Islam in Afghanistan facts for kids

Islam is the main religion in Afghanistan. Almost everyone in Afghanistan, about 99.7% of the people, follows Islam.

Islam in Afghanistan

In Afghanistan, most people are Muslims. Islam is the official religion of the country.

Sunni and Shia Muslims

There are two main groups of Muslims in Afghanistan: Sunni and Shia.

Most Muslims in Afghanistan, about 80-89%, are Sunni Muslims. They often follow a specific set of rules called the Hanafi school of thought.

A smaller group, about 10-19% of the population, are Shia Muslims. Many of them belong to the Twelver branch, and a few are Ismailis.

Images for kids

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  Built during the Ghurids in the 12th century, the Friday Mosque of Herat is one of the oldest mosques in Afghanistan.

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  A miniature from Padshahnama depicting the surrender of the Shia Safavid at Kandahar in 1638 to the Sunni Mughal army commanded by Kilij Khan

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  The Friday Mosque in Kandahar. Adjacent to it is the Shrine of the Cloak and the tomb of Ahmad Shah Durrani.

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  Men praying at the Hazrat Ali Mazar in the northern Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif

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  A mosque in Lashkar Gah, in the south of the country

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  Mujahideen praying in Kunar Province during the 1980s Soviet–Afghan War

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  Muslims praying together during an Eid al-Adha worship service at Kandahar Air Base in southern Afghanistan

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  Afghans conducting their afternoon prayer in Kunar Province (December 2009)

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  Men praying inside the Gardens of Babur in Kabul

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  Afghan politicians and foreign diplomats praying at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul

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  Abu Fazl Mosque in Kabul during construction in 2008, the largest Shia mosque in Afghanistan