Islam in Pakistan facts for kids

View from Minto Park

Islam is the main religion in Pakistan. In 2007, about 97% of people in Pakistan were Muslims. Most of these, about 75%, were Sunni Muslims. Around 20% were Shi'a Muslims. Pakistan has the second largest Muslim population in the world. Only Indonesia has more Muslims. Pakistan also has the second largest Shi'a Muslim population globally, after Iran. There are more than 50 million Shi'a Muslims in Pakistan.

History of Islam in Pakistan

Islam came to the area that is now Pakistan a very long time ago. In 644 AD, an Arab army won a battle in the region. This was the start of Arab rule in the Indus Valley. The local Baloch tribes slowly started to follow Islam. Before this, they had followed a religion called Zoroastrianism.

Islam arrived fully in modern Pakistan in 711 AD. This was about 79 years after the death of the Prophet Muhammad. The Umayyad dynasty sent a Muslim Arab army. This army was led by Muhammad bin Qasim al-Thaqafi. They fought against Raja Dahir, who ruled Sindh. Raja Dahir had given a safe place to many Zoroastrian princes. These princes had run away from the Islamic conquest of Iran.

The Muslim army conquered the northwestern part of the Indus Valley. This area stretched from Kashmir all the way to the Arabian Sea. The arrival of Arab Muslims in Sindh and Punjab was very important. Later Muslim rulers also helped shape the religious map of South Asia. This led to the creation of modern Pakistan. It also set the stage for Islamic rule across much of South Asia.

After these early rulers, many Islamic empires controlled the region. These included the Ghaznavid Empire, the Ghorid kingdom, and the Delhi Sultanate. Then, the Mughal emperors ruled from 1526 until 1739. During these times, many skilled people came to South Asia. These included scientists, architects, teachers, and religious scholars. They came from all over the Muslim world to the Islamic Sultanate and the Mughal Empire.

Images for kids

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  View from Minto Park

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  Many different types of Islam are practiced in Pakistan.

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  How religious schools (madrassahs) grew in Pakistan from 1988 to 2002.

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  The famous Data Durbar shrine in Lahore. People from all over the world visit this place.

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  The tomb of Syed Abdul Rahim Shah Bukhari. It was built by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb.

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  The first Mughal Emperor Babur before crossing the Indus River.

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  The Shah Jahan Mosque, Thatta was supported by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan.

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  A painting from 1889 by Edwin Lord Weeks. It shows a market near Wazir Khan Mosque.