Islam in Asia

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Islam in Asia began in the 7th century during the lifetime of Muhammad. In 2020, the total number of Muslims in Asia was about 1.3 billion, it is the largest religion in Asia. Asia constitute in absolute terms the world's largest Muslim population. [1] and about 62% of the world's Muslims live in Asia, with Indonesia, Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh having the largest Muslim populations in the world. Asia is home to the largest Muslim population, with West Asia, Central Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia being particularly important regions. A number of adherents of Islam have lived in Asia especially in West Asia and South Asia since the beginning of Islamic history.

Contents

History

The spread of Islam outside of the Arabian peninsula and into other parts of the continent can be linked to the extensive trade routes connecting West Asia to China.

The Barmakid family was an early supporter of the Abbasid Revolution against the Umayyads and of As-Saffah. This gave Khalid ibn Barmak considerable influence, and his son Yaḥyā ibn Khālid (d. 806) was the vizier of the caliph al-Mahdi (ruled 775–785) and tutor of Hārūn ar-Rashīd (ruled 786–809). Yaḥyā's sons al-Faḍl and Ja'far (767–803) both occupied high offices under Harun. Many Barmakids were patrons of the sciences, which greatly helped the propagation of Indian science and scholarship from the neighboring Academy of Gundishapur into the Arabic world. They patronized scholars such as Gebir and Jabril ibn Bukhtishu. They are also credited with the establishment of the first paper mill in Baghdad. The power of the Barmakids in those times is reflected in The Book of One Thousand and One Nights ; the vizier Ja'far appears in several stories, as well as a tale that gave rise to the expression “Barmecide feast”.

We know of Yaḥyā ibn Khālid al-Barmakī (d. 805  CE) as a patron of physicians and, specifically, of the translation of Hindu medical works into both Arabic and Persian. In all likelihood, however, his activity took place in the orbit of the caliphal court in Iraq, where at the behest of Hārūn ar-Rashīd (786–809), such books were translated into Arabic. Thus Khurāsān and Transoxiana were effectively bypassed in this transfer of learning from India to Islam, even though, undeniably the Barmakī's cultural outlook owed something to their land of origin, northern Afghanistan, and Yaḥyā al-Barmakī's interest in medicine may have derived from no longer identifiable family tradition. [2]

Many of the early governors of the Caliphate were Barmakids. Khalid ibn Barmak built Mansura, Sindh and later Baghdad. His son was the governor of what is now Azerbaijan.

Demographics

Central Asia

The Registan and its three madrasahs, Samarkand, Uzbekistan Rajasthan Panorama.jpg
The Registan and its three madrasahs, Samarkand, Uzbekistan
CountryTotal PopulationMuslim PercentageMuslim Population
Flag of Kazakhstan.svg  Kazakhstan 18,744,54870.2% [3] 13,158,672
Flag of Kyrgyzstan (2023).svg  Kyrgyzstan 6,019,48090.6% [4] 5,194,811
Flag of Tajikistan.svg  Tajikistan 8,734,95198.0% [5] 8,560,251
Flag of Turkmenistan.svg  Turkmenistan 5,851,46696.1%5,459,417
Flag of Uzbekistan.svg  Uzbekistan 32,653,90096.5% [6] 31,511,013
Central Asia72,004,34590.6%66,884,164

East Asia

Huaisheng Mosque in Guangzhou, the oldest mosque in China Huaisheng Mosque Dec 2007.jpg
Huaisheng Mosque in Guangzhou, the oldest mosque in China
CountryTotal PopulationMuslim PercentageMuslim Population
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China 1,447,620,3501.8% [7] [8] [9] 30,000,000
Flag of Hong Kong.svg  Hong Kong 7,448,9004.1%305,404
Flag of Macau.svg  Macau 658,9001.5% [10] 10,000
Flag of Japan.svg  Japan 126,420,0000.19% [11] 230,000
Flag of North Korea.svg  North Korea 25,610,6720.01% [12] 3,000
Flag of South Korea.svg  South Korea 51,635,2560.38% [13] 196,454
Flag of Mongolia.svg  Mongolia 3,231,2005.0%161,560
Flag of the Republic of China.svg  Taiwan 23,577,4880.3%70,732
East Asia1,633,202,4163.13%30,977,150

South Asia

The Badshahi Mosque in Lahore, Pakistan during Eid al-Fitr. It is a historical and the second largest mosque in South Asia The Badshahi in all its glory during the Eid Prayers.JPG
The Badshahi Mosque in Lahore, Pakistan during Eid al-Fitr. It is a historical and the second largest mosque in South Asia
CountryTotal PopulationMuslim PercentageMuslim Population
Flag of the Taliban.svg  Afghanistan 31,575,01899.7% [14] 31,260,000
Flag of Bangladesh.svg  Bangladesh 165,000,00090.4%149,100,000
Flag of Bhutan.svg  Bhutan 727,1450.2% [15] 7,000
Flag of India.svg  India 1,338,270,00015.6% [16] 213,000,000
Flag of Maldives.svg  Maldives 378,114100% [17] 378,114
Flag of Nepal.svg    Nepal 29,218,8674.4%1,285,630
Flag of Pakistan.svg  Pakistan 231,085,59096.50%200,400,000
Flag of Sri Lanka.svg  Sri Lanka 21,444,0009.7%2,080,068
South Asia1,799,355,75532.43%601,939,417

Southeast Asia

CountryTotal PopulationMuslim PercentageMuslim Population
Flag of Brunei.svg  Brunei 460,34582.7%380,705
Flag of Cambodia.svg  Cambodia 16,204,4862% [18] 312,540
Flag of East Timor.svg  East Timor 1,291,3580.3%4,000
Flag of Indonesia.svg  Indonesia 266,500,00086.7% [19] 231,070,000
Flag of Laos.svg  Laos 7,126,7060.1%8,000
Flag of Malaysia.svg  Malaysia 32,730,00063.5%20,623,140
Flag of Myanmar.svg  Myanmar 55,123,8144.15%2,300,000
Flag of the Philippines.svg  Philippines 112,018,29311% [20] [21] 12,322,012
Flag of Singapore.svg  Singapore 5,888,92615.6%918,672
Flag of Thailand.svg  Thailand 68,414,1355.0%3,420,706
Flag of Vietnam.svg  Vietnam 96,160,1630.1% [22] 196,000
Southeast Asia679,726,70040.8%277,346,378

West Asia

Kaaba Inside the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, Saudi Arabia with pilgrims performing the Hajj, Kaaba is the direction of prayer of Muslims to Allah Supplicating Pilgrim at Masjid Al Haram. Mecca, Saudi Arabia.jpg
Kaaba Inside the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, Saudi Arabia with pilgrims performing the Hajj, Kaaba is the direction of prayer of Muslims to Allah
An-Nabawi Mosque, Medina MASJID NABAVI 12122008215.jpg
An-Nabawi Mosque, Medina
CountryTotal PopulationMuslim PercentageMuslim Population
Flag of Armenia.svg  Armenia 2,975,0000.03% [23] 1,000
Flag of Azerbaijan.svg  Azerbaijan 10,027,87496.9% [24] 9,727,038
Flag of Bahrain.svg  Bahrain 1,496,30081.2% [25] 1,214,995
Flag of Cyprus.svg  Cyprus 854,80025.4%217,119
Flag of Georgia.svg  Georgia 3,723,46410.7%463,062
Flag of Iran.svg  Iran 81,871,50099% [26] 81,052,785
Flag of Iraq.svg  Iraq 39,339,75398.0% [27] 38,552,957
Flag of Israel.svg  Israel 8,930,68017.7%1,580,730
Flag of Jordan.svg  Jordan 10,261,30094.0%9,645,622
Flag of Kuwait.svg  Kuwait 4,226,92085.0%3,592,882
Flag of Lebanon.svg  Lebanon 6,093,50954.0%3,200,000
Flag of Oman.svg  Oman 4,651,70699.0% [28] 4,605,188
Flag of Palestine.svg  Palestine 4,816,50393.0%, [29] 4,479,347
Flag of Qatar.svg  Qatar 2,561,64377.5% [30] 1,985,273
Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg  Saudi Arabia 33,413,660100.0% [31] 33,413,660
Flag of Syria.svg  Syria 18,284,40787.0% [32] 15,907,434
Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey 80,810,52599.8% [33] 80,648,903
Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg  United Arab Emirates 9,582,34080.0%7,665,872
Flag of Yemen.svg  Yemen 28,915,28499.5% [34] 28,915,284
West Asia352,837,16879.45%326,869,151

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