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Public worship by adherents of religions other than Islam is forbidden. [17] On the inhabited islands, the mosque forms the central place where Islam is practiced. [2] Because Friday is the most important day for Muslims to attend the mosque, shops and offices in towns and villages close around 11 a.m., and the sermon begins by 12:35 p.m. [2]
The country has an area of 1,300 square kilometres (500 sq mi) distributed across 1,200 coral atolls and islands, with a population of around 450,000. The population is a distinct ethnic group with historical roots in South Indian, Sinhalese, and Arab communities [citation needed]. The vast majority of the Muslim population practices Sunni Islam.
Islam is the state religion of the Maldives. [2] The 2008 Constitution or "Fehi Qānoon" declares the significance of Islamic law in the country. The constitution requires that citizenship status be based on adherence to the state religion, which legally makes the country's citizens hundred percent Muslim. [3]
Sunni Islam is the state religion. Historically, the Maldives were converted to Islam from Buddhism in the 12th century. Under the 2008 constitution Islam is the official religion of the entire population, as adherence to it is required for citizenship.
The North Indian system was ... the conversion of the Maldives to Islam happened relatively late. ... The 2014 Population and Housing Census listed the total ...
The Sultanate of the Maldive Islands [2] was an Islamic monarchy that controlled the Maldives for 815 years (1153–1968), with one interruption from 1953–1954.. Maldives was a Buddhist kingdom until its last monarch, King Dhovemi, converted to Islam in the year 1153; thereafter he also adopted the Muslim title and name Sultan Muhammad al-Adil.
The culture of the Maldives is derived from a number of sources, the most important of which is its proximity to the shores of Sri Lanka and South India. The population is mainly Indo-Aryan from the anthropological point of view. Islam is considered the religion of the country and only Muslims can become legal citizens.
It was previously known as Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, and was constituted by the president of Maldives, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom in 1996. [4] The institution was renamed in November 2008, [5] by the president of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed. The Ministry of Islamic Affairs' mandate is established by Constitution of Maldives.