been punishable by death. [31] [32] Related Research ArticlesThe Maldives, officially the Republic of Maldives, and historically known as Maldive Islands, is a country and archipelagic state in South Asia in the Indian Ocean. The Maldives is named after the main island and capital, Malé. The Maldives is southwest of Sri Lanka and India, about 750 kilometres from the Asian continent's mainland. The Maldives' chain of 26 atolls stretches across the equator from Ihavandhippolhu Atoll in the north to Addu Atoll in the south. The history of the Maldives is intertwined with the history of the broader Indian subcontinent and the surrounding regions, comprising the areas of South Asia and Indian Ocean; and the modern nation consisting of 26 natural atolls, comprising 1194 islands. Historically, the Maldives held a strategic importance due to its location on the major marine routes of the Indian Ocean. The Maldives' nearest neighbours are the British Indian Ocean Territory, Sri Lanka and India. The United Kingdom, Sri Lanka and some Indian kingdoms have had cultural and economic ties with the Maldives for centuries. In addition to these countries, Maldivians also traded with Aceh and many other kingdoms in, what is today, Indonesia and Malaysia. The Maldives provided the main source of cowrie shells, then used as a currency throughout Asia and parts of the East African coast. Most probably Maldives were influenced by Kalingas of ancient India who were earliest sea traders to Sri Lanka and the Maldives from India and were responsible for the spread of Buddhism. Stashes of Chinese crockery found buried in various locations in the Maldives also show that there was direct or indirect trade contact between China and the Maldives. In 1411 and 1430, the Chinese admiral Zheng He 鄭和 visited the Maldives. The Chinese also became the first country to establish a diplomatic office in the Maldives, when the Chinese nationalist government based in Taipei opened an embassy in Malé in 1966. This office has since been replaced by the embassy of the People's Republic of China. Islam is the state religion of Maldives. The 2008 Constitution or "Fehi Gānoon" declares the significance of Islamic law in the country. The constitution requires that citizenship status be based on adherence to the state religion, which legally makes the country's citizens 100% Muslim. Islam is the state-religion in Oman. The country is 95% Muslim. An estimate 50% follow Ibadi Islam while 40% are followers of Sunni Islam, while 5% identify as Shia Muslims. Islam spread to Oman in the early years. Islam in Africa is the continent's second most widely professed faith behind Christianity. Africa was the first continent into which Islam spread from Southwest Asia, during the early 7th century CE. Almost one-third of the world's Muslim population resides in Africa. Muslims crossed current Djibouti and Somalia to seek refuge in present-day Eritrea and Ethiopia during the Hijrah ("Migration") to the Christian Kingdom of Aksum. Like the vast majority (90%) of Muslims in the world, most Muslims in Africa are also Sunni Muslims; the complexity of Islam in Africa is revealed in the various schools of thought, traditions, and voices in many African countries. Many African ethnicities, mostly in North, West and East Africa consider Islam their Traditional religion. The practice of Islam on the continent is not static and is constantly being reshaped by prevalent social, economic, and political conditions. Generally Islam in Africa often adapted to African cultural contexts and belief systems forming Africa's own orthodoxies. Hinduism in the Maldives describes the practice of the Hindu religion in the Maldives archipelago. Evidence suggests that Hinduism had a presence in pre-Islamic Maldives. Archaeological remains survive from the 8th or 9th century CE portraying Hindu deities such as Shiva, Lakshmi and the sage Agastya. Christianity is a minority religion in the Maldives. The 2008 Constitution of Maldives designates Sunni Islam as the state religion. Only Sunni Muslims are allowed to hold citizenship in the country and citizens may practice Sunni Islam only. Non-Muslim citizens of other nations can practice their faith only in private and are barred from evangelizing or propagating their faith. All residents are required to teach their children the Muslim faith. The president, ministers, parliamentarians, and chiefs of the atolls are required to be Sunni Muslims. Government regulations are based on Islamic law. Only certified Muslim scholars can give fatawa. Myanmar has been under the rule of repressive authoritarian military regimes since 1962. After the 1974 Socialist constitution was suspended in 1988, constitutional protection of religious freedom has not existed, after the bloody suppression of the 8888 Uprising. The authorities generally permitted most adherents of registered religious groups to worship as they choose; however, the government imposed restrictions on certain religious activities and is accused of abusing the right to freedom of religion. The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the government has generally respected this right in practice. Buddhism is the state religion. According to the 2018 census, Buddhism is the largest religion in Thailand, practiced by over 94% of the population; Islam makes up 5% of the population. The Thai government officially recognizes five religions: Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Christianity. The Basic Law, in accordance with tradition, declares that Islam is the state religion and that Shari'a is the source of legislation. It also prohibits discrimination based on religion and provides for the freedom to practice religious rites as long as doing so does not disrupt public order. The government generally respected this right, but within defined parameters that placed limitations on the right in practice. While the government continued to protect the free practice of religion in general, it formalized previously unwritten prohibitions on religious gatherings in locations other than government-approved houses of worship, and on non-Islamic institutions issuing publications within their communities, without prior approval from the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs (MERA). There were no reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious belief or practice. In Qatar, the Constitution, as well as certain laws, provide for freedom of association, public assembly, and worship in accordance with the requirements of public order and morality. Notwithstanding this, the law prohibits proselytizing by non-Muslims and places some restrictions on public worship. Islam is the state religion. Abd al-Aziz Maqdshāvi was a 14th-century island chief or katheeb of Kinolhas island of the Maldives. When Ibn Battuta came to the Maldives on his second visit, the chief of the island of Kanalus at that time was Abd Aziz-al Makdashawi. Bangladeshis in the Maldives are a part of the Bangladeshi diaspora, consists people of Bangladeshi descent who have immigrated to or were born in another country. In most cases, first generation migrants may have moved abroad from Bangladesh for better living conditions, to escape poverty, or to send money back to families in Bangladesh. Till now, most Bangladeshis in the Maldives are first generation immigrants. Human rights in the Maldives, an archipelagic nation of 417,000 people off the coast of the Indian Subcontinent, is a contentious issue. In its 2011 Freedom in the World report, Freedom House declared the Maldives "Partly Free", claiming a reform process which had made headway in 2009 and 2010 had stalled. The United States Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor claims in their 2012 report on human rights practices in the country that the most significant problems are corruption, lack of religious freedom, and abuse and unequal treatment of women. The spread of Islam spans almost 1,400 years. The early Muslim conquests that occurred following the death of Muhammad in 632 CE led to the creation of the caliphates, expanding over a vast geographical area; conversion to Islam was boosted by Arab Muslim forces expanding over vast territories and building imperial structures over time. Most of the significant expansion occurred during the reign of the rāshidūn ("rightly-guided") caliphs from 632 to 661 CE, which were the first four successors of Muhammad. These early caliphates, coupled with Muslim economics and trading, the Islamic Golden Age, and the age of the Islamic gunpowder empires, resulted in Islam's spread outwards from Mecca towards the Indian, Atlantic, and Pacific Oceans and the creation of the Muslim world. The Islamic conquests, which culminated in the Arab empire being established across three continents, enriched the Muslim world, achieving the economic preconditions for the emergence of this institution owing to the emphasis attached to Islamic teachings. Trade played an important role in the spread of Islam in some parts of the world, such as Indonesia. During the early centuries of Islamic rule, conversions in the Middle East were mainly individual or small-scale. While mass conversions were favored for spreading Islam beyond Muslim lands, policies within Muslim territories typically aimed for individual conversions to weaken non-Muslim communities. However, there were exceptions, like the forced mass conversion of the Samaritans. Bangladesh and Maldives established diplomatic relations in 1978. Rear Admiral Akhtar Habib is the Bangladeshi High Commissioner to the Maldives. Freedom of religion in Morocco refers to the extent to which people in Morocco are freely able to practice their religious beliefs, taking into account both government policies and societal attitudes toward religious groups. The constitution declares that Islam is the religion of the state, with the state guaranteeing freedom of thought, expression, and assembly. The state religion of Morocco is Islam. The government plays an active role in determining and policing religious practice for Muslims, and disrespecting Islam in public can carry punishments in the forms of fines and imprisonment. The Sultanate of Maldive Islands was an Islamic monarchy that controlled the Maldives for 815 years (1153–1968), with one interruption from 1953–1954. References
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