Islam inIraq has a rich and complicated history dating back almost 1,400 years, since the lifetime of theProphet Muhammad (c. 570 – 8 June 632 CE).[1] As one of the first places in the world to accept Islam, Iraq is a mostly Muslim nation, with about 98% of the people identifying as Muslim.[2] There are the two main branches of Islam in Iraq:Shia Islam, which is practiced by about 50-60% of Muslims andSunni Islam, which is practiced by about 35-45%.[3][4]
Iraq holds a prominent place in Islamic history and has been a hub of Islamic thought and government.Baghdad was once the capital of theAbbasid Caliphate and a center ofIslamic scholarship.[5] The famous Sunni thinkerAbu Hanifa taught inKufa, andIbn Hanbal taught in Baghdad.[6] The tomb ofAli ibn Abi Talib, the firstShia Imam and the fourthcaliph, is inNajaf, a major pilgrimage site.[7]Karbala was the site of theBattle of Karbala in 680 AD, which had a significant impact on Shia beliefs and practices.[8] TheKadhimiya neighborhood in Baghdad contains the shrines of the seventh and ninth Shia ImamsMusa al-Kazim andMuhammad al-Jawad,[9] while theAl-Askari Shrine inSamarra is the site of the tombs of the tenth and eleventh Shia ImamsAli al-Hadi andHasan al-Askari.[10]
Throughout history, Iraq has also been the site of manyfitnas, or religious splits, that have changed the way sects interact with each other.[11][12] This makes it an important place to study Islamic history and the relationships between different sects.[13]
Islam was introduced toIraq in 636 AD, after the defeat ofSasanian forces by theRashidun Caliphate at theBattle of al-Qadisiyyah.[14] Following the murder of theCaliph Uthman, the Sunni and Shi'ite tradition of Islam emerged in Iraq. In 661, after the death of Ali—Muhammad's cousin and considered by the Shi'ite to be the rightful Caliph—by the hands of aKharijite, Iraq fell into the hands of theUmayyad Caliphate.[14] Under the Umayyad Caliphate, Islam spread farther throughout the known world.
The reign of the Umayyad Caliphate came to an end in 750, when they were overthrown by a religion-inspired military revolt, bringing theAbbasid Caliphate into power. The Abbasid Caliphate was a Sunni dynasty, and under their stewardship, the Sunni tradition of Islam flourished in Iraq. Furthermore, in 762, the Abbasid Caliphate moved the center of the Islamic world from Syria, where the Umayyad Caliphate ruled, toBaghdad in Iraq. Islamic religious scholars (Ulama), flourished under the Abbasid Caliphate. With the establishment of theHouse of Wisdom in Baghdad, Ulama codified many Islamic texts, and the Sunni tradition of Islam established itself and its formal practices. Under the Abbasid Caliphate the Sunni schools of thought (madhhabs) emerged.[14]
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Iraq is home to many religious cities important for both Shia and Sunni Muslims.[15]Baghdad was a hub ofIslamic learning and scholarship for centuries and served as the capital of theAbbasids.[16] Baghdad also is home to two prominent Shia Imams in what is known asKadhimiya, Iraq. The city ofKarbala has substantial prominence in Shia Islam as a result of theBattle of Karbala, fought on 10 October 680. Similarly,Najaf is renowned as the site of the tomb ofAlī ibn Abī Tālib (also known as "Imām Alī"), whom the Shia consider to be the righteous caliph and firstimām. The city is now a great center of pilgrimage from throughout the Shi'a Islamic world and it is estimated that onlyMecca andMedina receive more Muslim pilgrims. The city ofKufa was home to the famed scholarAbu Hanifah, whose school of thought is followed by many Sunni Muslims internationally. Kufa was also the capital of theRashidun Caliphate during the time ofAli. Likewise,Samarra is also home to theal-Askari Mosque, containing the mausoleums of theAli al-Hadi andHasan al-Askari, the tenth and eleventhShia Imams respectively, as well as themaqam (or "point") ofMuhammad al-Mahdi, who is the twelfth and final Imam of the Shia Madhhab. This has made it an important pilgrimage centre for Ja'farī Shia Muslims. In addition, some female relatives of Muhammad are buried in Samarra, making the city one of the most significant sites of worship for Shia Muslims and a venerated location for Sunni Muslims. Iraq was also the place of many thefitnas (schisms) that occurred in the beginning.
The data on the religious affiliation of Iraq's population is uncertain. 95–99% of the population are Muslims.[17][18] In 2020, the Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA) estimated that 97% of Iraqis followed Islam, with 61% being Shia and 35% Sunni.[19] An older estimate by theCIA World Factbook reported that 36–39% of Iraqis were Sunni Muslims and 61-64% were Shia Muslims.[17][20] According to a 2011 survey byPew Research, 51% of the Muslims identified as Shia and 42% as Sunni.[18] David Smock of the United States Institute of Peace stated in 2003 that Shiites constituted about 55-60% of the Muslim population and Sunnis represented 35-40%.[21]
Iraqi Sunni Arabs mainly inhabit the provinces ofAl-Anbar,Salah al-Din,Nineveh,Kirkuk,Diyala, and parts ofBaghdad. Iraqi Sunni Arabs are split into multipletribes, includingDulaim,Al-Bu Nasir,Al-Bu Nimr,Al-Ubaid,Otaibah,Shammar andMutayr.[22]
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Islam is theofficial religion of Iraq and the source of its legislation.
In 1968 theMinistry of the Interior prohibitedminiskirts, citingsharia law.[23]
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