Sunni and Shi’i are the two largest branches of Islam, with the overwhelming majority of Iranians practicing
Shi’i Islam
. About 90 percent of Iranians practice Shi’ism, the official religion
What religions were represented in the population of Iran?
The population of Iran has historically been between 98 and
99 percent Muslim
, of which the dominant portion, some 89 percent of total Muslims, have been Shi’a, the rest being Sunni (mostly Turkomans, Arabs, Baluchis, and Kurds living in the southwest, southeast, and northwest).
What is the majority faith in Iran?
The vast majority of Iranians are
Muslims of the Ithnā ʿAsharī, or Twelver, Shiʿi branch
, which is the official state religion. The Kurds and Turkmen are predominantly Sunni Muslims, but Iran’s Arabs are both Sunni and Shiʿi. Small communities of Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians are also found throughout the country.
What is the faith of Persians?
By 650 BCE,
the Zoroastrian faith
, a monotheistic religion founded on the ideas of the philosopher Zoroaster, had become the official religion of ancient Persia. Later Judaism and then Christianity came to Persia via Mesopotamia, with both developing vibrant faith communities in Persian lands.
When did Iran convert to Islam?
Islam has been the official religion of Iran since then, except for a short duration after the Mongol raids and establishment of Ilkhanate. Iran became an Islamic republic
after the Islamic Revolution of 1979
which ended the Persian monarchy.
Can you practice Christianity in Iran?
Christians of Iran have played a significant part in the history of Christian mission. Currently there are at least 600 churches and
500,000–1,000,000 Christians
in Iran.
What are the top 3 religions in Iran?
According to the 2011 Iranian census, 99.98% of Iranians believe in
Islam
, while the rest of the population believe in other officially recognized minority religions: Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism.
Is Iran a religious country?
Iran’s census claims that
99.5% of the population are Muslim
, a figure that hides the state’s active hostility toward irreligiosity, conversion and unrecognised religious minorities. Iranians live with an ever-present fear of retribution for speaking against the state.
Are Iranians Arabs?
With the exception of various minority ethnic groups in Iran (one of which is Arab),
Iranians are Persian
. … Persian and Arab histories only merge in the 7th century with the Islamic conquest of Persia.
Which is oldest religion in world?
The word Hindu is an exonym, and while
Hinduism
has been called the oldest religion in the world, many practitioners refer to their religion as Sanātana Dharma (Sanskrit: सनातन धर्म, lit.
Can Tourists drink alcohol in Iran?
Despite the ban on alcohol and frequent police raids, drinking in Iran is widespread, especially among the wealthy. … Only members of religious minorities – Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians –
are allowed to brew
, distil, ferment and drink, in their homes, and trade in liquor is forbidden.
Who is the god of Persian?
God in Zoroastrianism is known as
Ahura Mazda
, an omnipotent, supreme figure. In an older Iranian tradition, Ahura Mazda was said to have created the twin spirits of good and evil — Spenta Mainyu and Angra Mainyu, also known as Ahriman.
How did Iran convert to Islam?
Islam was brought to
Iran via Arab-Islamic conquest in 650 AD
and has played a shifting, anomalous role in this nation-state ever since. The ideas of nationalism, secularism, religion, and revolution are unique in this Muslim country.
Is Iran the only Shia country?
Iran is unique in the Muslim world because its population is
overwhelmingly more Shia than Sunni
(Shia constitute 95% of the population) and because its constitution is theocratic republic based on rule by a Shia jurist.
Can you be Catholic in Iran?
The Catholic Church in Iran is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. There are
about 21,380 Catholics
in Iran out of a total population of about 78.9 million. They follow the Chaldean, Armenian and Latin Rites.
Are there Armenians in Iran?
Today in Iran there are
about 150,000 – 300,000 Armenians left
, half of which live in the Tehran area. A quarter live in Isfahan, and the other quarter is concentrated in Northwestern Iran or Iranian Azerbaijan. The majority of Armenians live in the suburbs of Tehran, most notably Narmak, Majidiyeh, Nadershah, etc.
