Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

is the

state religion A state religion (also called religious state or official religion) is a religion or creed officially endorsed by a sovereign state. A state with an official religion (also known as confessional state), while not secular state, secular, is not n ...

Maldives Maldives (, ; dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖެ, translit=Dhivehi Raajje, ), officially the Republic of Maldives ( dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ޖުމްހޫރިއްޔާ, translit=Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa, label=none, ), is an archipelag ...

. The 2008 Constitution "Fehi Ganoon" states the significance of the Islamic law in the country. The constitution requires that citizenship status be based on adherence to the state religion, which currently makes the country's citizens 100% Muslim.

History

The importance of the

Arabs The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Wester ...

as traders in the Indian Ocean by the 12th century may partly explain why the last Buddhist king of Maldives Dhovemi converted to

in the year 1153 (or 1193, for certain copper plate grants give a later date). The king thereupon adopted the

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

title and name (in Arabic) of

Sultan Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it ...

(besides the old Dhivehi title of ''Maha Radun'' or ''Ras Kilege'' or ''Rasgefānu'') Muhammad al-Adil, initiating a series of six Islamic dynasties consisting of eighty-four

sultan Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it ...

s and sultanas that lasted until 1932 when the sultanate became elective. The formal title of the Sultan up to 1965 was, ''Sultan of Land and Sea, Lord of the twelve-thousand islands and Sultan of the Maldives'' which came with the style ''

Highness Highness (abbreviation HH, oral address Your Highness) is a formal style used to address (in second person) or refer to (in third person) certain members of a reigning or formerly reigning dynasty. It is typically used with a possessive adjecti ...

''. The person traditionally deemed responsible for this conversion was a

Sunni Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagr ...

Muslim visitor named Abu al-Barakat Yusuf al-Barbari. His venerated tomb now stands on the grounds of Medhu Ziyaaraiy, opposite the Hukuru Mosque in the capital

Malé Malé (, ; dv, މާލެ) is the capital and most populous city of the Maldives. With a population of 252,768 and an area of , it is also one of the most densely populated cities in the world. The city is geographically located at the southern ...

. Built in 1656, this is the oldest mosque in Maldives.

Introduction of Islam

Maghrebi/Berber theory Viber image 2021-11-24 18-34-53-941

Arab interest in the Maldives also was reflected in the residence there in the 1340s of Ibn Battutah. The well-known Moroccan traveller wrote how a Berber from North Morocco, one ''Abu Barakat Yusuf the Berber'', was believed to have been responsible for spreading Islam in the islands, reportedly convincing the local king after having subdued Ranna Maari, a demon coming from the sea. Even though this report has been contested in later sources, it does explain some crucial aspects of Maldivian culture. For instance, historically

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...

has been the prime language of administration there, instead of the

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

and

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...

was the

Maliki The ( ar, مَالِكِي) school is one of the four major schools of Islamic jurisprudence within Sunni Islam. It was founded by Malik ibn Anas in the 8th century. The Maliki school of jurisprudence relies on the Quran and hadiths as primary ...

school of jurisprudence, used throughout most of North Africa, which was the official one in the Maldives until the 17th century.

Somali theory

Some scholars have suggested the possibility of Ibn Battuta misreading Maldive texts, and having a bias or felt partial towards the North African Maghrebi/Berber narrative of this Shaykh. Instead of the East African origins account that was known as well at the time. Even when Ibn Battuta visited an island of the Maldives, the governor of the island at that time was Abd Aziz Al Mogadishawi, a Somali. Also another prominent Shaykh on the island during Ibn Battuta's stay, was Shaykh Najib al Habashi Al Salih, another learned man from the Horn of Africa. His presence Indicating a strong Horn of African Islamic presence on the Island. Scholars have spoken that Abu al-Barakat Yusuf al-Barbari might have been a resident of

Berbera Berbera (; so, Barbara, ar, بربرة) is the capital of the Sahil region of Somaliland and is the main sea port of the country. Berbera is a coastal city and was the former capital of the British Somaliland protectorate before Hargeisa. It ...

, a significant trading port on the north western coast of

Somaliland Somaliland,; ar, صوماليلاند ', ' officially the Republic of Somaliland,, ar, جمهورية صوماليلاند, link=no ''Jumhūrīyat Ṣūmālīlānd'' is a ''de facto'' sovereign state in the Horn of Africa, still conside ...

. ''Barbara'' or ''Barbaroi'' (Berbers), as the ancestors of the

Somalis The Somalis ( so, Soomaalida 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒆𐒖, ar, صوماليون) are an ethnic group native to the Horn of Africa who share a common ancestry, culture and history. The Lowland East Cushitic Somali language is the shared ...

were referred to by medieval

Arab The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...

and ancient Greek geographers, respectively.F. R. C. Bagley et al., ''The Last Great Muslim Empires'' (Brill: 1997), p. 174.Mohamed Diriye Abdullahi, ''Culture and Customs of Somalia'', (Greenwood Press: 2001), p. 13. This is also seen when Ibn Battuta visited

Mogadishu Mogadishu (, also ; so, Muqdisho or ; ar, مقديشو ; it, Mogadiscio ), locally known as Xamar or Hamar, is the capital and List of cities in Somalia by population, most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port ...

, he mentions that the Sultan at that time 'Abu Bakr ibn Shaikh Omar', was a Berber (Somali).

Persian theory

Another interpretation, in the ''Raadavalhi'' and ''Taarikh'', is that Abu al-Barakat Yusuf al-Barbari was Abu al-Barakat Yusuf Shams ud-Din at-Tabrizi, also locally known as Tabrīzugefānu. In the Arabic script the words al-Barbari and al-Tabrizi are very much alike, owing to the fact that at the time, Arabic had several consonants that looked identical and could only be differentiated by overall context (this has since changed by addition of dots above or below letters to clarify pronunciation – For example, the letter "ب" in modern Arabic has a dot below, whereas the letter "ت" looks identical except there are two dots above it). "ٮوسڡ الٮٮرٮرى" could be read as "Yusuf at-Tabrizi" or "Yusuf al-Barbari". Viber image 2021-11-24 18-36-44-575

Islamic influence

is the

, and adherence to it is legally required for citizens by a revision of the constitution in 2008: Article 9, Section D and 10 states,

''A non-Muslim may not become a citizen of the Maldives.'' ''The religion of the State of the Maldives is Islam. Islam shall be the one of the basis of all the laws of the Maldives. No law contrary to any tenet of Islam shall be enacted in the Maldives.''

The traditional Islamic law code of

sharia Sharia (; ar, شريعة, sharīʿa ) is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition. It is derived from the religious precepts of Islam and is based on the sacred scriptures of Islam, particularly the Quran and the H ...

forms the Maldives' basic code of law, as interpreted to conform to local Maldivian conditions by the President, the attorney general, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Majlis. Article 142 of the constitution states,

''When deciding matters on which the Constitution or the law is silent, Judges must consider Islamic Shari’ah.''

Proselytizing by non-Muslims in Maldives, including the possession and distribution of non-Muslim religious materials (such as the Bible), is illegal. Public worship by adherents of religions other than Islam is forbidden. On the inhabited islands, the mosque, forms the central place where Islam is practiced. Because Friday is the most important day for Muslims to attend the mosque, shops and offices in towns and villages close around 11 a.m., and the sermon begins by 12:35 p.m. The prayer call is performed by the (Muezzin). Most shops and offices close for fifteen minutes after each call. During the ninth Muslim month of

Ramadan , type = islam , longtype = Religious , image = Ramadan montage.jpg , caption=From top, left to right: A crescent moon over Sarıçam, Turkey, marking the beginning of the Islamic month of Ramadan. Ramadan Quran reading in Bandar Torkaman, Iran. ...

, cafés and restaurants are closed during the day, and working hours are limited.

Mosques

Most inhabited Maldivian islands have several

mosques A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, i ...

;

has more than thirty. Most traditional mosques are whitewashed buildings constructed of coral stone with corrugated iron or thatched roofs. Dadimagi miskit 1981.jpg, Dadimagi miskit in

Fuvahmulah Fuvahmulah (Dhivehi: ފުވައްމުލައް) is an island (atoll) in the Maldives. It is under Maldives’ administrative divisions of Gnaviyani Atoll or Nyaviyani Atoll. The inhabitants speak a distinctive form of the Dhivehi language, known as ...

, 1981 Kede-ere miskit 1981.jpg, Kede-ere miskit in

, 1981 File:Gen-miskit1984.jpg, Gen Miskit,

, 1984 File:Dhara Friday Mosque.jpg,

Dharavandhoo Dharavandhoo (Dhivehi: ދަރަވަންދޫ) is one of the inhabited islands of Baa Atoll. Geography The island is north of the country's capital, Malé. Ecology This island is surrounded by clear waters known as Dharavandhoo Thila and Hanifar ...

Friday Mosque Bandos-mesquita.jpg, Bandos island mosque, North Male Atholl File:Darumavanta Resgefaanu Miskiy Male1988.jpg, A mandala on the ceiling of Darumavanta Rasgefaanu mosque, Malè. Lacquered wood carving. The damaged Mandala was covered with a simple geometrical drawing painted on plywood. File:Mandala8.JPG, Photograph of a mandala on the ceiling. Lacquered wood carving; quite damaged. Kalhuhuraage mosque, Malè, Maldives, 1987 File:Mandala2.JPG, Photograph of a mandala carving on wooden door panel.

Fua Mulaku Fuvahmulah (Dhivehi: ފުވައްމުލައް) is an island (atoll) in the Maldives. It is under Maldives’ administrative divisions of Gnaviyani Atoll or Nyaviyani Atoll. The inhabitants speak a distinctive form of the Dhivehi language, known as ...

Island, 1986 File:Mandala in Idu mosque.jpg, Photograph of a mandala on the ceiling. Lacquered wood carving. 'Idu mosque, Malè, 1989 In Malé, the Islamic Centre and the Grand Friday Mosque, built in 1984 with funding from the Persian Gulf states,

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

Brunei Brunei ( , ), formally Brunei Darussalam ( ms, Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi alphabet, Jawi: , ), is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coast, it is completely sur ...

, and

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

, are imposing, elegant structures. The gold-colored dome of this mosque is the first structure sighted when approaching Malé. In mid-1991 Maldives had a total of 724 mosques and 266 women's mosques. File:Male-mesquita de coral blanc.jpg, Old Mosque of

, white coral decorations File:Idu Miskit Male4.jpg, Sample of decorative Arabic writing on lacquered wooden panel. Idu Miskit,

File:Filitheyo graveyard.jpg,

Filitheyo Filitheyo is an island in the Faafu Atoll. It is also home of one of the newer resorts in the Maldives; , Filitheyo Island Resort is the only resort operating in the Faafu Atoll, but three islands (Himmithi, Mushimasgali, and Maafushi) have since b ...

graveyard

Radicalism

The Guardian estimates that 50-100 fighters have joined

ISIS Isis (; ''Ēse''; ; Meroitic: ''Wos'' 'a''or ''Wusa''; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎, romanized: ʾs) was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingd ...

and

al-Qaeda Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremism, Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arab, Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military ta ...

from the Maldives. The Financial Times puts the number at 200. *

2007 Malé bombing The 2007 Malé bombing was a bomb blast on September 29, 2007, in Sultan Park near the Islamic Centre in the Maldivian capital Malé, injuring 12 foreign tourists. The park is located in the shadow Maldivian Army (MNDF) Headquarters where severa ...

: On 29 September 2007 a homemade bomb went off in Sultan Park near the Islamic Centre in the Maldivian capital

, injuring 12 foreign tourists. In December, three men were sentenced to 15 years in jail after they confessed to the bombing. Two of those imprisoned, Mohamed Sobah and Ahmed Amin - both Maldivian natives in their early twenties-had their sentences changed from incarceration to three-year suspended sentences under observation and were later set free in August 2010. * 2011 Ismail Khilath Rasheed controversy: In February 2012 almost all the Maldives

National Museum A national museum is a museum maintained and funded by a national government. In many countries it denotes a museum run by the central government, while other museums are run by regional or local governments. In other countries a much greater numb ...

's pre-Islamic artifacts, dating back to before the 12th century, were destroyed during an attack: "Some of the pieces can be put together but mostly they are made of sandstone, coral and limestone, and they are reduced to powder." He said the museum had "nothing

eft A newt is a salamander in the subfamily Pleurodelinae. The terrestrial juvenile phase is called an eft. Unlike other members of the family Salamandridae, newts are semiaquatic, alternating between aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Not all aqu ...

to show" of the country's pre-Islamic history. Among the damaged objects were a six-faced coral statue, an high bust of Buddha, as well as assorted limestone and coral statues

Religious Stand of Maldives and Public Etiquette

In 2008 after the ratification of the new constitution, multi party democracy was instated in the Maldives. The Maldivian religious party named the Adhaalath Party was founded by the religious scholars and religious activists. Under the new freedom of speech and relaxed laws radicalism and different forms of religious factions rose in Maldives. The religious extremism was controlled by the state, since in every presidency the coalition governments consisted with the Adhaalath Party's affiliation. The Islamic Ministry and major executive portfolio is represented by the Adaalath Party. In the Maldives, general clothing guidelines are observed as per democratic law instated and extremism is punishable by lengthy jail sentences.

References

External links

{{Maldives topics

Religion in the Maldives