Islam in Asia explained

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 constitutes 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.

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”.

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

See main article: Islam in Central Asia.

!Country!Total Population!Muslim Percentage!Muslim Population
18,744,54870.2%[2] 13,158,672
6,019,48090.6%[3] 5,194,811
8,734,95198.0%[4] 8,560,251
5,851,46696.1%5,459,417
32,653,90096.5%[5] 31,511,013
Central Asia72,004,34590.6%66,884,164

East Asia

!Country!Total Population!Muslim Percentage!Muslim Population
1,447,620,3501.8%[6] [7] [8] 30,000,000
7,448,9004.1%305,404
658,9001.5%[9] 10,000
126,420,0000.19%[10] 230,000
25,610,6720.01%[11] 3,000
51,635,2560.38%[12] 196,454
3,231,2005.0%161,560
23,577,4880.3%70,732
East Asia1,633,202,4163.13%30,977,150

South Asia

See main article: Islam in South Asia.

!Country!Total Population!Muslim Percentage!Muslim Population
31,575,01899.7%[13] 31,260,000
165,000,00090.4%149,100,000
727,1450.2%[14] 7,000
1,338,270,00015.6%[15] 213,000,000
378,114100%[16] 378,114
29,218,8674.4%1,285,630
231,085,59096.50%200,400,000
21,444,0009.7%2,080,068
South Asia1,799,355,75532.43%601,939,417

Southeast Asia

See main article: Islam in Southeast Asia.

!Country!Total Population!Muslim Percentage!Muslim Population
460,34582.7%380,705
16,204,4862%[17] 312,540
1,291,3580.3%4,000
266,500,00086.7%[18] 231,070,000
7,126,706 0.1%8,000
32,730,00063.5%20,623,140
55,123,8144.15%2,300,000
112,018,29311%[19] [20] 12,322,012
5,888,92615.6%918,672
68,414,135 5.0%3,420,706
96,160,1630.1%196,000
Southeast Asia679,726,70040.8%277,346,378

West Asia

See main article: Religion in the Middle East.

!Country!Total Population!Muslim Percentage!Muslim Population
2,975,0000.03%1,000
10,027,87496.9%[21] 9,727,038
1,496,30081.2%[22] 1,214,995
854,80025.4%217,119
3,723,46410.7%463,062
81,871,50099%[23] 81,052,785
39,339,75398.0%[24] 38,552,957
8,930,68017.7%1,580,730
10,261,30094.0%9,645,622
4,226,92085.0%3,592,882
6,093,50954.0%3,200,000
4,651,70699.0%[25] 4,605,188
4,816,50393.0%,[26] 4,479,347
2,561,64377.5%[27] 1,985,273
33,413,660100.0%[28] 33,413,660
18,284,40787.0%[29] 15,907,434
80,810,52599.8%[30] 80,648,903
9,582,34080.0%7,665,872
28,915,28499.1%[31] 28,915,284
West Asia352,837,16879.45%326,869,151

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The Global Religious Landscape. Pewforum.org. https://web.archive.org/web/20170125173538/https://www.pewforum.org/files/2014/01/global-religion-full.pdf. 7 May 2020. 25 January 2017.
  2. Web site: The results of the national population census in 2009 . 12 November 2010 . Agency of Statistics of the Republic of Kazakhstan . 21 January 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110722142449/http://www.eng.stat.kz/news/Pages/n1_12_11_10.aspx . 22 July 2011 .
  3. http://pewforum.org/uploadedfiles/Topics/Demographics/Muslimpopulation.pdf MAPPING THE GLOBAL MUSLIM POPULATION
  4. Web site: Tajikistan. U.S. Department of State. 14 February 2015.
  5. Web site: The Future of World Religions: Population Growth Projections, 2010–2050. Pew Research. 2 April 2015. 2 April 2015. 24 December 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181224211326/http://www.pewforum.org/2015/04/02/religious-projection-table/2010/number/all/. dead.
  6. Web site: East Asia/Southeast Asia :: China — The World Factbook – Central Intelligence Agency. www.cia.gov. 14 December 2018.
  7. Web site: China Religion Facts & Stats. www.nationmaster.com. 14 December 2018.
  8. News: Refworld 2010 Report on International Religious Freedom - China (includes Tibet, Hong Kong, Macau). Refugees. United Nations High Commissioner for. Refworld. 2018-10-15. en.
  9. Web site: MACAU DAILY TIMES - Being a Muslim in Macau: Indonesian community holds triple celebration. https://web.archive.org/web/20131016154541/http://www.macaudailytimes.com.mo/macau/38013-being-a-muslim-in-macau-indonesian-community-holds-triple-celebration.html. dead. 2013-10-16. 2013-10-16. 2018-10-15.
  10. News: 7 January 2021. The number of Muslims in Japan is growing fast. 9 January 2021. The Economist.
  11. Web site: Table: Muslim Population by Country. Pew Research Center. 27 January 2011. 14 March 2017.
  12. Web site: 31 May 2021. "Many Koreans have big misunderstandings about Islam," says a Muslim convert in South Korea. 28 May 2021.
  13. Web site: Afghanistan Religion Afghanistan's Web Site. www.afghanistans.com. 2018-10-15.
  14. http://www.globalreligiousfutures.org/countries/bhutan/religious_demography#/?affiliations_religion_id=0&affiliations_year=2010 Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project: Bhutan
  15. Web site: Muslim Population in India - Muslims in Indian States. www.indiaonlinepages.com. 2017-10-04. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170908034112/http://www.indiaonlinepages.com/population/muslim-population-in-india.html. 8 September 2017. dmy-all.
  16. Web site: The World Factbook — Central Intelligence Agency. www.cia.gov. en. 2018-10-15.
  17. Web site: East Asia/Southeast Asia :: Cambodia — The World Factbook – Central Intelligence Agency. www.cia.gov. 14 December 2018.
  18. Web site: Statistik Umat Menurut Agama di Indonesia. Kementerian Agama Republik Indonesia. 15 May 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20200903221250/https://data.kemenag.go.id/agamadashboard/statistik/umat. 3 September 2020. 15 November 2020. id. Muslim 231 Million (86.7), Christian 20.45 Million (7.6), Catholic 8.43 million (3.12), Hindu 4.65 million (1.74), Buddhist 2.03 million (0.77), Confucianism 76.630 (0.03), Others/Traditional faiths 126.51 (0.04), Total 266.5 Million.
  19. Table 1.10; Household Population by Religious Affiliation and by Sex; 2010. 2015 Philippine Statistical Yearbook. October 2015. 1–30. 15 August 2016. Philippine Statistics Authority. East Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines. 0118-1564. https://web.archive.org/web/20161011010131/https://psa.gov.ph/sites/default/files/2015%20PSY%20PDF.pdf#56. 11 October 2016. live.
  20. Web site: Philippines.
  21. Web site: Mapping The Global Muslim Population . 22 May 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110519092435/http://pewforum.org/uploadedfiles/Topics/Demographics/Muslimpopulation.pdf . 19 May 2011 . dead .
  22. Web site: Bahrain Religion Facts & Stats. www.nationmaster.com. 2018-10-15.
  23. Web site: Iran Religion Facts & Stats.
  24. Web site: The World Factbook — Central Intelligence Agency. www.cia.gov. en. 2018-10-18.
  25. Web site: Oman Religion Facts & Stats. www.nationmaster.com. 2018-10-15.
  26. Web site: Are all Palestinians Muslim?. Institute for Middle East Understanding. 16 April 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140413142345/http://imeu.net/news/article0042.shtml. 13 April 2014. dmy-all.
  27. Web site: Qatar The World Almanac of Islamism. almanac.afpc.org. en. 2018-10-15. 2018-10-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20181015153200/http://almanac.afpc.org/Qatar. dead.
  28. News: Saudi Arabia. U.S. Department of State. 2018-10-15. en-US.
  29. Web site: Syria Religions - Demographics. www.indexmundi.com. 2018-10-15.
  30. Web site: Turkey. https://web.archive.org/web/20210110073821/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/turkey . dead . January 10, 2021 . World Factbook. 2007. CIA.
  31. Web site: Yemen - The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency, United States. 29 November 2024.

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