http://www.newint.org/issue345/facts.htm
New Internationalist May 2002
Muslims of the world
Islam is considered the fastest growing religion in the
world. There are approximately 1.3 billion Muslims constituting
a fifth of humanity. Most are under 25.1,2
Around
85 per cent of Muslims belong to the majority Sunni sect. The
minority Shi’a Muslims are concentrated in Iran and Iraq.2
Less than
20 per cent of Muslims are Arabs. Almost half of the world’s
Muslims live in South and Southeast Asia.2
World’s most Muslim nations
The
populations of the following countries are almost entirely
Muslim. That is, about 99.5% or more of the native populations,
and nearly all of the foreign workers, are Muslim.3
Bahrain
Comoros
Kuwait
Maldives
Mauritania
Mayotte
Morocco
Oman
Qatar
Somalia
Saudi Arabia
Tunisia
United Arab Emirates
Western Sahara
Yemen
Largest national Muslim populations3
Country
Number of Muslims
Indonesia
170,310,000
Pakistan
136,000,000
Bangladesh
106,050,000
India
103,000,000
Turkey
62,410,000
Iran
60,790,000
Egypt
53,730,000
Nigeria
47,720,000
China
37,108,000
Sizeable Muslim communities
There are also sizeable Muslim communities in the following
countries.1,3
The US has
an estimated 5.7 million Muslims – roughly equal to its Jewish
population
France
has an estimated 3 million
Germany has an estimated 2.5 million
The UK has an estimated 1.5 million
Canada has an estimated 0.5 a million
Australia has an estimated 200,000
Refugees
The
majority of the world’s estimated 12 million refugees are
Muslim. And most of them take refuge in other Muslim countries.4
Sources:
1
Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre
for Islamic Countries (SESRTCIC), Ankara, Turkey.
2
National Geographic Magazine, January 2002.
3
www.adherents.com (an independent non-affiliated website of
4,200 religions and their membership throughout the world.
Information updated in January 2000).
4
United Nations High Commission for Refugees, Refugees by Numbers
2001 Edition,
www.unhcr.ch
KEY MOMENTS
of
Islamic civilization
continued...
851-900
Muslim astronomers measure the circumference of the earth and
Iraqi scientist Ibn Hawkal publishes The Book of the Shape of
the Earth. Al-Farghani publishes his Elements of
Astronomy and al-Battani publishes On the Science of
Stars. The Musa Brothers, who are engineers, publish the
Book of Ingenious Mechanical Devices. Philosopher al-Farabi
publishes his celebrated commentary on Plato, The Perfect
State. Afghani scholar and advisor to administrators, Al-Harawi,
publishes his pioneering work, The Book of Public Finance.
901-950
Philosopher and physician al-Razi publishes his observations on
smallpox and measles and Al-Tabari, publishes his history of the
world, Annals of Apostles and Kings. The Postmaster
General of Baghdad, Ibn Khurdadhbih, publishes The Book of
Routes and Kingdoms, a comprehensive work on the
distribution of post throughout the Muslim world. Mystic Al-Hallaj
causes controversy by declaring, in a state of ecstasy, ‘I am
the Truth’. And theologian Al-Ashari establishes the
anti-philosophical Asharite movement.
951-1000
Physicist Al-Haytham publishes his monumental study Optics
containing the basic formulae of reflection and refraction and
announces that experiment and empirical investigation is the
foundation of all scientific work. Al-Baruni publishes his
Determination of the Co-ordinates of the Cities and travels
to South Asia to study Hinduism and yoga. Philosopher and
physician Ibn Sina publishes Canons of Medicine, the
standard text for the next 800 years. Al-Azhar University, the
first in the world, is established in Cairo. Humanist Al-Masudi
lays the foundation of human geography and philologist Ibn Faris
publishes his linguistic masterpiece, The Law of the Language.
