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Concept
Islam in Pakistan
Summary
Islam is the largest and the state religion of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Pakistan is the second largest Muslim country in the world, with over 240 Million adherents. As much as 90% of the population follows Sunni Islam. Most Pakistani Sunni Muslims belong to the Hanafi school of jurisprudence, which is represented by the Barelvi and Deobandi traditions.
According to some estimates, the Barelvi and Deobandi are major school of thought followed by the Muslim population of Pakistan, some sources state Barelvis to be in majority and there are more populations (according to survey) of the Barelvi doctrine than of the Deobandi. Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, who was also a follower of the Deobandi school of thought, prioritized the implementation of Sunni policies and laws that were in line with Deobandi beliefs during his attempts at the Islamization of Pakistan.
Pakistan has been called a "global centre for political Islam". Pakistani nationalist narrative is based on the idea that Muslims of the Subcontinent are an independent nation with their own distinctive outlook on life that is different from the rest of subcontinent.
About 97% of Pakistanis are Muslims. Pakistan has the second largest number of Muslims in the world after Indonesia. The majority are Sunni (85-90%) while Shias make up between 10% and 15%. However, the Hanbali school is gaining popularity recently due to Wahabbi influence from the Middle East. Smaller minority Muslim populations in Pakistan include Quranists, nondenominational Muslims. There are also two Mahdi'ist based creeds practiced in Pakistan, namely Mahdavia and Ahmadis, the latter of whom are considered by the constitution of Pakistan to be non-Muslims, constitute 1% of the Muslim population. Pakistan has the world's largest Muslim majority city (Karachi).
Pakistan Movement
Islam had reached the Indian subcontinent during the lifetime of prophet Muhammad. According to a tradition, Baba Ratan Hindi was a trader from Punjab who was one of the non-Arab companions of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.
Official source
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