Religion in Pakistan

The Badshahi Masjid , Lahore - The largest mosque of the Mughal Empire . Census data indicates that 97% of the population of Pakistan are Muslims ; Islam is recognized as the state religion by the Constitution . 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). 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 ). The majority of Muslims in the country are Sunni , with a Shia minority estimated as ranging between 10 to 20 percent. Other sources estimate the Shia minority at nearly 30 percent. 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. 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 Badshahi Mosque 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 195,343,000 people of the nation. The remaining 2-5% practice Christianity , Hinduism and other religions. Muslims are divided into the following sects : the majority of them practice Sunni Islam , while 5-20% are Shias and 2.2% are Ahmadi Muslims , although the latter are not permitted to call themselves Muslim. Nearly all Pakistani Sunni Muslims belong to the Hanafi Fiqh Islamic law school. Library of Congress Country Studies on Pakistan . Religion: The overwhelming majority of the population (96.3 percent) is Muslim, of whom approximately 95 percent are Sunni and 5 percent Shia. The World Factbook on Pakistan . Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies . Approximately 97 percent of Pakistanis are Muslim. The majority are Sunnis following the Hanafi school of Islamic law. Between 10-15 percent are Shiis, mostly Twelvers. The World Factbook on Pakistan. 2010 . "Mapping the Global Muslim Population: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World's Muslim Population" . Pew Research Center . 7 October 2009 . United States Department of State .

Religion in Pakistan Islam ( state religion ) (96.3%) Hinduism (1.85%) Christianity (1.59%) Ahmadis (0.22%) Other Religions (0.07%) The Badshahi Mosque in Lahore , Pakistan , was built during the Mughal Empire . The state religion in Pakistan is Islam , which is practiced by 96.28% of the population. Freedom of religion is guaranteed by the Pakistani constitution , which established a fundamental right of Pakistani citizens, irrespective of their religion, to equal rights. The remaining 4% practice Hinduism , Christianity , Ahmadis , Sikhism , Baháʼí Faith and other religions. Muslims comprise a number of sects : the majority practice Sunni Islam (estimated at 75–95%), while 5–15% Shias Islam. Nearly all Pakistani Sunni Muslims belong to the Hanafi Fiqh Islamic law school. The majority of Pakistani Shia Muslims belong to the Twelver Islamic law school, with significant minority groups who practice Ismailism , which is composed of Nizari ( Aga Khanis ), Mustaali , Dawoodi Bohra , Sulaymani , and others. Religious minorities in Pakistan often face significant discrimination , subject to issues such as violence and misuse of the blasphemy law. It is claimed that since 1947, religious minorities went from 23% to 3.7% of the population, due to violence and discrimination they have faced, however the reason of decline has more to do with mass migration of nearly 5 million Hindus and Sikhs to India in 1947 and separation of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh ) in 1971 which contained nearly 22% of minorities of Pakistan leaving behind approximately 1.6% of minorities in West Pakistan. As per the census in 1998, there were less than 2.5 million Hindus in Pakistan. The Pakistan Hindu Council puts the population at an estimated 8 million as of Oct 2019. Library of Congress Country Studies on Pakistan . Religion: About 97 percent of Pakistanis are Muslim, 77 percent of whom are Sunni and 20 percent Shia; remaining 3 percent of population divided equally among Christian, Hindu, and other religions "Population: 174,578,558 (July 2010 est.)" . The World Factbook on Pakistan . Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies . Approximately 97 percent of Pakistanis are Muslims. The majority are Sunnis following the Hanafi school of Islamic law. Between 10–15 percent are Shiis, mostly Twelvers. Pakistan (includes Christian and Hindu) 4%. Pew Research Center . 9 August 2012 . On the other hand, in Pakistan, where 6% of the survey respondents identify as Shia, Sunni attitudes are more mixed: 50% say Shias are Muslims, while 41% say they are not. Migration and Small Towns in Pakistan .

Religion in Pakistan (2023 census) Islam (96.3%) Hinduism (2.17%) Christianity (1.37%) Others (0.11%) The official religion of Pakistan is Islam , as enshrined by Article 2 of the Constitution , and is practised by an overwhelming majority of 96.35% of the country's population. The remaining 3.65% practice Hinduism , Christianity , Ahmadiyya (considered a non-Muslim group as per Pakistani constitution ), Sikhism , Zoroastrianism and other religions. Muslims comprise a number of sects : the majority practice Sunni Islam (estimated at 85-90%), while a minority practice Shia Islam (estimated at 10-15%). Most Pakistani Sunni Muslims belong to the Hanafi school of jurisprudence, which is represented by the Barelvi and Deobandi traditions. However, the Ahl-i Hadith movement has also gained popularity together with Wahhabi influence from the Middle East . The majority of Pakistani Shia Muslims belong to the Twelver Islamic law school, with significant minority groups who practice Ismailism , which is composed of Nizari ( Aga Khanis ), Mustaali , Dawoodi Bohra , Sulaymani , and others. Before the arrival of Islam beginning in the 8th century, the region comprising Pakistan was home to a number of faiths, including Hinduism , Buddhism , Jainism and Zoroastrianism . The Oxford Dictionary of Islam . 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. Pew Research Center . 9 August 2012 . On the other hand, in Pakistan, where 6% of the survey respondents identify as Shia, Sunni attitudes are more mixed: 50% say Shias are Muslims, while 41% say they are not. Perhaps best known as home to Asia's earliest cities, the Harappan sites of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa, Pakistan's rich history includes contributions from prominent Buddhist, Hindu, Hellenistic, Jain and Zoroastrian civilizations, as well as those connected to its Islamic heritage. Culture and Customs of Pakistan .