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Islam is the state religion in Bahrain. Due to an influx of immigrants and guest workers from India, the Philippines and Sri Lanka, the overall percentage of Muslims has declined since the late 20th century. Bahrain's 2010 census indicated that 90.2% of the population was Muslim. [1]
The Constitution of Bahrain states that Islam is the official religion and that Shari'a (Islamic law) is a principal source for legislation. Article 22 of the Constitution provides for freedom of conscience, the inviolability of worship, and the freedom to perform religious rites and hold religious parades and meetings, in accordance with the customs observed in the country; however, the ...
Bahraini citizens of Muslim faith belong to the Shi'a and Sunni branches of Islam. The last official census (1941) to include sectarian identification reported 52% (88,298 citizens) as Shia and 48% as Sunni of the Muslim population.
Islam is divided into two major denominations, Sunni and Shi'a. Of the total Muslim population, 87–90% are Sunni and 10–13% are Shi'a. Most Shi'as (between 68% and 80%) live in mainly four countries: Iran, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, and Iraq. [31]
Bahrain is known for its cosmopolitanism, Bahraini citizens are very ethnically diverse. [1] Though the state religion is Islam, the country is tolerant towards other religions: Catholic and Orthodox churches, Hindu temples as well as a (now-defunct) Jewish synagogue are present on the island. [2]
Bahrain is the dual form of Arabic word Bahr (meaning literally "sea"), so al-Bahrayn originally means literally "the two seas".However, the name has been lexicalised as a feminine proper noun and does not follow the grammatical rules for duals; thus its form is always Bahrayn and never Bahrān, the expected nominative form.
According to archeologist Geoffrey Bibby, Bahrain is the site of the ancient Dilmun civilization. It has been famed since antiquity for its pearl fisheries, which were considered the best in the world into the 19th century. Bahrain was one of the earliest areas to be influenced by Islam, during the lifetime of Muhammad in 628 AD.
Muharram in Bahrain is unique, as it is the only Arab country in the Persian Gulf region that has a Shia Muslim majority. [4] It has been estimated that thousands of Gulf nationals visit Bahrain during Ashura to participate in the religious processions.