Islam has been the official religion and part of the governments of Iran since the Arab conquest of Iran c.
What is the main religion in Iran?
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 of Iran. [i] By contrast, most Arab states in the Middle East are predominantly Sunni.
Why did Iran convert to Islam?
Iran and the Islamic culture and civilization
The Islamization of Iran was to yield deep transformations within the cultural, scientific, and political structure of Iran’s society: The blossoming of Persian literature, philosophy, medicine and art became major elements of the newly forming Muslim civilization.
Is Iran an Islamic country?
Religion. The great majority of Iranians are Muslims, or followers of Islam. Most Iranians belong to the Shi’a branch of Islam, which is described in the article on Islam. Iran is the major Shi’ite country in the Muslim world .
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.
Is Iran a religious country?
The constitution defines the country as an Islamic republic and specifies Twelver Ja’afari Shia Islam as the official state religion. It states all laws and regulations must be based on “Islamic criteria” and an official interpretation of sharia.
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.
When 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.
Is Iran the only Shia country?
Iran always had been a Shia country , the largest one, with a population of about 83 million. Also potentially, there are as many Shias in India as there are in Iraq.
What is the fastest growing religion in Iran?
Of the three non-Muslim religions recognized by the Iranian government, the 2011 General Census indicated that Christianity was the largest in the nation. Evangelical Christianity is growing at 19.6% annually, according to Operation World, making Iran the country with the highest annual Evangelical growth rate.
What language do they speak in Iran?
Persian, known to its native Iranian speakers as Farsi , is the official language of modern day Iran, parts of Afghanistan and the central Asian republic of Tajikistan. Persian is one of the most important members of the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European family of languages.
Is Iran a safe country?
Iran is generally a very safe place to travel , so much so that many travellers describe it as the ‘safest country I’ve ever been to’, or ‘much safer than travelling in Europe’.
Is Saudi Arabia mostly Sunni or Shia?
According to official statistics 90% of Saudi Arabian citizens are Sunni Muslims , 10% are Shia. (More than 30% of the population is made up of foreign workers who are predominantly but not entirely Muslim.) It is unknown how many Ahmadis there are in the country, as Ahmadis are not recognized by Saudi Arabia.
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?
Estimates of their number in Iran range from 70,000 to 200,000 . ... After the Iranian Revolution, many Armenians emigrated to Armenian diasporic communities in North America and Western Europe. Today the Armenians are Iran’s largest Christian religious minority.
What is the punishment for blasphemy in Iran?
Blasphemy is punishable by death in Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Brunei, Mauritania and Saudi Arabia. Among non-Muslim-majority cases, the harshest blasphemy laws are in Italy, where the maximum penalty is three years in prison.
