Pillars of Islam

The Five Pillars of Islam

• The profession of Faith (shahada). The belief that “There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God” is central to Islam. …
• Prayer (salat). Muslims pray facing Mecca five times a day: at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and after dark. …
• Alms (zakat). …
• Fasting (sawm). …
• Pilgrimage (hajj).

The Five Pillars of Islam

The Five Pillars are the core beliefs and practices of Islam:

1. The profession of Faith (shahada). The belief that “There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God” is central to Islam. This phrase, written in Arabic, is often prominently featured in architecture and a range of objects, including the Qur’an, Islam’s holy book of divine revelations. One becomes a Muslim by reciting this phrase with conviction.
2. Prayer (salat). Muslims pray facing Mecca five times a day: at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and after dark. Prayer includes a recitation of the opening chapter (sura) of the Qur’an, and is sometimes performed on a small rug or mat used expressly for this purpose (see image 24). Muslims can pray individually at any location (fig. 1) or together in a mosque, where a leader in prayer (imam) guides the congregation. Men gather in the mosque for the noonday prayer on Friday; women are welcome but not obliged to participate. After the prayer, a sermon focuses on a passage from the Qur’an, followed by prayers by the imam and a discussion of a particular religious topic.
3. Alms (zakat). In accordance with Islamic law, Muslims donate a fixed portion of their income to community members in need. Many rulers and wealthy Muslims build mosques, drinking fountains, hospitals, schools, and other institutions both as a religious duty and to secure the blessings associated with charity.
4. Fasting (sawm). During the daylight hours of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, all healthy adult Muslims are required to abstain from food and drink. Through this temporary deprivation, they renew their awareness of and gratitude for everything God has provided in their lives—including the Qur’an, which was first revealed during this month. During Ramadan, they share the hunger and thirst of the needy as a reminder of the religious duty to help those less fortunate.

1. Fig. 1. Portrait of Prince Muhammad Buland Akhtar, known as Achhe Sahib, at Prayer: Folio from an album, 17th century; painter: Hujraj; India; ink and opaque watercolor on paper; 13 1/16 x 9 in. (33.2 x 22.9 cm); The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Rogers Fund, 1925 (25.138.2)
   
   This illustration shows a Mughal prince praying on a mat that features an arch recalling the shape of a prayer niche (mihrab), symbolic of the gateway to Paradise. The prince is barefoot as a gesture of humility before God. The simplicity of his surroundings is an indication of piety; the emphasis here is on the prince’s spiritual nature rather than the opulence of his costume or surroundings (which is the case in many royal Mughal portraits; see The Mughal Court and the Art of Observation).5.Pilgrimage (hajj). Every Muslim whose health and finances permit it must make at least one visit to the holy city of Mecca, in present-day Saudi Arabia. The Ka’ba, a cubical structure covered in black embroidered hangings, is at the center of the Haram Mosque in Mecca (fig. 2). Muslims believe that it is the house Abraham (Ibrahim in Arabic) built for God, and face in its direction (qibla) when they pray. Since the time of the Prophet Muhammad, believers from all over the world have gathered around the Ka’ba in Mecca on the eighth and twelfth days of the final month of the Islamic calendar

1. .Fig. 2. Folio from the Futuh al-Haramain (Description of the Holy Cities), mid-16th century; by Muhi al-Din Lari; Turkey; ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper; 8 3/8 x 5 3/4 in. (21.3 x 13.3 cm); The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Rogers Fund, 1932 (32.131)
   
   This book illustration provides a schematic view of the innermost enclosure of the Haram Mosque in Mecca. It includes six minarets, the names of the gates, and even shows mosque lamps hanging in the arcades around the Ka’ba at the center of the composition. The book is a pilgrimage manual, which describes the holy cities of Mecca and Medina and the rituals that pilgrims are required to perform at each location. The most important of these rituals include walking around the Ka’ba seven times, running between the hills of Safa and Marwa to commemorate the story of Ishmael (Isma’il in Arabic) and his mother, and symbolically stoning the devil in the area of Mina.

The Five Pillars of Islam

Almost as soon as the Arab armies of Islam conquered new lands, they began erecting mosques and palaces and commissioning other works of art as expressions of their faith and culture. Many aspects of religious practice in Islam also emerged and were codified. The religious practice of Islam, which literally means “to submit to God”, is based on tenets that are known as the Five Pillars, arkan, to which all members of the Islamic community, Umma, should adhere.

Shahada, photo: musShahada, photo: mus

1. The Profession of Faith—The Shahada

The Profession of Faith, the shahada, is the most fundamental expression of Islamic beliefs. It simply states that “There is no God but God and Mohammad is his prophet.” It underscores the monotheistic nature of Islam. It is an extremely popular phrase in Arabic calligraphy and appears in numerous manuscripts and religious buildings.

2. Daily Prayers—Salat

Muslims are expected to pray five times a day. This does not mean that they need to attend a mosque to pray; rather, the salat, or the daily prayer, should be recited five times a day. Muslims can pray anywhere; however, they are meant to pray towards Mecca. The faithful pray by bowing several times while standing and then kneeling and touching the ground or prayer mat with their foreheads, as a symbol of their reverence and submission to Allah. On Friday, many Muslims attend a mosque near midday to pray and to listen to a sermon, khutba.

3. Alms-Giving—Zakat

The giving of alms is the third pillar. Although not defined in the Qu’ran, Muslims believe that they are meant to share their wealth with those less fortunate in their community of believers.

4. Fasting during Ramadan—Saum

During the holy month of Ramadan, the ninth month in the Islamic calendar, Muslims are expected to fast from dawn to dusk. While there are exceptions made for the sick, elderly, and pregnant, all are expected to refrain from eating and drinking during daylight hours.

Hundreds throng around the Kaaba at the start of Hajj (photo: Al Jazeera English, CC BY-SA 2.0)Hundreds throng around the Kaaba at the start of Hajj (photo: Al Jazeera English, CC BY-SA 2.0)

5. Pilgrimage to Mecca—Hajj

All Muslims who are able to are required to make the pilgrimage to Mecca and the surrounding holy sites at least once in their lives. Pilgrimage focuses on visiting the Kaaba and walking around it seven times. The pilgrimage occurs in the 12th month of the Islamic Calendar. Essay by Dr. Elizabeth Macaulay-Lewis

What are the five pillars of Islam?

The most important Islamic practices are the Five Pillars of Islam. The five pillars of Islam are Shahada, Salah, Zakat, Sawm, and Hajj.

Shahada (Faith)

The declaration of faith in one God (Allah) and His Messenger (peace be upon him).

Salah (Prayer)

The ritual prayer is required of every Muslim five times a day throughout their lifetime.

Zakat (Almsgiving)

The act of giving a portion of a Muslim’s wealth to those in need throughout their lifetime.

Sawm (Fasting)

The act of fasting during the holy month of Ramadan.

Hajj (Pilgrimage)

The sacred pilgrimage to Mecca is required of every Muslim at least once in their lifetime if it is within their means.

What do the 5 pillars of Islam mean?

There are five key practices that all Muslims are obligated to fulfill throughout their lifetime. These practices are referred to as pillars because they form the foundation of Muslim life. The five pillars of Islam are Shahada, Salah, Zakat, Sawm, and Hajj.

Why are the five pillars of Islam important?

Each of the five pillars works in tandem with one another to bring the essence of Islam as a religion of peace and submission to Allah SWT, into the lifestyle of every Muslim:

Monotheism and the belief in Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) as the last messenger of God is the central tenet of Islam around which everything else revolves, and reciting the Shahada (shahadah) in prayer each day serves to remind Muslims of this integral belief.

Salah (salat) occurs five times a day and offers five different opportunities for remembrance of Allah SWT and our purpose in this life to worship Him.

The month of Ramadan requires every Muslim to abstain from their most basic needs and desires, like food, drink, and sexual relations for a period of time each day. Every year, the Sawm gives Muslims the opportunity to gather control over their human needs. Without these distractions, Muslims can instead nurture good conduct and their connection to Allah SWT.

While Sadaqah (charity) is greatly encouraged to be a part of everyday Muslim life, it is obligatory to offer Zakat (alms) once a year, ensuring that wealth is continuously redistributed to those who are in need of it.

During the Hajj (pilgrimage), Muslims must each wear the same simple garments and perform the same ritual acts of devotion to Allah. Stripped of worldly distinction, people are reminded that all are equal before God.

Facts about the five pillars of Islam

• A Muslim must commit to each pillar and what it entails throughout their lives.
• Each pillar also accounts for those who may be unable to fulfill one or more of them, for example, due to ill health, menstruation or pregnancy, and a lack of financial means, amongst others.

What’s Islam Is?

Islam is the second-largest religion in the world after Christianity, with about 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide. Although its roots go back further, scholars typically date the creation of Islam to the 7th century, making it the youngest of the major world religions. Islam started in Mecca, in modern-day Saudi Arabia, during the time of the prophet Mohammad’s life. Today, faith is spreading rapidly throughout the world.

Islam Facts

• The word “Islam” means “submission to the will of God.”
• Followers of Islam are called Muslims.
• Muslims are monotheistic and worship one, all-knowing God, who in Arabic is known as Allah.
• Followers of Islam aim to live a life of complete submission to Allah. They believe that nothing can happen without Allah’s permission, but humans have free will.
• Islam teaches that Allah’s word was revealed to the prophet Mohammad through the angel Gabriel.
• Muslims believe several prophets were sent to teach Allah’s law. They respect some of the same prophets as Jews and Christians, including Abraham, Moses, Noah, and Jesus. Muslims contend that Muhammad was the final prophet.
• Mosques are places where Muslims worship.
• Some important Islamic holy places include the Kaaba shrine in Mecca, the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, and the Prophet Mohammad’s mosque in Medina.
• The Quran (or Koran) is the major holy text of Islam. The Hadith is another important book. Muslims also revere some material found in the Judeo-Christian Bible.
• Followers worship Allah by praying and reciting the Quran. They believe there will be a day of judgment, and life after death.
• A central idea in Islam is “jihad,” which means “struggle.” While the term has been used negatively in mainstream culture, Muslims believe it refers to internal and external efforts to defend their faith. Although rare, this can include military jihad if a “just war” is needed.

Mohammad (Peace Be Upon Him)

The prophet Mohammad (Peace Be Upon Him), sometimes spelled Mohammed or Mohammad, was born in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, in 570 A.D. Muslims believe he was the final prophet sent by God to reveal their faith to mankind.

According to Islamic texts and tradition, an angel named Gabriel visited Mohammad (Peace Be Upon Him) in 610 A.D. while he was meditating in a cave. The angel ordered Mohammad to recite the words of Allah.

Muslims believe that Mohammad (Peace Be Upon Him)continued to receive revelations from Allah throughout the rest of his life.

Starting in about 613, Mohammad (Peace Be Upon Him) began preaching throughout Mecca the messages he received. He taught that there was no other God but Allah and that Muslims should devote their lives to this God.

Hijra

In 622 AD, Mohammad (Peace Be Upon Him) traveled from Mecca to Medina with his supporters. This journey became known as the Hijra (also spelled Hegira or Hijrah) and marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar.

Some seven years later, Mohammad and his many followers returned to Mecca and conquered the region. He continued to preach until his death in 632.

Abu Bakr

After Mohammad’s passing, Islam began to spread rapidly.  A series of leaders, known as caliphs, became successors to Mohammad. This system of leadership, which was run by a Muslim ruler, became known as a caliphate.

The first caliph was Abu Bakr, Mohammad’s father-in-law, and close friend.

Abu Bakr died about two years after he was elected and was succeeded in 634 by Caliph Omar, another father-in-law of Mohammad.

Caliphate System

When Omar was assassinated six years after being named caliph, Uthman, Mohammad’s son-in-law, took the role.

Othman was also killed, and Ali, Mohammad’s cousin and son-in-law was selected as the next caliph.

During the reign of the first four caliphs, Arab Muslims conquered large regions in the Middle East, including Syria, Palestine, Iran, and Iraq. Islam also spread throughout areas in Europe, Africa, and Asia.

The caliphate system lasted for centuries and eventually evolved into the Ottoman Empire, which controlled large regions in the Middle East from about 1517 until 1917 when World War I ended the Ottoman reign.

Sunnis and Shiites

When Mohammad died, there was debate over who should replace him as a leader. This led to a schism in Islam, and two major sects emerged: the Sunnis and the Shiites.

Sunnis make up nearly 90 percent of Muslims worldwide. They accept that the first four caliphs were the true successors to Muhammad.

Shiite Muslims believe that only the caliph Ali and his descendants are the real successors to Mohammad. They deny the legitimacy of the first three caliphs. Today, Shiite Muslims have a considerable presence in Iran, Iraq, and Syria.

Other Types of Islam

Other, smaller Muslim denominations within the Sunni and Shiite groups exist. Some of these include:

• Wahhabi: This Sunni sect, made up of members of the Tameem tribe in Saudi Arabia, was founded in the 18th century. Followers observe an extremely strict interpretation of Islam that was taught by Mohammad bin Abd al-Wahhab.
• Alawite: This Shiite form of Islam is prevalent in Syria. Followers hold similar beliefs about the caliph Ali but also observe some Christian and Zoroastrian holidays.
• Nation of Islam: This mostly African-American, Sunni sect was founded in the 1930s in Detroit, Michigan.
• Kharijites: This sect broke from the Shiites after disagreeing over how to select a new leader. They are known for radical fundamentalism, and today are called Ibadis.

Quran

The Quran (sometimes spelled Qur’an or Koran) is considered the most important holy book among Muslims.

It contains some basic information that is found in the Hebrew Bible as well as revelations that were given to Mohammad. The text is considered the sacred word of God and supersedes any previous writings.

Most Muslims believe that Mohammad’s scribes wrote down his words, which became the Quran. (Muhammad himself was never taught to read or write.)Scroll to Continue

The book is written with Allah in the first person, speaking through Gabriel to Mohammad. It contains 114 chapters, which are called surahs.

Scholars believe the Quran was compiled shortly after Muhammad’s death, under the guidance of Caliph Abu Bakr.

READ MORE: Why the Quran Was a Bestseller Among Christians in 18th Century America

Islamic Calendar

The Islamic calendar, also called the Hijra calendar, is a lunar calendar used in Islamic religious worship. The calendar began in the year 622 A.D., celebrating the journey of Mohammad from Mecca to Medina.

The Islamic calendar indicates the proper days of Islamic holidays and celebrations, including the period of fasting and prayer known as Ramadan, which occurs during the ninth month of the calendar.

Islam Symbols

As in many religions, there is no single image or symbol of Islam that is universally accepted by all Muslims worldwide.

The crescent moon and star have been adopted in some predominantly Muslim countries as a symbol of Islam, though the crescent moon and star image is believed to pre-date Islam and was originally a symbol of the Ottoman Empire.  

In some other applications, such as the International Red Cross and Red Crescent humanitarian aid movement, a red crescent indicates that followers of Islam are respected and treated accordingly.

The color green is also sometimes associated with Islam, as it was reportedly a favorite color of Mohammad’s and is often featured prominently in the flags of predominantly Muslim countries.

Five Pillars of Islam

Muslims follow five basic pillars that are essential to their faith. These include:

• Shahada: to declare one’s faith in God and belief in Mohammad
• Salat: to pray five times a day (at dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset, and evening)
• Zakat: to give to those in need
• Sawm: to fast during Ramadan
• Hajj: to make a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once during a person’s lifetime if the person is able

Sharia Law

Islam’s legal system is known as Sharia Law. This faith-based code of conduct directs Muslims on how they should live in nearly every aspect of their lives.

Sharia law requires men and women to dress modestly. It also outlines marriage guidelines and other moral principles for Muslims.

If crimes are committed, Sharia law is known for its harsh punishments. For example, the punishment for theft is amputating a person’s hand. Adultery can carry the penalty of death by stoning. However, many Muslims do not support such extreme measures.

Muslim Prayer

The prophet Mohammad is credited with building the first mosque in the courtyard of his house in Medina. Mosques today follow some of the same principles he established in 622 A.D.

Muslim prayer is often conducted in a mosque’s large open space or outdoor courtyard. A mihrab is a decorative feature or niche in the mosque that indicates the direction to Mecca, and therefore the direction to face during prayer.

Men and women pray separately, and Muslims may visit a mosque five times a day for each of the prayer sessions. In addition to hosting prayers, mosques often function as public gathering places and social centers. 

Muslim Holidays

The two major Muslim holidays are:

Eid al-Adha: celebrates the Prophet Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son for Allah.

Eid al-Fitr: marks the end of Ramadan—the Islamic holy month of fasting.

Muslims also celebrate other holidays, such as the Islamic New Year and the birth of Mohammad.

Islam Today

In recent years, Islam’s supposed association with terrorism and mass murder has sparked a political debate in many countries. The controversial term “radical Islam” has become a well-known label to describe the religion’s connection to acts of violence.

Recent surveys have found that in countries with high Muslim populations, the majority of Muslims have overwhelmingly negative views of terrorist groups like ISIS.

While Muslims aim to clear up misconceptions about their faith, the religion continues to spread rapidly. Today, Islam is the world’s fastest-growing religion. Experts predict Islam will surpass Christianity as the largest religion by the end of the century.

Sources

Islam, BBC.
Islam: The Second Largest World Religion…And Growing Religious Tolerance.
Islam Fast Facts, CNN.
Basic Facts About Islam, PBS.
What is Sharia Law and How is it Applied? BBC.
In nations with significant Muslim populations, much disdain for ISIS. Pew Research Center.
Islam Rituals and Worship: Symbolism, The Religion Library.
The Islamic Calendar: TimeandDate.com.

What’s the population of Muslims in North America

3.45 million MuslimsIslam is the third largest religion in the United States, after Christianity and Judaism. A 2017 study estimated that 3.45 million Muslims were living in the United States, about 1.1 percent of the total U.S. population.

Islam in the Americas

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Islam is a minority religion in all of the countries and territories of the Americas, around 1% of North America population are Muslims, and 0.1% of Latin America and Caribbean populations are Muslims.^[1]

Suriname has the highest percentage of Muslims in its population for the region, with 15.2% or 85,637 individuals, according to its 2010 census. However, the United States, in which estimates vary due to a lack of a census question, is generally believed to have the largest population, with approximately 3.45 million Muslims living there,^[2] about 1.1 percent of the total U.S. population.^[3]

Most Muslims in the former British Caribbean came from the Indian subcontinent as laborers following the abolition of slavery.^[4] This movement also reached Suriname, although other Muslims there moved from a separate Dutch colony, which is now Indonesia. In the United States, the largest Muslim ethnic group is African Americans, who converted in the last century, including those who converted from the actions of the syncretic, radical, and revisionist group known as the Nation of Islam. However, in South America, the Muslim population is mainly composed of upper-class immigrants from the Levant, including those from Lebanon and Syria.^[5]

Contents

• 1Shias in the Americas
• 2Population by country
• 3See also
• 4References

Shias in the Americas[edit]

Main article: Shia in the Americas

Shia Muslims comprise 15-20% of Muslims in the Americas.^[6] Nearly 786,000 Shia Muslims are situated in the United States.^[7] The American Shia Muslim community are from different parts of the world such as South Asia, Europe, Middle East, and East Africa.^[8][9] They have many activities and have founded several organizations such as the Islamic Center of America and North America Shia Ithna-Asheri Muslim Communities Organization (NASIMCO).^[10]

Population by country[edit]

The population of Muslims varies across the Americas. Below is the percentage of every American country that was Muslim in 2010, according to a Pew Research Center estimate:^[11]

• Suriname – 15.2%
• Guyana – 6.4%
• Trinidad and Tobago – 6%
• Canada – 2.1%
• St. Vincent and the Grenadines – 1.5%
• British Virgin Islands – 1.2%
• United States – 1.1%
• Bermuda – 1.1%
• Argentina – 1.0%
• Barbados – 1.0%
• French Guiana – 1%
• Panama – 0.7%
• Antigua and Barbuda – 0.6%
• Cayman Islands – 0.4%
• Guadeloupe – 0.4%
• Anguilla – 0.3%
• Grenada – 0.3%
• St. Kitts and Nevis – 0.3%
• Venezuela – 0.3%
• Aruba – 0.2%
• Caribbean Netherlands – 0.2%
• Curaçao – 0.2%
• Martinique – 0.2%
• Sint Maarten – 0.2%
• St. Pierre and Miquelon – 0.2%
• Bahamas – 0.1%
• Belize – 0.1%
• Dominica – 0.1%
• Honduras – 0.1%
• St. Lucia – 0.1%
• U.S. Virgin Islands – 0.1%
• Bolivia – 0.1%
• Brazil – 0.1%
• Chile – 0.1%
• Colombia – 0.1%
• Costa Rica – 0.1%
• Cuba – 0.1%
• Dominican Republic – 0.1%
• Ecuador – <0.1%
• El Salvador – <0.1%
• Falkland Islands (Malvinas) – <0.1%
• Greenland – <0.1%
• Guatemala – <0.1%
• Haiti – 0.1%
• Jamaica – 0.1%
• Mexico – 0.1%
• Montserrat – <0.1%
• Paraguay – <0.1%
• Peru – 0.1%
• Puerto Rico – 0.1%
• Turks and Caicos Islands – <0.1%
• Uruguay – 0.1%

New estimates show U.S. Muslim population continues to grow

BY BESHEER MOHAMED

Muslims-related issues have prompted many people to ask how many Muslims actually live in the United States. But coming up with an answer is not easy, in part because the U.S. Census Bureau does not ask questions about religion, meaning there is no official government count of the U.S. Muslim population.

Still, based on our own survey and demographic research, as well as outside sources, Pew Research Center estimates that there were about 3.45 million Muslims of all ages living in the U.S. in 2017 and that Muslims made up about 1.1% of the total U.S. population.

Muslims in the U.S. are not as numerous as the number of Americans who identify as Jewish by religion, according to our estimate. At the same time, our projections suggest that the U.S. Muslim population will grow much faster than the country’s Jewish population. By 2040, Muslims will replace Jews as the nation’s second-largest religious group after Christians. And by 2050, the U.S. Muslim population is projected to reach 8.1 million, or 2.1% of the nation’s total population — nearly twice the share of today.

The latest estimate combines information from our 2017 survey of U.S. Muslims — which reported on the prevalence of Muslims among immigrants and other demographic groups —  with official Census Bureau data on the number of people in these groups.

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Muslims are not evenly distributed around the country. Some metro areas, such as Washington, D.C., have sizable Muslim communities. Likewise, certain states, such as New Jersey, are home to two or three times as many Muslim adults per capita as the national average. But there are also states and counties with far fewer Muslims.

Since our first estimate of the size of the Muslim American population, the number of U.S. Muslims has been growing rapidly, albeit from a relatively low base. When we first conducted a study of Muslim Americans in 2007, we estimated that there were 2.35 million Muslims of all ages (including 1.5 million adults) in the U.S. By 2011, the number of Muslims had grown to 2.75 million (including 1.8 million adults). Since then, the Muslim population has continued to grow at a rate of roughly 100,000 per year, driven both by higher fertility rates among Muslim Americans as well as the continued migration of Muslims to the U.S.

Religious conversions haven’t had a large impact on the size of the U.S. Muslim population, largely because about as many Americans convert to Islam as leaving the faith. Indeed, while about one-in-five American Muslim adults were raised in a different faith tradition and converted to Islam, a similar share of Americans who were raised Muslim now no longer identify with the faith.

Besheer Mohamed is a senior researcher focusing on religion at Pew Research Center.

Muslim Population by State 2022

Islam is an Abrahamic, monotheistic faith regarded as revealed through Muhammad as the Prophet of Allah. Islam’s religious text is the Quran, believed by Muslims to be the verbatim words of God and the teachings and normative examples of Muhammad.

Islam is the world’s second-largest religion, with over 1.9 billion followers known as Muslims. The countries with the highest Muslim populations are Indonesia, Pakistan, and India. Islam is the world’s fastest-growing religion and is forecasted to grow faster than Christianity by 2050.

Islam is the third-largest religion in the United States after Christianity and Judaism. There are a total of 3.45 million Muslims in the United States, according to a 2017 study, comprising about 1.1% of the total US population. American Muslims are one of the most racially diverse religious groups in the US with no majority race, split as 25% black, 24% white, 18% Asian, 18% Arab, 7% mixed race, and 5% Hispanic.

It is unclear when Islam first arrived in the United States. Approximately 10-20% of slaves brought to colonial America arrived as Muslims but were suppressed on plantations. During the 20th century, the United States saw the largest increase in the Muslim population. Between 1991 and 2012, approximately 1.7 million Muslims entered the United States as legal permanent residents. Approximately 72% of the American Muslim population are immigrants or “second generation.”

Here are the 10 states with the largest Muslim populations:

1. Illinois (2,800 per 100k)
2. Virginia (2,663 per 100k)
3. New York (2,028 per 100k)
4. New Jersey (1,827 per 100k)
5. Texas (1,678 per 100k)
6. Michigan (1,218 per 100k)
7. Florida (877 per 100k)
8. Delaware (793 per 100k)
9. California (732 per 100k)
10. Pennsylvania (634 per 100k)

Most MuslimsIllinois (2800)Least MuslimsMontana (34)

Muslim Population by State 2022

State	Muslims per 100K	2022 Pop.
Illinois	2,800	12,518,071
Virginia	2,663	8,638,218
New York	2,028	19,223,191
New Jersey	1,827	8,870,685
Texas	1,678	30,097,526
Michigan	1,218	9,995,212
Florida	877	22,177,997
Delaware	793	998,619
California	732	39,664,128
Pennsylvania	634	12,805,190
Maryland	632	6,075,314
Georgia	543	10,936,299
Connecticut	375	3,546,588
Nebraska	337	1,960,790
Colorado	333	5,961,083
Massachusetts	332	6,922,107
Minnesota	317	5,739,781
Ohio	290	11,727,377
Washington	284	7,887,965
North Carolina	273	10,807,491
Kansas	271	2,919,179
Wisconsin	259	5,867,518
Kentucky	256	4,487,233
Tennessee	242	7,001,803
Indiana	225	6,842,385
Louisiana	216	4,616,106
Alabama	215	4,949,697
Iowa	214	3,174,426
New Mexico	200	2,109,093
Oklahoma	197	4,007,179
Missouri	195	6,184,843
Utah	181	3,363,182
Mississippi	169	2,961,536
South Dakota	164	902,542
Rhode Island	137	1,062,583
Arizona	134	7,640,796
Alaska	130	720,763
Arkansas	128	3,042,017
Wyoming	127	582,233
South Carolina	125	5,342,388
New Hampshire	123	1,378,449
Idaho	110	1,896,652
Oregon	104	4,325,290
West Virginia	103	1,755,715
Maine	100	1,359,677
North Dakota	95	774,008
Nevada	63	3,238,601
Vermont	48	622,882
Hawaii	45	1,401,709
Montana	34	1,093,117