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 largest

religion in Morocco The main religion in Morocco is Islam, which is also the state religion. Consequently, ex-Muslims and adherents of other faiths or non-religious individuals are subject to significant discrimination by the state as well as the society in general. ...

, with more than 99% of the population adhering to it. The largest subset of

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 ...

s in Morocco are Maliki

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 ...

; other numerous groups include practitioners of Zahirism and non-denominational Muslims.

is the nation's

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 ...

. Consequently,

ex-Muslim Ex-Muslims are people who were raised as Muslims or converted to Islam and later renounced the Islamic religion. Leaving Islam is a uniquely individual experience and a growing social phenomenon facing its challenges due to the conditions and ...

s and adherents of other faiths or non-religious individuals are subject to significant discrimination by the state as well as the society in general.

Blasphemy Blasphemy is a speech crime and religious crime usually defined as an utterance that shows contempt, disrespects or insults a deity, an object considered sacred or something considered inviolable. Some religions regard blasphemy as a religiou ...

against Islam is a punishable offense.

History

Islam was first brought to Morocco in 680 by an Arab invasion under the Uqba ibn Nafi, who was a general serving under the Umayyads of

Damascus )), is an adjective which means "spacious". , motto = , image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg , image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg , seal_type = Seal , map_caption = , ...

. In 788, The Shia

Idrisids The Idrisid dynasty or Idrisids ( ar, الأدارسة ') were an Arab Muslim dynasty from 788 to 974, ruling most of present-day Morocco and parts of present-day western Algeria. Named after the founder, Idris I, the Idrisids were an Alid and ...

who espoused pro Zaydi views ruled large parts of Morocco. Their contemporaries included the heretical

Barghawata The Barghawatas (also Barghwata or Berghouata) were a Berber tribal confederation on the Atlantic coast of Morocco, belonging to the Masmuda confederacy. After allying with the Sufri Kharijite rebellion in Morocco against the Umayyad Caliphate, ...

state and the Khariji state of

Sijilmasa , alternate_name = , image = 1886608-the ruins of Sijilmassa-Rissani.jpg , alt = , caption = Sijilmasa ruins , map_type = Morocco , map_alt = , coordinates = , location = Errachidia, Drâa-Tafilalet, Morocco , region = , type = Sett ...

. After several

Berbers , image = File:Berber_flag.svg , caption = The Berber ethnic flag , population = 36 million , region1 = Morocco , pop1 = 14 million to 18 million , region2 = Algeria , pop2 ...

formed more powerful Islamic dynasties that reigned over the country. Among them were the

Almoravids The Almoravid dynasty ( ar, المرابطون, translit=Al-Murābiṭūn, lit=those from the ribats) was an imperial Berber Muslim dynasty centered in the territory of present-day Morocco. It established an empire in the 11th century that ...

(1040–1147), who was the first to unite Morocco, as well as significant regions in West Africa, Spain and Algeria. The Almoravids were responsible for making the Malikii school of Islamic jurisprudence the most prominent in Morocco. It was later under Almohad rule (1121-1269) that smaller Muslim sects were persecuted and orthodox

Sunni Islam 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 disagre ...

became prevalent across the country. In 2016, the government developed a strategy to further adherence to the Maliki Islamic school of thought. Religious education had textbook passages deemed promoting violence removed from the curriculum. As a result, religious textbooks had 24 lessons compared to the former 50.

Practice

According to Pew, 99% of

s in Morocco are Sunni predominantly of the Sunni Maliki madhab, or school of thought, whilst the remaining 1% adhere to other sects such as Shia, Quranism, ibadism etc. The administration of King Mohammed VI has combated the influence of

Salafism The Salafi movement or Salafism () is a Islah, reform branch movement within Sunni Islam that originated during the nineteenth century. The name refers to advocacy of a return to the traditions of the "pious predecessors" (), the first three g ...

via a state program where 100,000 imams will go to the country's 50000 mosques and promote the moderate Islam of the Maliki madhab. Morocco has a large

Salafi movement The Salafi movement or Salafism () is a reform branch movement within Sunni Islam that originated during the nineteenth century. The name refers to advocacy of a return to the traditions of the "pious predecessors" (), the first three generati ...

, notable figures among it include Omar al-Haddouchi and Hassan Kettani. There are also adherents to the

Quranist Quranism ( ar, القرآنية, translit=al-Qurʾāniyya'';'' also known as Quran-only Islam) Brown, ''Rethinking tradition in modern Islamic thought'', 1996: p.38-42 is a movement within Islam. It holds the belief that traditional religious cl ...

creed in Morocco, such as the author Rachid Aylal. published a critical book on Bukhari's work in 2017, ''Sahih Al-Bukhari… The End of a Legend''. It was banned in Morocco for disturbing spiritual security, purportedly due to pressure from Islamists.

Notes

References

References:Bibliography: * * * * * Geertz, Clifford. (1968). "Islam Observed: Religious Development in Morocco and Indonesia" . Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. * Munson Jr., Henry. (1993). " Religion and Power in Morocco" . New Haven: Yale University Press. * Terem, Etty. (2014). "Old Texts, New Practices: Islamic Reform in Modern Morocco". Stanford: Stanford University Press {{Africa in topic, Islam in Sunni Islam Maliki

History

Practice

See also

Notes

References