Religion in Pakistan

The Badshahi Masjid, Lahore - The largest mosque of the Mughal Empire.

A census held by the Pakistan International Bureau indicates that 97% of the population of Pakistan are Muslims. There are small non-Muslim religious groups: Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsis, Bahá'ís, Kalash and others totaling 3%.

Islam arrived in the Sindh province of Pakistan in 711 AD through an Umayyad dynasty sent army led by Muhammad bin Qasim against the ruler of Sindh, Raja Dahir. The army conquered the northwestern part of Indus Valley from Kashmir to the Arabian Sea. The arrival of the Arab Muslims to the provinces of Sindh and Punjab, along with subsequent Muslim dynasties, set the stage for the religious boundaries of South Asia that would lead to the development of the modern state of Pakistan as well as forming the foundation for Islamic rule which quickly spread across much of South Asia. Following the rule of various Islamic empires, including the Ghaznavid Empire, the Ghorid kingdom, and the Delhi Sultanate, the Mughals controlled the region from 1526 until 1739. The Muslim technocrats, bureaucrats, soldiers, traders, scientists, architects, teachers, theologians and Sufis flocked from the rest of the Muslim world to Islamic Sultanate and Mughal Empire in South Asia and in the land that became Pakistan. The Muslim Sufi missionaries played a pivotal role in converting the millions of native people to Islam. As in other areas where Sufis introduced it, Islam to some extent syncretized with pre-Islamic influences, resulting in a religion with some traditions distinct from those of the Arab world. Two Sufis whose shrines receive much national attention are Ali Hajweri in Lahore (ca. eleventh century) and Shahbaz Qalander in Sehwan, Sindh (ca. twelfth century).

Census data indicates that 96% of the population are Muslims; therefore it is considered by many general Pakistanis as the national religion. The Muslims are divided into different sects which are called Madhab (Mazhab) i.e., schools of jurisprudence (also 'Maktab-e-Fikr' (School of Thought) in Urdu). Nearly 70% of Pakistani Muslims are Sunnis and 30% are Shi'as. Nearly all Pakistani Sunni Muslims belong to Hanafi school with a small group of Ahle Hadith. The Hanafi school is divided into Barelvis and Deobandis schools. While the majority of Pakistani Shia Muslims belong to Ithna Asharia branch with significant minority of Ismaili, both Nizari (Agakhanis) and Mustaali (Bohras). By one estimate, in Pakistan, Muslims are divided into following schools: the Barelvi 39%, Shia Ithna Asharia 25%, Deobandi 21%, Ahle Hadith 7%, Ismaili 3%, Bohra 0.25%, and other smaller sects. The Ahle Hadith are part of Hanbali school. Nearly 50% of the total seminaries (Madrassah) are run by Barelvis, 20 per cent by the Deobandis, 18% percent by the various Shi'a organizations and 10 percent by Ahle Hadith.

Religious minorities may only form four percent of Pakistan's population, but in business, education, medicine, and the arts their contribution is significant. All religions enjoy equal status under the Pakistani constitution. The largest minority are the Pakistani Hindus at 1.85%. Over 90% of Hindus reside in Sindh province. Christians are the second biggest minority group in Pakistan; they are distributed throughout the country and represent a wide cross-section of ethnic and linguistic stocks. Churches of virtually every denomination embellish the architectural horizon of most Pakistani cities. Although Pakistani Christians have not restricted themselves to any one area of activity, they have traditionally made an outstanding contribution in health, education, railways and the police force. They are also playing a growing role in the civil service and defense services.

The Parsis (Zoroastrians) are a very small minority concentrated in the larger cities and are almost exclusively engaged in business. Some of Pakistan's foremost hotel and shipping magnates are Parsis and the richer members of this community are well known for their philanthropic activities. The Buddhists are numerically very few but the cultural impact of their ancestors has enriched and marked their presence to the heritage of Pakistan. Ancient Buddhist temples, schools and cities dot the archaeological map of Pakistan. There are many important Sikh temples and shrines in Pakistan, most notable is Nankana Sahib. Every year Sikhs celebrate the festival of Vaisakhi from India's Punjab state to make pilgrimages to these historic places, which are looked after by the Pakistani Sikhs themselves.

The Constitution of Pakistan

The Constitution establishes Islam as the state religion. It provides everyone with the right to profess, practice, and propagate their religion subject to law, public order, and morality. The Constitution limits the political rights of non-Muslims. Only Muslims are allowed to become President or Prime Minister. Moreover, only Muslims are allowed to serve as judges in the Federal Shariat Court, which has the power to strike down any law deemed un-Islamic.

Religious population in Pakistan

• Muslims: 175,376,000
  • Sunni Muslims: 62%
  • Shia Muslims: 30%
• Ahmadis : 1,600,000
• Hindus: 3,600,000
• Christians: 3,200,000
• Bahá'í Faith: 30,000 - 78,000
• Sikhs: 20,000
• Zoroastrian/Parsis: 20,000
• Buddhism: 70,000
• Other (included Animists, Atheists, Jews, etc): unknown

Sources:

Islam

Main article: Islam in Pakistan

Islam is the national religion of Pakistan and 96% of Pakistanis are Muslims. The Muslims are divided into different sects which are called fiqh or Madhab (Mazhab) i.e., schools of jurisprudence (also 'Maktab-e-Fikr' (School of Thought) in Urdu). Nearly 68% of Pakistani Muslims are Sunnis and 30% are Shi'as which is the second major sect off Muslim sects in Pakistan. Nearly all Pakistani Sunni Muslims belong to Hanafi school with a small group of Ahle Hadith. The Hanafi school is divided into Barelvis and Deobandis schools. While the majority of Pakistani Shia Muslims belong to Ithna Asharia branch with significant minority of Ismaili, both Nizari (Agakhanis) and Mustaali (Bohras). By one estimate, in Pakistan, Muslims are divided into following schools: the Barelvi 41%, Shia Ithna Asharia 25%, Deobandi 21%, Ahle Hadith 5%, Ismaili 3%, Bohra 0.25%, and other smaller sects. The Ahle Hadith are part of Hanbali school. Nearly 35% of the total seminaries (Madrasahs) are run by Barelvis , 30 per cent by the Deobandis while 25 percent by the various Shi'a organizations and 10 percent by Ahle Hadith. Zikris are considered to be a heretical sect by Muslims. source: http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90233.htm

Ahmadiyya

See also: Ahmadiyya

The government of Pakistan does not consider this group followers of Islam. The Pakistani parliament has declared Ahmadis to be non-Muslims. In 1974, the government of Pakistan amended its constitution to define a Muslim "as a person who believes in finality of Prophet Muhammad". Ahmadis believe in Muhammad as the best and the last law bearing prophet and Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as the Christ of Muslims who was prophesized to come in the latter days and unite the Muslims. Consequently they were declared non-Muslims by a tribunal, the records of which have not been released to date. According to the last Pakistan census, Ahmadis made up 0.25% of the population. However the website adherents.com for the year 1995 proposed that the Ahmadiyya Muslim community was represented by 2,000,000 (1.42%) adherents; a much more neutral source. The Economist, however claims adherents amounting to about 4 million (2.3%). The Ahmadis claim their community is even larger.

Christianity

Main article: Christianity in Pakistan

Over 97% of Pakistan's population is Muslim; the rest is made up of 1.6% Christians about 2.8 million people out of a total population of 173 Million (Est. U.N. census 2008), 1.85% Hindu, with much smaller minorities of Buddhists, Sikhs, Bahá'ís, as well as others.

Although under the Pakistani constitution all religious minorities are equal, social prejudice is practiced with Christians. According to constitution, non-Muslims cannot become President, Prime Minister or the chief of army staff.

The adherents of Christianity are the second largest religious minority community in Pakistan. Christianity came to the areas now forming Pakistan most probably through the trade routes from Central Asia; in addition to influence from Syrian Christians in South India

A majority of the Pakistani Christian community belongs to converts from the low caste Hindus from Punjab region during the British colonial era while others are converts from Islam during the same period. The community is geographically spread throughout the Punjab province, whilst its presence in the rest of the provinces is mostly confined to the urban centers. There is a Roman Catholic community in Karachi which was established by Goan migrants when Karachi's infrastructure was being developed by the British during colonial administration between World War I and World War II.

Judaism

Main article: Jews and Judaism in Pakistan

Jews (Urdu: یہودی pronounced "Yehudi") are a very small religious group in Pakistan. Various estimates suggest that there were about 2,500 Jews living in Karachi at the beginning of the twentieth century, and a smaller community of a few hundred lived in Peshawar. There were synagogues in both cities; while the Karachi synagogue was burnt down the one in Peshawar still exists but has fallen into disuse. Nearly all Pakistani Jews have emigrated.

Hinduism

Main article: Hinduism in Pakistan

Hinduism has an ancient history in Pakistan, the Rig Veda was believed to have been composed in the Punjab region. Hindus today are a much reduced community numbering around 3 million. According to the last census 93% of Hindus live in Sindh, 5% in Punjab and nearly 2% in Balochistan.

Sikhism

Main article: Sikhism in Pakistan

Today, the number of Sikhs remaining in Pakistan is very small; estimates vary, but the number is thought to be on the order of 20,000. Over the years more and more Sikhs from abroad have been permitted to make pilgrimages to their shrines.

Buddhism

Main article: Buddhism in Pakistan

Like Hinduism, Buddhism has an ancient history in Pakistan. In fact at the time of the arrival of Islam much of the population was Buddhist. Today there are no established Buddhist communities and numbers are very few.

Parsi

Main article: Zoroastrianism

Before independence of Pakistan in 1947, major urban centres in what is now Pakistan were home to a thriving Parsi business community. Karachi had the most prominent population of Parsis in Pakistan and were mostly Gujarati-speaking. After independence, majority of Pakistan's Parsi populace migrated to India, notably Bombay; however a number of Parsis still remain in Pakistan and have entered Pakistani public life as social workers, business folk, and diplomats. The most prominent Parsis of Pakistan today include Ardeshir Cowasjee, Byram Dinshawji Avari, Jamsheed Marker, as well as the late Minocher Bhandara.

Bahá'í

Main article: Bahá'í Faith in Pakistan

The Bahá'í Faith in Pakistan begins previous to its independence when it was part of India. The roots of the religion in the region go back to the first days of the Bábí religion in 1844, with Shaykh Sa'id Hindi who was from Multan. During Bahá'u'lláh's lifetime, as founder of the religion, he encouraged some of his followers to move to the area that is current-day Pakistan.

In 1921 the Bahá'ís of Karachi elected their first Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assembly. By 1956 Bahá'í local assemblies spread across many cities, and in 1957, East and West Pakistan elected a separate National Bahá'í Assembly from India and later East Pakistan became Bangladesh with its own national assembly. Waves of refugees arrived in 1979 due to the Soviet Union invasion of Afghanistan and the Iranian Revolution in Iran.

The Bahá'ís in Pakistan have the right to hold public meetings, establish academic centers, teach their faith, and elect their administrative councils. However, the government prohibits Bahá'ís from travelling to Israel for Bahá'í pilgrimage. though Bahá'ís claimed less than half that number.ref name="synopsis"/>

Kalash Religion

This is the religion of the Kalash people living in a remote part of Chitral. Adherents of the Kalash religion number around 3,000 and inhabit three remote valleys in Chitral; Bumboret, Rumbur and Birir. Their religion is unique but shares some common ground with Vedic and Pre Zoroastrian Iranian religions. However more Kalasho live in provinces of Ningarhar, & Badakhshan in Afghanistan.

Atheism

Main article: Atheism

There are also an undetermined number of atheists and agnostics in Pakistan, particularly in the affluent areas of the larger cities. Some were born in secular families while others in religious ones. According to the last Pakistan census (1998) people who did not state their religion accounted for 0.5% of the population, although this cannot be considered a reliable indicator of the number of atheists.

There is slight of atheism in the country. Pakistan's laws, which stipulate the death penalty for blaspheming, institutionalize such discrimination. Subsequently, most atheists and agnostics keep their views private and choose to portray themselves publicly as indifferent Muslims rather than non-Muslims.

See also

• Demographics of Pakistan
• Islam in Pakistan
• Minorities in Pakistan