Jump to content

Religion in Pakistan: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
revert, add source
Line 52: Line 52:
{{See|Parsi people}}
{{See|Parsi people}}


Zorastrianism is believed to have been a major religion in the region of Pakistan from the time it was part of the Persian Achemenid empire. Numerous Zorastrian fire temples still exist in Balochistan, Sindh and parts of Panjab. More recently, from the 15th century onwards, Zorastrians came to settle the coast of Sindh and have established thriving communities and commercial entreprises. These newer migrants where to be called Parsi. At the time of independence of Pakistan in 1947, Karachi and Lahore were home to a thriving [[Parsi people|Parsi]] business community. [[Karachi]] had the most prominent population of Parsis in Pakistan. After independence, many migrated abroad but a large number remained. Parsis have entered Pakistani public life as social workers, business folk, journalists and diplomats. The most prominent Parsis of Pakistan today include [[Ardeshir Cowasjee]], [[Byram Dinshawji Avari]], [[Jamsheed Marker]], as well as the late [[Minocher Bhandara]]. The founding father of Pakistan, M.A. Jinnah, married Ratti Bai who belonged to a Parsi family.
Zorastrianism is believed to have been a major religion in the region of Pakistan from the time it was part of the Persian Achemenid empire. Numerous Zorastrian fire temples still exist in Balochistan, Sindh and parts of Panjab. More recently, from the 15th century onwards, Zorastrians came to settle the coast of Sindh and have established thriving communities and commercial entreprises. These newer migrants where to be called Parsi. At the time of independence of Pakistan in 1947, Karachi and Lahore were home to a thriving [[Parsi people|Parsi]] business community. [[Karachi]] had the most prominent population of Parsis in Pakistan. After independence, many migrated abroad but a large number remained. Parsis have entered Pakistani public life as social workers, business folk, journalists and diplomats. The most prominent Parsis of Pakistan today include [[Ardeshir Cowasjee]], [[Byram Dinshawji Avari]], [[Jamsheed Marker]], as well as the late [[Minocher Bhandara]]. The founding father of Pakistan, [[Muhammad Ali Jinnah]], married [[Maryam Jinnah|Ratti Bai]] who belonged to a Parsi family, after her conversion to Islam.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pakistan.gov.pk/Quaid/life_quaid05.htm |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20081024215548/http://www.pakistan.gov.pk/Quaid/life_quaid05.htm |archivedate=24 October 2008|title=Quaid i Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah: Early days |publisher=Government of Pakistan}}</ref>


== Hinduism ==
== Hinduism ==

Revision as of 02:09, 2 February 2012

The Badshahi Masjid in Lahore, Pakistan, was built during the Mughal Empire

The state religion in Pakistan is Islam, which is practiced by about 95-98% of the 187,343,000[1][2] people of the nation.[3][4][5] The remaining 2-5% practice Christianity, Hinduism and other religions.[5][6] Muslims are divided into two major sects: the majority of them practice Sunni Islam, while the Shias are a minority who make up an estimated 5-20%, depending on the source.[3][5][6][7][8][9] Nearly all Pakistani Sunni Muslims belong to the Hanafi Islamic law school.[5] The majority of Pakistani Shia Muslims belong to the Ithnā‘Ashariyyah Islamic law school, with significant minority groups who practice Ismailism, which is composed of Nizari (Aga Khanis), Mustaali, Dawoodi Bohra, Sulaymani, and others.

The religion of Islam was first introduced in the territory that is now called Pakistan in the early 8th century, when the Umayyad dynasty, led by Muhammad bin Qasim, defeated Raja Dahir, the ruler of Sindh.[10][11] The Umayyad Muslims conquered the northwestern part of the Indus Valley, from Kashmir to the Arabian Sea. After the arrival of Arab Muslims to the provinces of Sindh and Punjab, several Islamic dynasties, including the Ghaznavids, the Ghurids, and the Delhi Sultanate, the Mughals controlled the region of current Pakistan, as well as much of North India, from 1526 until 1739. Muslim technocrats, bureaucrats, soldiers, traders, scientists, architects, teachers, theologians and Sufis flocked from the rest of the Muslim world to the Indian subcontinent during the Mughal era.

Constitutional provisions

The constitution of Pakistan establishes Islam as the state religion,[12] and provides all its citizens the right to profess, practice and propagate their religion subject to law, public order, and morality.[13] The constitution limits the political rights of Pakistan's non-Muslims, and only Muslims are allowed to become the President[14] or the Prime Minister.[15] 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.[16]

List of religions in Pakistan

Based on information collected from the Library of Congress, Pew Research Center, CIA World Factbook, Oxford University, University of Pennsylvania, U.S. State Department and others, the following is a list of estimations about the percentage of people professing different faiths in the country. These estimations vary considerably from source to source, depending on methods of research and databases that were used.

Islam

Main article: Islam in Pakistan
The Faisal Mosque in Islamabad, which is the largest mosque of Pakistan and is also one of the largest in the world, was built by King Faisal of Saudi Arabia.

Islam is the state religion of Pakistan, and about 95-98% of Pakistanis are Muslims.[5] The Muslims are divided into 2 sects, Sunni Islam and Shia Islam. The Shia Islam in Pakistan is practiced by 5-20%[3][5][6][7][8][9] of the Muslims and the remaining larger number of Muslims practice Sunni Islam.[3][6][7][8][9] There are a number of Islamic law schools called Madhab (schools of jurisprudence), which are called fiqh or 'Maktab-e-Fikr' in Urdu. Nearly all Pakistani Sunni Muslims belong to the Hanafi Islamic school of thought while small number belong to the Hanbali school. The majority of Pakistani Shia Muslims belong to the Twelver (Ithna Asharia) branch, with significant minority who adhere to Ismailism branch that is composed of Nizari (Aga Khanis), Mustaali, Dawoodi Bohra, Sulaymani, and others.

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. 11th century) and Shahbaz Qalander in Sehwan, Sindh (ca. 12th century).[citation needed]

Although members of Ahmadiyya (also known as Qadiani[21]) consider themselves to be Muslims, the government of Pakistan does not consider this group followers of Islam.[3][17] 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".[22] Ahmadis believe in Muhammad as the best and the last law bearing prophet[discuss] and Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as the Christ of Muslims who was prophesized to come in the latter days and unite the Muslims. Consequently[clarification needed] they were declared non-Muslims by a tribunal, the records of which have not been released to date.[citation needed] In 1984, Ordinance XX was enacted, which made it a crime for Ahmadis to call themselves Muslims or adherents of Islam, to "pose as Muslims", to call their places of worship Masjid, or to proselytize, punishable by a prison term. According to the last Pakistan census, Ahmadis made up 0.25% of the population, which is highly disputed due to the already existing state treatment of Ahmadis in Pakistan.[18] The website adherents.com[23] cited a report according to which the Ahmadiyya Muslim community was represented by 2,000,000 (1.42%) adherents in 1995. Several other news report however claim adherents amounting to about 4 million,[17][18][19] which is difficult to verify.

Christianity

Main article: Christianity in Pakistan
Saint Patrick's Cathedral, Karachi.

Christians (Urdu: عیسائی) make up 1.6% of Pakistan's population, about 2.8 million people out of a total population.[3] They are the second-largest religious minority community in Pakistan. The majority of the Pakistani Christian communities is constituted by converts from the low caste Hindus from Punjab region, from the British colonial era. 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 and Tamil 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) 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 20th century, and a smaller community living in Peshawar. There are several synagogues in both cities; while one Karachi synagogue was torn down for the construction of a shopping mall. The one in Peshawar still exists. There is a large Pakistani Jewish community in Ramla, Israel.

Buddhism

Main article: Buddhism in Pakistan

Buddhism has an ancient history in Pakistan. Current estimates vary as to the exact number of adherents. The country is dotted with numerous ancient Buddhist stupas along the entire breath of the Indus River that courses through the heart of the country. Many Buddhists empires and city states existed, notably in Gandhara but also elsewhere in Taxila, Panjab and Sindh. It is believed that Tantric Buddhism was developed in Pakistan's Swat valley. Pakistan and much of Afghanistan were one of the first regions to adopt Buddhism and which saw a large number of adherents to the faith. It is believed that through the Silk Road of northern Pakistan, that Buddhism spread later to Central Asia, China and beyond.

Zoroastrianism

Further information: Parsi people

Zorastrianism is believed to have been a major religion in the region of Pakistan from the time it was part of the Persian Achemenid empire. Numerous Zorastrian fire temples still exist in Balochistan, Sindh and parts of Panjab. More recently, from the 15th century onwards, Zorastrians came to settle the coast of Sindh and have established thriving communities and commercial entreprises. These newer migrants where to be called Parsi. At the time of independence of Pakistan in 1947, Karachi and Lahore were home to a thriving Parsi business community. Karachi had the most prominent population of Parsis in Pakistan. After independence, many migrated abroad but a large number remained. Parsis have entered Pakistani public life as social workers, business folk, journalists and diplomats. The most prominent Parsis of Pakistan today include Ardeshir Cowasjee, Byram Dinshawji Avari, Jamsheed Marker, as well as the late Minocher Bhandara. The founding father of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, married Ratti Bai who belonged to a Parsi family, after her conversion to Islam.[24]

Hinduism

Main article: Hinduism in Pakistan
Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Karachi

There are also followers of Hinduism in Pakistan. The Rig Veda, an ancient Hindu text was believed to have been composed in the Punjab region several thousand years ago and spread from there to much of South Asia slowly developing and evolving into the various forms of the faith we see today.[citation needed] Hindus today number around 3 million or about 1.6%.[3] Hinduism in Pakistan is unique in that there is no rigid form of caste distinction amongst its adherents and as such, is more egalitarian in nature. According to the last census 93% of Hindus live in eastern Sindh, 5% in Punjab and nearly 2% in Balochistan.[citation needed]

Sikhism

Main article: Sikhism in Pakistan
Nankana Sahib Gurdwara in Punjab, Pakistan

In the 17th century the reformist Sikh movement originated in Pakistan's Panjab region where Sikhism's founder as well as most of the faiths disciples originated from. There are a number of Sikhs living throughout Pakistan today; estimates vary, but the number is thought to be on the order of 20,000. In recent years, there numbers have increased with many Sikhs migrating from neighbooring Afghanistan who have joined their co-religionists in Pakistan.[9] The shrine of Guru Nanak Dev is located in Nankana Sahib near the city of Lahore where many Sikhs from all over the world make pilgrimage to this and other shrines.

Bahá'í

Main article: Bahá'í Faith in Pakistan

The Bahá'í Faith in Pakistan begins previous to its independence when it was still under British colonial rule. The roots of the religion in the region go back to the first days of the Bábí religion in 1844,[25] with Shaykh Sa'id Hindi who was from Multan.[26] 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.[27]

In 1921 the Bahá'ís of Karachi elected their first Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assembly.[26] By 1956 Bahá'í local assemblies spread across many cities,[28] 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.[29] Waves of refugees arrived in 1979 due to the Soviet Union invasion of Afghanistan and the Iranian Revolution in Iran.[30][31]

The Bahá'ís in Pakistan have the right to hold public meetings, establish academic centers, teach their faith, and elect their administrative councils.[32] However, the government prohibits Bahá'ís from travelling to Israel for Bahá'í pilgrimage.[33] Recent estimates are over 79,000[20] though Bahá'ís claimed less than half that number.[34]

Jainism

Main article: Jainism

Jainism is found mostly in Punjab,Balochistan,Khyber Pakhtoonkwa and Karachi. They are found in trace population. They are number of Jains Temples found in different parts of Pakistan. A number of people belonging to Jain religion is also found in Sindh. Some of the important cities of Pakistan like Sialkot,Pasrur,Gujranwala,lahore,Rawalpindi,Mianwali are heavily infuenced by Babra(a Jain community found in Pakistan). Guru Lalvani was ,(one of the famous Jain) from Pakistan. Baba Dharam Das tomb is also found in Pakistan (Parur). Digambar Temple is one of the famous Jain Temple In Pakistan.

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 Greek, Macedonian Pagan, Vedic and Pre-Zoroastrian religions.

Atheism and Agnosticism

Main articles: Atheism and Agnosticism

There are people who do not profess any faith (such as Atheists and Agnostics) in Pakistan but their numbers is not known.[35] They are particularly in the affluent areas of the larger cities. Some were born in secular families while others in religious ones. According to the 1998 census, people who did not state their religion accounted for 0.5% of the population, but social pressures against claiming no religion was strong.[9]

In September 2010 a Facebook group surfaced for Pakistani Atheists and Agnostics (PAA).[36] On August 2011, they launched their website www.e-paa.org which received more than 17,000 hits in just 48 hours after its launch from 95 countries.[35] The PAA wants a non-theist box to be added on the passport and to be easier for Pakistanis to change their religion legally if they want.[35]

See also

{{{inline}}}

References

  1. ^ http://www.spdc.org.pk/pubs/rr/rr73.pdf [dead link]
  2. ^ Information on other countries: http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDR_20072008_EN_Complete.pdf [page needed]
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Country Profile: Pakistan" (PDF). Library of Congress Country Studies on Pakistan. Library of Congress. February 2005. Retrieved 2010-09-01. Religion: The overwhelming majority of the population (96.3 percent) is Muslim, of whom approximately 95 percent are Sunni and 5 percent Shia.
  4. ^ "Population: 174,578,558 (July 2010 est.)". Central Intelligence Agency. The World Factbook on Pakistan. Retrieved 2010-08-28.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g "Pakistan, Islam in". Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2010-08-29. Approximately 97 percent of Pakistanis are Muslim. The majority are Sunnis following the Hanafi school of Islamic law. Between 10 and 15 percent are Shiis, mostly Twelvers.
  6. ^ a b c d e f "Religions: Muslim 95% (Sunni 75%, Shia 20%), other (includes Christian and Hindu) 5%". CIA. The World Factbook on Pakistan. 2010. Retrieved 2010-08-28.
  7. ^ a b c d e "Mapping the Global Muslim Population: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World's Muslim Population". Pew Research Center. October 7, 2009. Retrieved 2010-08-28.
  8. ^ a b c d e Miller, Tracy, ed. (October 2009). Mapping the Global Muslim Population: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World's Muslim Population (PDF). Pew Research Center. Retrieved 2010-08-28.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h "Pakistan - International Religious Freedom Report 2008". United States Department of State. Retrieved 2010-08-28.
  10. ^ Nicholas F. Gier, FROM MONGOLS TO MUGHALS: RELIGIOUS VIOLENCE IN INDIA 9TH-18TH CENTURIES, Presented at the Pacific Northwest Regional Meeting American Academy of Religion, Gonzaga University, May, 2006.
  11. ^ Alexander Berzin, "Part I: The Umayyad Caliphate (661 - 750 CE), The First Muslim Incursion into the Indian Subcontinent", The Historical Interaction between the Buddhist and Islamic Cultures before the Mongol Empire Last accessed September 11, 2007
  12. ^ The Constitution of Pakistan, Part I: Introductory
  13. ^ The Constitution of Pakistan, Part II: Chapter 1: Fundamental Rights
  14. ^ The Constitution of Pakistan, Part III: Chapter 1: The President
  15. ^ The Constitution of Pakistan, Notes for Part III, Chapter 3
  16. ^ The Constitution of Pakistan, Part VII: Chapter 3A: Federal Shariat Court
  17. ^ a b c "Ahmadi massacre silence is dispiriting". Declan Walsh. guardian.co.uk. June 7, 2010. Retrieved 2010-08-28.
  18. ^ a b c "Persecution of the Ahmadiyya Community in Pakistan". Harvard Human Rights Journal. Retrieved 30 August 2010.
  19. ^ a b "Fear and silence". Retrieved 5 September 2010.
  20. ^ a b "Most Baha'i Nations (2005)". QuickLists > Compare Nations > Religions >. The Association of Religion Data Archives. 2005. Retrieved 2009-07-04.
  21. ^ "Hardliners call for deaths of Surrey Muslims". The Independent. 21 October 2010. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
  22. ^ "The Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw)". Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. Retrieved 2009-07-29.
  23. ^ Adherents.com: Ahmadiyya
  24. ^ "Quaid i Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah: Early days". Government of Pakistan. Archived from the original on 24 October 2008.
  25. ^ "The Bahá'í Faith -Brief History". Official Website of the National Spiritual Assembly of India. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of India. 2003. Retrieved 2009-04-04.
  26. ^ a b "History of the Bahá'í Faith in Pakistan". Official Webpage of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Pakistan. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Pakistan. 2008. Retrieved 2009-04-12.
  27. ^ Momen, Moojan; Smith, Peter. "Bahá'í History". Draft A Short Encyclopedia of the Baha'i Faith. Bahá'í Library Online. Retrieved 2009-04-04.
  28. ^ Compiled by Hands of the Cause Residing in the Holy Land. "The Bahá'í Faith: 1844-1963: Information Statistical and Comparative, Including the Achievements of the Ten Year International Bahá'í Teaching & Consolidation Plan 1953-1963". pp. 47, 51, 107.
  29. ^ Hassall, Graham. "Notes on Research on National Spiritual Assemblies". Research notes. Asia Pacific Bahá'í Studies. Retrieved 2008-12-21.
  30. ^ "Bahá'í Faith in Afghanistan". Unofficial Website of the Bahá'ís of Afghanistan. Afghan Bahá'ís. Retrieved 2009-04-12.
  31. ^ Chun, Lisa (2008-07-16). "Message of Persecution - Fairfax doctor recalls Iranian persecution of father, members of Bahá'í faith". Arlington Connection.
  32. ^ Wardany, Youssef (2009). "The Right of Belief in Egypt: Case study of Baha'i minority". Al Waref Institute. Retrieved 2009-04-04.
  33. ^ "Top 20 Largest National Baha'i Populations". Adherents.com. Adherents.com. 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-18.
  34. ^ compiled by Wagner, Ralph D. "Pakistan". Synopsis of References to the Bahá'í Faith, in the US State Department's Reports on Human Rights 1991-2000. Bahá'í Academics Resource Library. Retrieved 2009-04-12.
  35. ^ a b c http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2011/09/being-pakistani-and-atheist-a-dangerous-combo-but-some-ready-to-brave-it/
  36. ^ http://ibnlive.in.com/news/pakistani-muslim-youths-turning-into-atheists/130354-19-93.html
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Religion_in_Pakistan&oldid=474507865"