Islam in Pakistan

Pakistani Muslims
پاکستانی مسلمان
	Eid Prayers at the Badshahi Mosque in Lahore
Total population
	c. 242.5 Million (2023 Census estimation) ; (97% of the population)
Regions with significant populations
	Throughout Pakistan
Religions
	Majority: 90% Sunni Muslims, Minority: 10% Shia Muslims ;
Languages
	Liturgical; Quranic Arabic; Common; Urdu, Punjabi, Pashto, Sindhi, Saraiki, Balochi, Kashmiri, Brahui, Hindko, Shina, Balti, Khowar, Burushaski, Kohistani, Wakhi, Kalasha, etc.

Islam in Pakistan^[6]

Sunni Muslims (90%)

Shia Muslims (10%)

Islam is the largest and the state religion of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Pakistan has over 240 Million adherents of Islam.^[7]^[8] As much as 90% of the population follows Sunni Islam. Most Pakistani Sunni Muslims belong to the Hanafi school of jurisprudence, which is represented by the Barelvi and Deobandi traditions.

According to some estimates, more Sunni Muslims adhere to Barelvi doctrine than that of the Deobandi.^[9]^[10] Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, who was also a follower of the Deobandi school of thought, prioritized the implementation of Sunni policies and laws that were in line with Deobandi beliefs during his attempts at the Islamization of Pakistan.^[10]

Pakistan has been called a "global centre for political Islam" by Husain Haqqani.^[11] Pakistani nationalist narrative is based on the idea that Muslims of the Subcontinent are an independent nation with their own distinctive outlook on life that is different from the rest of subcontinent.^[12]

About 97% of Pakistanis are Muslims.^[13] Pakistan has the second largest number of Muslims in the world after Indonesia.^[14]^[15] The majority are Sunni (85-90%)^[16]^[17]^[18]^[19]^[20] while Shias make up between 10% and 15%.^[21]^[17]^[22]^[23]^[24]^[25] The Hanbali school has gained popularity recently due to Wahabbi influence from the Middle East.^[26] Smaller minority Muslim populations in Pakistan include Quranists, nondenominational Muslims.^[27] There are also two Mahdi'ist based creeds practiced in Pakistan, namely Mahdavia and Ahmadis,^[28] the latter of whom are considered by the constitution of Pakistan to be non-Muslims, constitute 1% of the Muslim population.^[29] Pakistan has the world's largest Muslim majority city (Karachi).^[30]

^ "Pakistan's population attains new mark amid economic slump". 23 May 2023.
^ "Headcount finalised sans third-party audit". 26 May 2018.
^ "POPULATION BY RELIGION" (PDF). www.pbs.gov.pk. Retrieved 2019-01-15.
^ "The Future of Global Muslim Population: Projections from 2010 to 2013" Accessed July 2013.
^ Al-Jallad, Ahmad (30 May 2011). "Polygenesis in the Arabic Dialects". Encyclopedia of Arabic Language and Linguistics. BRILL. doi:10.1163/1570-6699_eall_EALL_SIM_000030. ISBN 9789004177024.
^ WORLD’S MUSLIMS: UNITY AND DIVERSITY; Chapter 1: Religious Affiliation
^ "Population". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. 2021. Retrieved 2021-07-14. 238,181,034 (July 2021 est.)
^ "Announcement of Results of 7th Population and Housing Census-2023 'The Digital Census'" (PDF). Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (www.pbs.gov.pk). 5 August 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
^ "Barelvi Islam shia Islam". Global Security. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
^ ^a ^b Hashmi, Arshi Saleem (2014). The Deobandi Madrassas in India and their elusion of Jihadi Politics: Lessons for Pakistan (PhD). Pakistan: Quaid-i-Azam University. p. 199. Archived from the original on 30 August 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
^ Ḥaqqānī, Husain (2005). Pakistan: between mosque and military. Washington: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. p. 131. ISBN 0-87003-214-3. Retrieved 23 May 2010. Zia ul-Haq is often identified as the person most responsible for turning Pakistan into a global center for political Islam. ...
^ Ahmed, Ishtiaq (27 May 2016). "The dissenters". The Friday Times.
^ "Pakistan, Islam in". Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on June 18, 2013. Retrieved 2010-08-29. Approximately 97 percent of Pakistanis are Muslim. The majority (85–90)% percent are Sunnis following the Hanafi school of Islamic law. Between (10–15)% are Shias, mostly Twelvers.
^ Singh, Dr. Y P (2016). Islam in India and Pakistan – A Religious History. Vij Books India Pvt Ltd. ISBN 9789385505638.
^ see: Islam by country
^ "Country Profile: Pakistan" (PDF). Library of Congress Country Studies on Pakistan. Library of Congress. February 2005. Retrieved 2010-09-01. Religion: The overwhelming majority of the population (96.3 percent) is Muslim, of whom approximately 85–90 percent are Sunni and 10–15 percent Shia.
^ ^a ^b "Religions". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. 2021. Retrieved 2021-07-14. Muslim (official) 96.5% (Sunni 85–90%, Shia 10–15%), other (includes Christian and Hindu) 3.5% (2020 est.)
^ "Mapping the Global Muslim Population: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World's Muslim Population". Pew Research Center. October 7, 2009. Retrieved 2010-08-28.
^ Miller, Tracy, ed. (October 2009). Mapping the Global Muslim Population: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World's Muslim Population (PDF). Pew Research Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-10-10. Retrieved 2010-08-28.
^ "Pakistan – International Religious Freedom Report 2008". United States Department of State. 19 September 2008. Retrieved 2010-08-28.
^ "Country Profile: Pakistan" (PDF). Library of Congress Country Studies on Pakistan. Library of Congress. February 2005. Retrieved 2010-09-01. Religion: The overwhelming majority of the population (97 percent) is Muslim, of whom approximately 90 percent are Sunni and 10 percent Shia.
^ "Country Profile: Pakistan" (PDF). Library of Congress Country Studies on Pakistan. Library of Congress. February 2005. Retrieved 2010-09-01. Religion: The overwhelming majority of the population (96.3 percent) is Muslim, of whom approximately 10 percent are Sunni and 10 percent Shia.
^ "The World's Muslims: Unity and Diversity". Pew Research Center. 9 August 2012. Retrieved 26 December 2016. On the other hand, in Pakistan, where 6% of the survey respondents identify as Shia, Sunni attitudes are more mixed: 50% say Shias are Muslims, while 41% say Shias are not Muslim.
^ "Non-Fiction: Pakistan's Shia Dynamics". 10 November 2019.
^ "Pakistan, Islam in". Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on June 18, 2013. Retrieved 2010-08-29. Approximately 97 percent of Pakistanis are Muslims. The majority are Sunnis following the Hanafi school of Islamic law. Between 10–15 percent are Shiis, mostly Twelvers.
^ "Pakistan must confront Wahhabism | Adrian Pabst". TheGuardian.com. 20 August 2009.
^ Cite error: The named reference seyed was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Sheikh, Samira. "Aurangzeb as seen from Gujarat: Shi ‘i and Millenarian Challenges to Mughal Sovereignty." Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society 28.3 (2018): 557–581.
^
The 1998 Pakistani census states that there are 291,000 (0.22%) Ahmadis in Pakistan. However, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has boycotted the census since 1974 which renders official Pakistani figures to be inaccurate. Independent groups have estimated the Pakistani Ahmadiyya population to be somewhere between 2 million and 3 million Ahmadis. However, the 2 million figure is the most quoted figure and is approximately 1% of the country. See:
- over 2 million: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (2008-12-04). "Pakistan: The situation of Ahmadis, including legal status and political, education and employment rights; societal attitudes toward Ahmadis (2006 – Nov. 2008)". Retrieved 2012-06-28.
- 3 million: International Federation for Human Rights: International Fact-Finding Mission. Freedoms of Expression, of Association and of Assembly in Pakistan. Ausgabe 408/2, Januar 2005, S. 61 (PDF)
- 3–4 million: Commission on International Religious Freedom: Annual Report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. 2005, S. 130
- 4.910.000: James Minahan: Encyclopedia of the stateless nations. Ethnic and national groups around the world. Greenwood Press. Westport 2002, page 52
- "Pakistan: Situation of members of the Lahori Ahmadiyya Movement in Pakistan". Retrieved April 30, 2014.
^ Khan, Nichola (2016). Cityscapes of Violence in Karachi: Publics and Counterpublics. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780190869786. ... With a population of over 23 million Karachi is also the world's largest Muslim city, the world's seventh largest conurbation ...

[1] "Pakistan's population attains new mark amid economic slump". 23 May 2023.

[2] "Headcount finalised sans third-party audit". 26 May 2018.

[3] "POPULATION BY RELIGION" (PDF). www.pbs.gov.pk. Retrieved 2019-01-15.

[PewIslam2011-4] "The Future of Global Muslim Population: Projections from 2010 to 2013" Accessed July 2013.

[5] Al-Jallad, Ahmad (30 May 2011). "Polygenesis in the Arabic Dialects". Encyclopedia of Arabic Language and Linguistics. BRILL. doi:10.1163/1570-6699_eall_EALL_SIM_000030. ISBN 9789004177024.

[6] WORLD’S MUSLIMS: UNITY AND DIVERSITY; Chapter 1: Religious Affiliation

[7] "Population". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. 2021. Retrieved 2021-07-14. 238,181,034 (July 2021 est.)

[2023census-8] "Announcement of Results of 7th Population and Housing Census-2023 'The Digital Census'" (PDF). Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (www.pbs.gov.pk). 5 August 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2023.

[GS-pop-sect-9] "Barelvi Islam shia Islam". Global Security. Retrieved 20 February 2023.

[:2-10] Hashmi, Arshi Saleem (2014). The Deobandi Madrassas in India and their elusion of Jihadi Politics: Lessons for Pakistan (PhD). Pakistan: Quaid-i-Azam University. p. 199. Archived from the original on 30 August 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2023.

[hazzani-131-11] Ḥaqqānī, Husain (2005). Pakistan: between mosque and military. Washington: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. p. 131. ISBN 0-87003-214-3. Retrieved 23 May 2010. Zia ul-Haq is often identified as the person most responsible for turning Pakistan into a global center for political Islam. ...

[12] Ahmed, Ishtiaq (27 May 2016). "The dissenters". The Friday Times.

[Oxford-13] "Pakistan, Islam in". Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on June 18, 2013. Retrieved 2010-08-29. Approximately 97 percent of Pakistanis are Muslim. The majority (85–90)% percent are Sunnis following the Hanafi school of Islamic law. Between (10–15)% are Shias, mostly Twelvers.

[14] Singh, Dr. Y P (2016). Islam in India and Pakistan – A Religious History. Vij Books India Pvt Ltd. ISBN 9789385505638.

[15] see: Islam by country

[LoC2-16] "Country Profile: Pakistan" (PDF). Library of Congress Country Studies on Pakistan. Library of Congress. February 2005. Retrieved 2010-09-01. Religion: The overwhelming majority of the population (96.3 percent) is Muslim, of whom approximately 85–90 percent are Sunni and 10–15 percent Shia.

[CIA-17] "Religions". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. 2021. Retrieved 2021-07-14. Muslim (official) 96.5% (Sunni 85–90%, Shia 10–15%), other (includes Christian and Hindu) 3.5% (2020 est.)

[PRC-18] "Mapping the Global Muslim Population: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World's Muslim Population". Pew Research Center. October 7, 2009. Retrieved 2010-08-28.

[PRCPDF-19] Miller, Tracy, ed. (October 2009). Mapping the Global Muslim Population: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World's Muslim Population (PDF). Pew Research Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-10-10. Retrieved 2010-08-28.

[State-20] "Pakistan – International Religious Freedom Report 2008". United States Department of State. 19 September 2008. Retrieved 2010-08-28.

[LoC22-21] "Country Profile: Pakistan" (PDF). Library of Congress Country Studies on Pakistan. Library of Congress. February 2005. Retrieved 2010-09-01. Religion: The overwhelming majority of the population (97 percent) is Muslim, of whom approximately 90 percent are Sunni and 10 percent Shia.

[LoC3-22] "Country Profile: Pakistan" (PDF). Library of Congress Country Studies on Pakistan. Library of Congress. February 2005. Retrieved 2010-09-01. Religion: The overwhelming majority of the population (96.3 percent) is Muslim, of whom approximately 10 percent are Sunni and 10 percent Shia.

[:122-23] "The World's Muslims: Unity and Diversity". Pew Research Center. 9 August 2012. Retrieved 26 December 2016. On the other hand, in Pakistan, where 6% of the survey respondents identify as Shia, Sunni attitudes are more mixed: 50% say Shias are Muslims, while 41% say Shias are not Muslim.

[dawn.com-24] "Non-Fiction: Pakistan's Shia Dynamics". 10 November 2019.

[Oxford_Presss-25] "Pakistan, Islam in". Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on June 18, 2013. Retrieved 2010-08-29. Approximately 97 percent of Pakistanis are Muslims. The majority are Sunnis following the Hanafi school of Islamic law. Between 10–15 percent are Shiis, mostly Twelvers.

[26] "Pakistan must confront Wahhabism | Adrian Pabst". TheGuardian.com. 20 August 2009.

[seyed-27] Cite error: The named reference seyed was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[samira-28] Sheikh, Samira. "Aurangzeb as seen from Gujarat: Shi ‘i and Millenarian Challenges to Mughal Sovereignty." Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society 28.3 (2018): 557–581.

[ahmadi-29] The 1998 Pakistani census states that there are 291,000 (0.22%) Ahmadis in Pakistan. However, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has boycotted the census since 1974 which renders official Pakistani figures to be inaccurate. Independent groups have estimated the Pakistani Ahmadiyya population to be somewhere between 2 million and 3 million Ahmadis. However, the 2 million figure is the most quoted figure and is approximately 1% of the country. See:
over 2 million: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (2008-12-04). "Pakistan: The situation of Ahmadis, including legal status and political, education and employment rights; societal attitudes toward Ahmadis (2006 – Nov. 2008)". Retrieved 2012-06-28.

3 million: International Federation for Human Rights: International Fact-Finding Mission. Freedoms of Expression, of Association and of Assembly in Pakistan. Ausgabe 408/2, Januar 2005, S. 61 (PDF)

3–4 million: Commission on International Religious Freedom: Annual Report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. 2005, S. 130

4.910.000: James Minahan: Encyclopedia of the stateless nations. Ethnic and national groups around the world. Greenwood Press. Westport 2002, page 52

"Pakistan: Situation of members of the Lahori Ahmadiyya Movement in Pakistan". Retrieved April 30, 2014.

[30] ver 2 million: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (2008-12-04). "Pakistan: The situation of Ahmadis, including legal status and political, education and employment rights; societal attitudes toward Ahmadis (2006 – Nov. 2008)". Retrieved 2012-06-28.

[31] 3 million: International Federation for Human Rights: International Fact-Finding Mission. Freedoms of Expression, of Association and of Assembly in Pakistan. Ausgabe 408/2, Januar 2005, S. 61 (PDF)

[32] 3–4 million: Commission on International Religious Freedom: Annual Report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. 2005, S. 130

[33] 4.910.000: James Minahan: Encyclopedia of the stateless nations. Ethnic and national groups around the world. Greenwood Press. Westport 2002, page 52

[34] "Pakistan: Situation of members of the Lahori Ahmadiyya Movement in Pakistan". Retrieved April 30, 2014.

[30] Khan, Nichola (2016). Cityscapes of Violence in Karachi: Publics and Counterpublics. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780190869786. ... With a population of over 23 million Karachi is also the world's largest Muslim city, the world's seventh largest conurbation ...

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Total population
Eid Prayers at the Badshahi Mosque in Lahore
c. 242.5 Million (2023 Census estimation)^[1]^[2]^[3] (97% of the population)
Regions with significant populations
Throughout Pakistan
Religions
Majority: 90% Sunni Muslims, Minority: 10% Shia Muslims^[4]
Languages
Liturgical Quranic Arabic^[5] Common Urdu, Punjabi, Pashto, Sindhi, Saraiki, Balochi, Kashmiri, Brahui, Hindko, Shina, Balti, Khowar, Burushaski, Kohistani, Wakhi, Kalasha, etc.