Islam is thestate religion of theMaldives. The2008 Constitution or "Fehi Gānoon" declares the significance ofIslamic 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 100% Muslim.
Islamic influence in the Maldives may date as far back as the 10th century, with mentions of the region by Arabic accounts dating to around the 9th and 10th centuries.[1] Some Maldivians were already Muslim before the conversion of the king around 1153.[2] The importance of theArabs as traders in the Indian Ocean by the 12th century may partly explain why the lastBuddhist king of MaldivesDhovemi converted toIslam in the year 1153[3] (or 1193, for certain copper plate grants give a later date).[4] The king thereupon adopted theMuslim title and name (in Arabic) ofSultan (besides the old Dhivehi title ofMaha Radun orRas Kilege orRasgefānu[citation needed]) Muhammad al-Adil, initiating a series of six Islamic dynasties consisting of eighty-foursultans andsultanas that lasted until 1932 when the sultanate became elective.[3] The formal title of the Sultan up to 1965 was,Sultan of Land and Sea, Lord of the twelve-thousand islands and Sultan of the Maldives which came with the styleHighness.[citation needed] The person traditionally deemed responsible for this conversion was aSunni Muslim visitor named Abu al-Barakat Yusuf al-Barbari.[3] His venerated tomb now stands on the grounds of Medhu Ziyaaraiy, opposite[citation needed] theHukuru Mosque in the capitalMalé.[3] Built in 1656, this is the oldest mosque in Maldives.[3]
Scholars believe that the Islamization of the Maldives was a gradual process that likely took centuries, beginning before the official conversion of king Dhovemi and ending significantly after his conversion.[1]
Maghrebi/Berber theory Arab interest in the Maldives also was reflected in the residence there in the 1340s ofIbn Battutah.[3] The well-known Moroccan traveller wrote how a Berber from North Morocco, oneAbu Barakat Yusuf the Berber, was believed to have been responsible for spreading Islam in the islands, reportedly convincing the local king after having subdued Ranna Maari, a demon coming from the sea.[5] Even though this report has been contested in later sources, it does explain some crucial aspects of Maldivian culture. For instance, historicallyArabic has been the prime language of administration there, instead of thePersian andUrdu languages used in the nearby Muslim states. Another link toNorth Africa was theMaliki school of jurisprudence, used throughout most of North Africa, which was the official one in the Maldives until the 17th century.[6]
Some scholars have suggested the possibility of Ibn Battuta misreading Maldive texts, and having a bias or felt partial towards the North African Maghrebi/Berber narrative of this Shaykh. Instead of the East African origins account that was known as well at the time.[7] Even when Ibn Battuta visited an island of the Maldives, the governor of the island at that time wasAbd Aziz Al Mogadishawi, aSomali.[8]
Also another prominent Shaykh on the island during Ibn Battuta's stay, wasShaykh Najib al Habashi Al Salih, another learned man from the Horn of Africa. His presence Indicating a strong Horn of African Islamic presence on the Island.[9]
Scholars have spoken thatAbu al-Barakat Yusuf al-Barbari might have been a resident ofBerbera, a significant trading port on the north western coast ofSomaliland.[10]Barbara orBarbaroi (Berbers), as the ancestors of theSomalis were referred to by medievalArab and ancientGreek geographers, respectively.[11][12][13] This is also seen when Ibn Battuta visitedMogadishu, he mentions that the Sultan at that time 'Abu Bakr ibn Shaikh Omar', was a Berber (Somali).
Another interpretation, in theRaadavalhi andTaarikh,[14][15] is that Abu al-Barakat Yusuf al-Barbari was Abu al-Barakat Yusuf Shams ud-Dinat-Tabrizi, also locally known as Tabrīzugefānu. In the Arabic script the words al-Barbari and al-Tabrizi are very much alike, since, at the time, Arabic had several consonants that looked identical and could only be differentiated by overall context (this has since changed by addition of dots above or below letters to clarify pronunciation – For example, the letter "ب" in modern Arabic has a dot below, whereas the letter "ت" looks identical except there are two dots above it). "ٮوسڡ الٮٮرٮرى" could be read as "Yusuf at-Tabrizi" or "Yusuf al-Barbari".
Islam is thestate religion ofMaldives, and adherence to it is legally required for citizens by a revision of the constitution in 2008: Article 9, Section D and 10 states,
A non-Muslim may not become a citizen of the Maldives.[16]The religion of the State of the Maldives is Islam. Islam shall be the one of the [sic] basis of all the laws of the Maldives. No law contrary to any tenet of Islam shall be enacted in the Maldives.[17]
The traditionalIslamic law code ofsharia forms the Maldives' basic code of law, as interpreted to conform to local Maldivian conditions by the President, the attorney general, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Majlis.[3] Article 142 of the constitution states,
When deciding matters on which the Constitution or the law is silent, Judges must consider Islamic Shari’ah.[17]
Proselytizing by non-Muslims in Maldives, including the public possession and distribution of non-Muslim religious materials (such as the Bible), is illegal. Public worship by adherents of religions other than Islam is forbidden.[18]
On the inhabited islands, the mosque forms the central place where Islam is practiced.[3] 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., reopening at 1 or 2 p.m., and the sermon begins by 12:35 p.m.[3]
Theprayer call is performed by theMudhimu (Muezzin).[3] Most shops and offices close for fifteen minutes after each call.[3] During the ninth Muslim month ofRamadan, cafés and restaurants are closed during the day, and working hours are limited.[3]
Most inhabited Maldivian islands have severalmosques;Malé has more than thirty.[3] Most traditional mosques are whitewashed buildings constructed of coral stone with corrugated iron or thatched roofs.[3] In addition to regular mosques are smaller, temporary mosques which accommodate fewer worshippers. These mosques are built in less time and labour in place of other mosques and buildings and will be demolished later on.
In Malé, the Islamic Centre and the Grand Friday Mosque, built in 1984 with funding from thePersian Gulf states,Pakistan,Brunei, andMalaysia, are imposing, elegant structures.[3] The gold-colored dome of this mosque is the first structure sighted when approaching Malé.[3] In mid-1991 Maldives had a total of 724 mosques and 266 women's mosques.[3] However in recent years, mosques made especially for women have been demolished and reconstructed for other purposes. All mosques in Maldives have a separate area where the women pray. Following the Islamic holy month ofRamadan is the holiday ofEid al-Fitr, and at early morning on this day the locals gather in congregation, usually at a large open field or park, to perform the EidSalah.
The Guardian estimates that 50-100 fighters have joinedISIS andal-Qaeda from the Maldives.[19] The Financial Times puts the number at 200.[20]
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In 2008 after the ratification of the new constitution, multi-party democracy was instated in the Maldives.
The Maldivian religious party named theAdhaalath Party was founded by the religious scholars and religious activists. Under the new freedom of speech and relaxed laws radicalism and different forms of religious factions rose in Maldives.
The religious extremism was controlled by the state, since in every presidency the coalition governments consisted with the Adhaalath Party's affiliation. The Islamic Ministry and major executive portfolio is represented by the Adaalath Party. In the Maldives, general clothing guidelines are observed as per democratic law instated and extremism is punishable by lengthy jail sentences.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.
{{cite encyclopedia}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)In reference to Ibn Battuta's Moroccan theory of this figure, citation 8 of this text mentions, that other accounts identify Abu al-Barakat Yusuf al-Barbari as East African or Persian. But as fellow Maghribi, Ibn Battuta likely felt partial to the Moroccan version.
It surprised India when Nasheed freed two prime accused in the 2007 Sultan Park bombings in Male in August 2010. We are planning to send Mohamed Sobah and Ahmed Naseer [the two accused] back to jail. We feel they are dangerous to our society and we are not willing to risk internal security, said Ahmed Muneer, deputy commissioner of the Maldives police.
