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This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Islam in the Philippines" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(November 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Islam in the Philippines is the second largest religion in the country,^[1] and the faith was the first-recordedmonotheisticreligion in the Philippines. Historically, Islam reached thePhilippine archipelago in the 14th century,^[2][3] through contact withMuslimMalay and Arabmerchants alongSoutheast Asiantrade networks,^[4] in addition to Yemeni missionaries from the tribe ofBa 'Alawi sada of Yemen from thePersian Gulf, southern India, and their followers from severalsultanates in the widerMalay Archipelago. The first Sunni Sufi missionaries then followed in the late 14th and early 15th centuries.^[5] They facilitated the formation of sultanates and conquests in mainlandMindanao andSulu.^[6] Those who converted to Islam came to be known as theMoros, with Muslim conquest reaching as far asTondo that was later supplanted byBruneian Empire vassal-state ofMaynila.^[7]

Muslim sultanates had already begun expanding in the central Philippines by the 16th century, when the Spanish fleet led byFerdinand Magellan arrived.^[8] The Spanish referred to Muslim inhabitants of the Philippines as "Moros," after the Muslim "Moors" they had regarded with disdain inIberia and the Maghreb.^[4] The subsequent Spanish conquest led toCatholic Christianity becoming the predominant religion in most of the modern-day Philippines, with Islam becoming a significant minority religion.^[9][10]

In the 21st century, there is some disagreement regarding the size of the Muslim population. The 2020 census conducted by thePhilippine Statistics Authority found that 6.4% (6,981,710) of Filipinos were Muslims,^[1] up from 6.0% (6,064,744) in 2015.^[11] However, it was reported in 2004 that some Muslim groups asserted that the proper number was between eight and twelve percent.^[12] Presently, theNational Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) estimates Muslims constitute 11% of the total population, attributing the difference to a number of factors.^[13]

Most Muslims live in parts of Mindanao, Palawan, and the Sulu Archipelago – an area known asBangsamoro or theMoro region.^[14] The Bangsamoro region is predominantly Muslim, with 91% of its 4.9 million inhabitants adhering to Islam.^[1] Some have migrated into urban and rural areas in different parts of the country. Most Muslim Filipinos practiceSunni Islam according to theShafi'i school with theHanbali (Athari) school in minority.^[15]

In 1380, the Sunni ShaykhMakhdum Karim reached theSulu Archipelago andJolo in the Philippines and established Islam in the country through trade in several regions of the island. In 1390,Minangkabau PrinceRajah Baguinda and his followers preached Islam on the islands.^[16][17] TheSheik Karimol Makhdum Mosque was the first mosque established in the Philippines onSimunul inMindanao in the 14th century.^[17]

Subsequent settlements by Indian Muslim missionaries traveling toMalaysia andIndonesia helped strengthen Islam in the Philippines and each settlement was governed by adatu,rajah andsultan. Islam was introduced byChinese Muslims,Indian Muslims, andPersians. Islamic provinces founded in the Philippines included the SunniSultanate of Maguindanao,Sultanate of Sulu,Confederate States of Lanao and other parts of the southern Philippines.

When the Spanish fleet led byMiguel López de Legazpi arrived in the Philippines in 1565, they were met by local datus as they traveled in the islands. Arriving in theMaynila (now the Philippine capital ofManila), a vassal-state of the Sultanate of Brunei, in 1570 they were met by the Muslim rajah,Rajah Sulayman.

By the next century conquests had reached theSulu islands in the southern tip of thePhilippines where the population wasBuddhist andHindu and they took up the task of converting the animistic population to Islam with renewed zeal. By the 15th century, half ofLuzon (Northern Philippines) and the islands ofMindanao in the south had become subject to the various Muslimsultanates ofBorneo and much of the population in the almost ofSouth were converted to Islam. However, theVisayas was largely dominated byHindu-Buddhist societies led byrajahs anddatus who strongly resistedIslam. One reason could be the economic and political disasters preeuropeanMuslim pirates from the Mindanao region brought during raids. These frequent attacks gave way to naming present-dayCebu as then-Sugbo or scorched earth which was a defensive technique implemented by theVisayans so the pirates had nothing much to loot.^[18][19]

The Chinese MuslimmarinerZheng He is credited with founding several Chinese Muslim communities duringChina'searly Ming dynasty.^[20]

In the year 1498–99, theBruneian Empire conducted a series of raids against the natives of theTaytay inPalawan and the island ofMindoro which had been subjugated to the Islamic Bruneian Empire under SultanBolkiah.^[21]

Furthermore, Sultan Bolkiah's victory over Sulu,^[22] as well as his marriages to Laila Menchanai the daughter of Sulu Sultan Amir al-Ombra (an uncle of Sharifa Mahandun married to Nakhoda Angging or Maharaja Anddin of Sulu), and to the daughter of Datu Kemin, widened Brunei's influence in the Philippines.^[23]

In Luzon, a new dynasty in Maynila began under a local leader who acceptedIslam and becameRajah Salalila who created a union through his marriage to the daughter of Sultan Bolkiah and Puteri Laila Menchanai of Sulu, which established Brunei's influence in the region. He also posed a trading challenge to the House of Lakandula in Tondo. Islam was further strengthened by the arrival of Muslim traders and from Jolo, Mindanao, Malaysia, and Indonesia.^[24][25]

Rajah Sulayman was the Rajah of Maynila, a polity at the mouth of thePasig River where it meetsManila Bay, at the time theSpanish forces first came to Luzon.^[26][27][28]

Sulayman resisted the Spanish forces along withRajah Matanda andLakan Dula.^[29]

Moro (derived from theSpanish word meaningMoors) is the appellation inherited from theSpaniards, for Filipino Muslims of Mindanao. The Spanish distinguished the Moro from theIndios, which referred to the Christianized people of Luzon and the Visayas. Islam continued to spread in Mindanao, from centers such as Sulu and Cotabato.^[30]

The Muslims seek to establish an independent Islamic province in Mindanao to be namedBangsamoro. The termBangsamoro is a combination of anOld Malay word meaningnation orstate with theSpanish wordMoro which meansMuslim. A significantMoro Rebellion occurred during thePhilippine–American War. Conflicts and rebellion have continued in the Philippines from the pre-colonial period up to thepresent. Other related issue with the Moro secession is theterritorial dispute of easternSabah inMalaysia which was claimed by theSultanate of Sulu as theirterritory.

The Moros have a history of resistance against Spanish, American, and Japanese rule for over 400 years. The violent armed struggle against theSpanish,Americans,Japanese andFilipinos is considered by current Moro (Muslim) leaders as part of the four centuries long "national liberation movement" of the Bangsamoro (Muslim Nation).^[31] The 400-year-long resistance against the Japanese, Filipinos, Americans, and Spanish by the Moro/Muslims persisted and morphed into their current war for independence against the Philippine state.^[32]

Muslim leaders in Zamboanga petitioned theOttoman Empire to send a representative to advise them on religious matters. A scholar from theShaykh al-Islām was sent in response.^[33]

In 2012, research was conducted on cultural properties in Islamic areas in Mindanao. The research included the 'Maradika' Qur'an of Bayang, the notes found in the Qur'an of Bayang, the Qur'an and Islamic manuscripts of the Sheikh Ahmad Bashir collection, the 'Dibolodan' Qur'an of Bacong in Marantao, the Qur'an and the prayer scroll of Guro sa Masiu in Taraka, the 'Story of the Prophet Muhammad' at the Growing Memorial Research Center of the Dansalan College, and the Islamic Manuscript Art of the Philippines. In 2014, the Maradika Qur'an of Bayang was declared as aNational Cultural Treasure, the first Islamic manuscript in the Philippines to be declared as such.^[34][35]

In 2018, a unification gathering of all the sultans of the Sulu archipelago and representatives from all ethnic communities in the Sulu archipelago commenced inZamboanga City, declaring themselves as theBangsa Sug peoples and separating them from theBangsa Moro peoples of mainland central Mindanao. They cited the complete difference in cultures and customary ways of life as the primary reason for their separation from the Muslims of mainland central Mindanao. They also called the government to establish a separate Philippine state, calledBangsa Sug, from mainland Bangsa Moro or to incorporate the Sulu archipelago to whatever state is formed in the Zamboanga peninsula, if ever federalism in the Philippines is approved in the coming years.^[36]

There is also a growing community of Filipino converts to Islam, known popularly asBalik Islam (return or returnees to Islam), often led by former Christian missionary converts.^{[37][38][39][40]}

At the end of 2014, theNCMF estimated that there were 200,000–2,000,000 Filipinos who had converted to Islam since the 1970s.^[45][46]

Most Muslims in the Philippines live on the island ofMindanao, theSulu Archipelago andPalawan, also known collectively as MINSUPALA. TheBangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) is theregion of thePhilippines that is composed of all the Philippines' predominantly Muslimprovinces, namely:Basilan (exceptIsabela City),Lanao del Sur,Maguindanao del Norte,Maguindanao del Sur,Sulu andTawi-Tawi. It also comprised thecities ofMarawi,Lamitan, andCotabato City and the63Barangays inCotabato who opted to join theautonomous region. It is the onlyregion that has its own government. The regional capital is atCotabato City, which is outside the jurisdiction of the former and defunctAutonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) but is now part of theBangsamororegion after the majority of the residents voted in favor for their inclusion in the autonomous region in theratification of theBangsamoro Organic Law on January 21, 2019.^[47]

Other provinces and regions with large Muslim populations as well have a significant history with Moro/Muslims includeMetro Manila,Cavite,Rizal,Bulacan,Bicol Region,Metro Cebu,Eastern Visayas, southernPalawan,Soccsksargen,Lanao del Norte,Davao City and theZamboanga Peninsula. However, these are not part of the Bangsamoro region.

The predominantly Muslimethnolinguistic groups of the Philippines are theIranun,Jama Mapun,Kalagan,Kalibugan,Maguindanao,Maranao,Molbog,Sama (including theBadjao,Balanguingui, and variousTawi-Tawi Sama groups),Sangil,Tausūg, andYakan.^[48][49] Muslims who were formerly Christians and animists are called theBalik Islam.

Sufism was also brought through travelling merchants and often interspersed with the classical ASWJ. Representatives of this were themakhdumin, the first missionaries of Islam in the Philippines. Examples are the Darul Abdulqadir Jilani Dergah in Talon-Talon,Zamboanga City, and the Maharlika Blue Mosque community inTaguig City.

There are already many practitioners of Sufism in the country from different social status. The orders ortariqas that are present in the country are: the Naqshbandi Aliya, Naqshbandi Chisti, Qadiri, Rifai, Shattari, Rifai Qadiri Shadhili, Tijani, and Khalwati. The Naqshbandi Aliya tariqa have the most followers, concentrated in Manila, Cebu, Zamboanga, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi. There are also Sufis from the students and alumni of known universities, such as theAteneo de Manila University, theAteneo de Zamboanga University, andWestern Mindanao State University.^[50]

Arrived during the early stages of Islam inSoutheast Asia, it was brought through travelling merchants and was often interspersed withSufism. Adherents are required to follow one school of law (madhhab) as a guidance in their legal and daily affairs.

Generally, inSoutheast Asia, most adherents of the ASWJ follow theShafi'i school of law, and theAsh'ari school of theology. Examples are the Sabiel al-Muhtadien and Darul Makhdumin Madrasah, located in Zamboanga,Basilan,Sulu, andTawi-Tawi.

The first Shi'as to arrive, together with the Sufis, were theIsma'ilis and theKaysaniyyas (earlier offshoots ofShi'ism), who eventually blended with the orthodox (ASWJ) Muslims. More Shi'as would later arrive at the height of the 1979Islamic Revolution inIran. Examples are the Masjid Imam Mahdi in Suterville, Zamboanga City, and the Masjid Karbala inMarawi City.

Also referred to as,Ilmu kamaasan,Ilmu kamatoahan,Ilmu sa Matoah, andIlmu Minatoah (knowledge of the elders), it is anindigenized amalgamation of Islam from the preceding schools of thought and local cultural customs, this is actually contextualized and simplified according to how the elders have understood Islam and the process of Islamization of the communities. These are normally communities located in far rural areas.

Also known as theAthari, it is originally a school of thought from theHanbali madhhab otherwise referred to as Traditionalist theology or Scripturalist theology, it then became the deviated school ofWahhabi Islam which is more puritanical in adherence to the Quran and Sunnah in the way of Salafu As-Salih.

This school of thought is notable for active propagation and conversion of people to Islam (Balik Islam phenomenon), marked intolerance for interfaith and intrafaith engagements,^{[51][52][53][54][55]} Examples of these groups are the Mahad Moro, Mahad Salamat, and Mahad Quran wal Hadith Zamboanga City, the Mercy Foundation in Manila and Davao City, the Al-Maarif Educational Center in Baguio City, and the Jamiatul Waqf al-Islamie, and Jamiato Monib al-Kouzbary al-Arabiyah in Marawi City.

This is the mainstream Sunni school of Islamic theology, founded by the Arab Muslim scholar, Shāfiʿī jurist, reformer (mujaddid), and scholastic theologian,Abū al-Ḥasan al-Ashʿarī in the 9th–10th century,^[56][57] with the Persian Muslim scholar, Ḥanafī jurist, reformer (mujaddid), and scholastic theologianAbū Manṣūr al-Māturīdī in the 9th–10th century,^[58][59] it established an orthodox guideline based on scriptural authority,^[60] rationality, and theological rationalism.^[61] It is also a school of theology supporting the use of reason and speculative theology (kalām) to defend the faith.

Almost 95% of Sunni around the world areAsh'ari andMaturidi.^[62] They have a few educational institutions in the country, such as the Jamiatu Al-Hikmah^[63] inMulondo,Lanao del Sur and the Muhajireen wal Ansar Academy^[64] in Taguig City as well as the 3 prominent ones namely, Darul Ifta Region 9 and Palawan, Sabiel al-Muhtadien and Darul Makhdumin Madrasah, located in Zamboanga,Basilan,Sulu, andTawi-Tawi. The Sunni center of the Philippines is Region 9 headed by theGrand Mufti of Darul Ifta Region 9 and Palawan lead byGrand Mufti Walid Abubakar who succeeded Grand Mufti Abdulbaki Abubakar.

TheTablighi Jama'at is a revivalist movement originated in South Asia, aiming at revitalizing Muslims’ practice of Islam. Politically neutral and tolerant, they are characterized bykhurūj (regular traveling from one mosque to another) events to call people back to the mosque and pray, as well as their annual gatherings calledijtema'at. They are the most moderate, apolitical, andpacifist among the different Muslim groups.

Most FilipinoTablighi Jama'at members areAsh'ari andMaturidi scholars, such as Sheikh Aminollah Mimbala Batua and Mawlana Mahdi Batua, as well as Filipino ASWJ scholars like Mawlana Dr. Abdullatif Cadhe Sirad.

They can be found in many mosques, most prominent is the Jama'at of Mawlana Mahdi Batua of theMasjid Al-Dahab inQuiapo,Manila.

Nurcu is an Islamic movement calling people back to Islam. The basis of unity of this group is the multi-volume compilation of articles and books called theRisale-i Nur ("epistle of light" inTurkish), which is a voluminous commentary on the Quran and Hadith byBediuzzaman Said Nursî, one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century.

Nursî's main theme in his works is answering modern man's major crisis – the absence of certainty of Faith. TheRisale-i Nur is a monumental work that aims to address this. He also said that all suffering in the world is because of three things: ignorance, poverty, and misunderstanding. In his opinion, this can be healed by knowledge, service, and understanding others. This is elucidated in hismagnum opus as a guide to Muslims.

This group is active in many parts of the country and has trained many educators. Notable among them is the Risale-i Nur Institute inCagayan de Oro City and theirdershaneler in different cities across the Philippines. They are also responsible for publishing many Islamic books for use in elementary, junior high, and high schools, as well as universities and colleges. It was tested in the formerAutonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, during the term of thenCHED Regional Secretary Norma Sharief.

It was founded by Turkish scholarFethullah Gülen. Their principles actually come from theRisale-i Nur, except that in the present political context, it has been listed as a terrorist organization by theTurkish government since2016.

However, it is important to note that theHizmet movement focuses on the principles of "service to humanity" and "dialogue and cooperation" as mechanisms of understanding others. They are well known to have established several schools in the Philippines and is considered a world standard inscience and mathematics education.

Considered by most Muslim groups as heretics and non-Muslims,Ahmadis (as they call themselves) also believe in the major tenets of Islam, except they believed thatMirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani is the last prophet and the promisedMahdi or "messiah", of which majority of Muslim sects disagree due to the concept about the finality on the Prophethood ofMuhammad.

This community consists of expatriates and predominantlyBadjaos, who are normally in the lowest social strata inMoro society.^[65]

Derived from Shia Islam, theAhmadi Religion of Peace and Light (AROPL), also called the Ahmadi Religion (not to be confused with the Sunni- and Sufi-derived messianist sect ofAhmadiyyah), is amessianistsyncretic religious movement founded and led by an Egyptian-American religious leaderAbdullah Hashem Aba as-Sadiq, a follower of Iraqi Shia Muslim clericAhmad al-Hassan, hence the name of the movement. Abdullah Hashem claimed and is believed by his followers to be the al-Qa'im (the secondMahdi), as Ahmad al-Hassan is the first Mahdi, who is also the key figure of the movement. Having elements ofJudaism,Christianity as well asZoroastrianism,Hinduism,Jainism,Buddhism and other world religions, many of AROPL's doctrines oppose those of traditional Islam, for example, the movement believes that theKaaba is actually inPetra,Jordan instead ofMecca,Saudi Arabia;hijab andniqab wearing is not mandatory but they are either allowed; and the belief inreincarnation. Unlike also traditional Islam, the movement has its own sacred book calledThe Goal of the Wise, authored by Abdullah Hashem. AROPL's headquarters is located inManchester, United Kingdom.

The religious movement is relatively small, although increasing members are estimated to be less than a thousand followers globally, with at least three or four Filipino converts are reported.^{[citation needed]}

• 
  An Indigenous tribal food jar known asgadur, well known for its brass with silver inlay
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  A chest made of wood and bone inlay
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  Kutiyapi the native boat-shaped lute of the archipelago
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  Saddle panel, wood with shell inlay
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  Saddle panel, wood with shell inlay
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  Kubing (nativejaw harp) handle, horn with brass studs
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  Agung - large bass nipple-gongs native to thePhilippines, and other parts ofMaritime Southeast Asia

• List of mosques in the Philippines
• Balik Islam
• Religion in the Philippines
• Grand Mufti Walid Abubakar

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