Islam in Malawi: Difference between revisions

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Islam is the second largest religion in Malawi behind Christianity. Nearly all of Malawi's Muslims adhere to Sunni Islam.^[1] Though difficult to assess,^[2] according to the CIA Factbook, in 2018 about 13.8% of the country's population was Muslim.^[3] Muslim organisations in the country claim a figure of 15-20%.^[4] According to the latest census (2018), Muslims make up 13.8% (2,426,754) of the country's population.^[5]^[6] According to the Malawi Religion Project^[7] run by the University of Pennsylvania, in 2010 approximately 19.6% of the population was Muslim, concentrated mostly in the Southern Region.^[8]

History

Islam arrived in Malawi with the Arab and Swahili traders who traded in ivory, gold and later on slaves beginning from 15th century. It is also argued that Islam first arrived in Malawi through traders from the Kilwa Sultanate.^[9] Two Muslim teachers, Shayhks Abdallah Mkwanda and Sabiti Ngaunje, also played an important role in the spread of Islam.^[10] According to UNESCO, the first mosque was built by Swahili-Arab ivory traders.^[11]

During the colonial era, the authorities in the country feared that Islam posed the greatest threat, as an ideology of resistance, to their rule.^[12] This view was shared by Christian missionaries, who greatly feared that Islam could unite Africans in hostilities and uprisings against colonial rule.^[13]

The Yao converted to Islam in the 19th century, comprising the largest Muslim group in Malawi since.^[14] Some Chewa also converted to Islam during the same period.^[15]

The 1970s witnessed the start of an Islamic revival among Muslims in Malawi, as well as among Muslims across the globe.^[16] Recently, Muslim groups have engaged in missionary work in Malawi. Much of this is performed by the African Muslim Agency, based in Kuwait. The Kuwait-sponsored AMA has translated the Qur'an into Chichewa (Cinyanja),^[17] one of the official languages of Malawi, and has engaged in other missionary work in the country. There are thought to be about 800 jumu'ah mosques in the country, with at least one or two to be found in nearly every town.^[18] There are also several Islamic schools^[19] and a broadcasting station called Radio Islam.^[20] A major Muslim center of learning exists in Mpemba, outside of Blantyre, funded mainly by money from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.^[13]

Demography

A large number of Muslims in Malawi come from the Yao people,^[21] who are described as "the most important source of Islam in the country".^[22] Even before their conversion to Islam, many Yao chiefs used Swahili Muslims as scribes and advisers.^[23] As a result of their strong trading contacts with Swahili-Arabs, many Yao adopted Islam and the two groups had cases of intermarriages in the past.^[24] The Yao form the largest majority south and east of Lake Malawi.^[25] Muslims can also be found among other groups, such as the lakeside Chewa people^[10] and Indian^[26] and other Asian Malawians.^[2] Muslims in the country have been described as a "vocal and powerful community."^[13]

In general, most Malawian Muslims are Sunni. According to a source, 72 percent of Muslims are ethnic Yao and 16 percent are ethnic Chewa.^[27] Most Muslims of African descent in Malawi are Sunni and belong to the Shafi'i madhhab. Meanwhile, Muslims of Asian descent in Malawi are also mostly Sunni and belong to the Hanafi madhhab. Additionally, there is a small number of Shiites among people of Lebanese origin in Malawi.^[28]

According to the 2018 census, over half of Malawian Muslims live in Mangochi and Machinga district. Muslims comprised 72.6% of the population in Mangochi district and 66.9% of the population in Machinga.^[28]

Distribution

^[6]
Area	Muslim Population	Total Population	Muslim Percentage
Malawi	2,426,754	17,563,749	13.82%
Northern	31,571	2,289,780	1.38%
Chitipa	181	234,927	0.08%
Karonga	5,035	365,028	1.38%
Nkhata Bay	3,079	284,681	1.08%
Rumphi	2,957	229,161	1.29%
Mzimba	10,996	940,184	1.17%
Likoma	329	14,527	2.26%
Mzuzu City	8,994	221,272	4.06%
Central	516,200	7,523,340	6.86%
Kasungu	18,769	842,953	2.23%
Nkhotakota	94,487	393,077	24.04%
Ntchisi	1,556	317,069	0.49%
Dowa	7,038	772,569	0.91%
Salima	146,605	478,346	30.65%
Lilongwe	27,992	1,637,583	1.71%
Mchinji	14,200	602,305	2.36%
Dedza	78,868	830,512	9.50%
Ntcheu	15,987	659,608	2.42%
Lilongwe City	110,698	989,318	11.19%
Southern	1,878,983	7,750,629	24.24%
Mangochi	834,644	1,148,611	72.67%
Machinga	492,560	735,438	66.98%
Zomba	147,123	746,724	19.70%
Chiradzulu	40,342	356,875	11.30%
Blantyre	35,955	451,220	7.97%
Mwanza	1,678	130,949	1.28%
Thyolo	15,291	721,456	2.12%
Mulanje	38,135	684,107	5.57%
Phalombe	7,867	429,450	1.83%
Chikwawa	9,451	564,684	1.67%
Nsanje	5,825	299,168	1.95%
Balaka	152,298	438,379	34.74%
Neno	2,029	138,291	1.47%
Zomba City	14,877	105,013	14.17%
Blantyre City	80,908	800,264	10.11%

Notable Muslims

An important Malawian Muslim is Bakili Muluzi, the first (and only) freely elected President of Malawi from 1994 to 2004. Another important Malawian Muslim was the late Sidik Mia, who was a minister in the Tonse Alliance elected in the 2020 Malawi tripatite Elections and died in 2021.

Cassim Chilumpha is a prominent politician that has served as Vice-President of Malawi.^[15] Atupele Muluzi, son of Bakili Muluzi, is also a notable politician who is Muslim.^[15]

References

^ Klaus Fiedler (2015). Conflicted Power in Malawian Christianity: Essays Missionary and Evangelical from Malawi (illustrated ed.). Mzuni Press. pp. 180–1. ISBN 9789990802498.
^ ^a ^b Arne S. Steinforth (2009). Troubled Minds: On the Cultural Construction of Mental Disorder and Normality in Southern Malawi. Peter Lang. p. 79. ISBN 9783631587171.
^ CIA statistics
^ Owen J. M. Kalinga (2012). Historical Dictionary of Malawi (revised ed.). Rowman & Littlefield. p. 202. ISBN 9780810859616.
^ Klaus Fiedler (2015). Conflicted Power in Malawian Christianity: Essays Missionary and Evangelical from Malawi (illustrated ed.). Mzuni Press. p. 213. ISBN 9789990802498.
^ ^a ^b "2018 Malawi Population and Housing Census". www.nsomalawi.mw. Retrieved 2021-03-17.
^ "The Malawi Religion Project (MRP) | Malawi Longitudinal Study of Families and Health (MLSFH)". Malawi.pop.upenn.edu. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
^ HANS-PETER KOHLER. "Cohort Profile: The Malawi Longitudinal Study of Families and Health (MLSFH)". Repository.upenn.edu. Retrieved 2016-02-09.
^ Arne S. Steinforth (2009). Troubled Minds: On the Cultural Construction of Mental Disorder and Normality in Southern Malawi. Peter Lang. p. 78. ISBN 9783631587171.
^ ^a ^b Owen J. M. Kalinga (2012). Historical Dictionary of Malawi (revised ed.). Rowman & Littlefield. p. 200. ISBN 9780810859616.
^ "Malawi Slave Routes and Dr. David Livingstone Trail".
^ John McCracken (2012). A History of Malawi, 1859-1966 (illustrated ed.). Boydell & Brewer Ltd. p. 142. ISBN 9781847010506.
^ ^a ^b ^c Owen J. M. Kalinga (2012). Historical Dictionary of Malawi (revised ed.). Rowman & Littlefield. p. 201. ISBN 9780810859616.
^ Brenner, Louis (1993). Muslim Identity and Social Change in Sub-Saharan Africa. Indiana University Press. p. 79. ISBN 978-0-253-31271-6.
^ ^a ^b ^c Haron, Muhammed (2020), "Southern Africa's Muslim Communities: Selected Profiles", The Palgrave Handbook of Islam in Africa, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 163–202, doi:10.1007/978-3-030-45759-4_10, ISBN 978-3-030-45758-7, S2CID 226444450, retrieved 2023-02-10
^ Klaus Fiedler (2015). Conflicted Power in Malawian Christianity: Essays Missionary and Evangelical from Malawi (illustrated ed.). Mzuni Press. p. 202. ISBN 9789990802498.
^ "Proseletysation in Malawi". Archived from the original on 2017-10-04. Retrieved 2006-10-03.
^ David Mphande (2014). Oral Literature and Moral Education among the Lakeside Tonga of Northern Malawi (illustrated, reprint ed.). Mzuni Press. p. 132. ISBN 9789990802443.
^ Islamic organisations in Malawi
^ Harri Englund (2011). Christianity and Public Culture in Africa. Ohio University Press. p. 168. ISBN 9780821443668.
^ Brenner, Louis, ed. (1993). Muslim Identity and Social Change in Sub-Saharan Africa (illustrated ed.). Indiana University Press. p. 79. ISBN 9780253312716.
^ Timothy Insoll (2003). The Archaeology of Islam in Sub-Saharan Africa (illustrated ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 393. ISBN 9780521657020.
^ I. C. Lamba (2010). Contradictions in Post-war Education Policy Formulation and Application in Colonial Malawi 1945-1961: A Historical Study of the Dynamics of Colonial Survival. African Books Collective. p. 154. ISBN 9789990887945.
^ Owen J. M. Kalinga (2012). Historical Dictionary of Malawi (revised ed.). Rowman & Littlefield. p. 155. ISBN 9780810859616.
^ Naʻīm, ʻAbd Allāh Aḥmad, ed. (2002). Islamic Family Law in A Changing World: A Global Resource Book (illustrated ed.). Zed Books. p. 189. ISBN 9781842770931.
^ Naʻīm, ʻAbd Allāh Aḥmad, ed. (2002). Islamic Family Law in A Changing World: A Global Resource Book (illustrated ed.). Zed Books. p. 194. ISBN 9781842770931.
^ "2014 Report on International Religious Freedom - Malawi".
^ ^a ^b "Malawi". United States Department of State. Retrieved 2022-01-30.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|none}}
 [[File:Zomba Mosque 1.jpg|thumb|right|180px|A [[mosque]] in [[Zomba, Malawi|Zomba]]]]
 {{islam by country}}
-'''[[Islam]]''' is the second largest religion in '''[[Malawi]]''' after [[Christianity]]. Nearly all of Malawi's [[Muslim]]s adhere to [[Sunni Islam]].<ref>{{cite book|author1=Klaus Fiedler|title=Conflicted Power in Malawian Christianity: Essays Missionary and Evangelical from Malawi|date=2015|publisher=Mzuni Press|isbn=9789990802498|pages=180–1|edition=illustrated}}</ref> Though difficult to assess,<ref>{{cite book|author1=Arne S. Steinforth|title=Troubled Minds: On the Cultural Construction of Mental Disorder and Normality in Southern Malawi|date=2009|publisher=Peter Lang|isbn=9783631587171|page=79}}</ref> according to the [[CIA Factbook]], in 2008 about 12.8% of the country's population was Muslim;<ref>[https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/malawi/ CIA statistics]</ref> such a lower figure is rejected by Muslim organisations in the country,<ref>{{cite book|author1=Owen J. M. Kalinga|author-link=Owen J. M. Kalinga|title=Historical Dictionary of Malawi|date=2012|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=9780810859616|page=202|edition=revised}}</ref> who claim a figure of 20-25% (which is described as "wishful thinking" by Christian missionaries). According to the latest census (2018), Muslims make up 13.8% (2,426,754) of the country's population.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Klaus Fiedler|title=Conflicted Power in Malawian Christianity: Essays Missionary and Evangelical from Malawi|date=2015|publisher=Mzuni Press|isbn=9789990802498|page=213|edition=illustrated}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=2018 Malawi Population and Housing Census|url=http://www.nsomalawi.mw/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=226&Itemid=6|access-date=2021-03-17|website=www.nsomalawi.mw}}</ref> According to the Malawi Religion Project<ref>{{cite web|url=http://malawi.pop.upenn.edu/malawi-data-qualitative-religion |title=The Malawi Religion Project (MRP) &#124; Malawi Longitudinal Study of Families and Health (MLSFH) |publisher=Malawi.pop.upenn.edu |access-date=31 December 2013}}</ref> run by the University of Pennsylvania, in 2010 approximately 25.6% of the population was Muslim, concentrated mostly in the [[Southern Region, Malawi|Southern Region]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://repository.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1045&context=psc_working_papers |title=Cohort Profile: The Malawi Longitudinal Study of Families and Health (MLSFH) |author=HANS-PETER KOHLER |website=Repository.upenn.edu |access-date=2016-02-09}}</ref>
+'''[[Islam]]''' is the second largest religion in '''[[Malawi]]''' behind [[Christianity]]. Nearly all of Malawi's [[Muslim]]s adhere to [[Sunni Islam]].<ref>{{cite book|author1=Klaus Fiedler|title=Conflicted Power in Malawian Christianity: Essays Missionary and Evangelical from Malawi|date=2015|publisher=Mzuni Press|isbn=9789990802498|pages=180–1|edition=illustrated}}</ref> Though difficult to assess,<ref name="Peter Lang">{{cite book|author1=Arne S. Steinforth|title=Troubled Minds: On the Cultural Construction of Mental Disorder and Normality in Southern Malawi|date=2009|publisher=Peter Lang|isbn=9783631587171|page=79}}</ref> according to the [[CIA Factbook]], in 2018 about 13.8% of the country's population was Muslim.<ref>[https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/malawi/ CIA statistics]</ref> Muslim organisations in the country claim a figure of 15-20%.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Owen J. M. Kalinga|author-link=Owen J. M. Kalinga|title=Historical Dictionary of Malawi|date=2012|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=9780810859616|page=202|edition=revised}}</ref> According to the latest census (2018), Muslims make up 13.8% (2,426,754) of the country's population.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Klaus Fiedler|title=Conflicted Power in Malawian Christianity: Essays Missionary and Evangelical from Malawi|date=2015|publisher=Mzuni Press|isbn=9789990802498|page=213|edition=illustrated}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=2018 Malawi Population and Housing Census|url=http://www.nsomalawi.mw/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=226&Itemid=6|access-date=2021-03-17|website=www.nsomalawi.mw}}</ref> According to the Malawi Religion Project<ref>{{cite web |url=http://malawi.pop.upenn.edu/malawi-data-qualitative-religion |title=The Malawi Religion Project (MRP) &#124; Malawi Longitudinal Study of Families and Health (MLSFH) |publisher=Malawi.pop.upenn.edu |access-date=31 December 2013 |archive-date=12 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612140628/http://malawi.pop.upenn.edu/malawi-data-qualitative-religion |url-status=dead }}</ref> run by the University of Pennsylvania, in 2010 approximately 19.6% of the population was Muslim, concentrated mostly in the [[Southern Region, Malawi|Southern Region]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://repository.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1045&context=psc_working_papers |title=Cohort Profile: The Malawi Longitudinal Study of Families and Health (MLSFH) |author=HANS-PETER KOHLER |website=Repository.upenn.edu |access-date=2016-02-09}}</ref>
 ==History==
-Islam arrived in Malawi with the [[Arab]] and [[Swahili people|Swahili]] traders who traded in ivory, gold and later on slaves beginning from 15th century. It is also argued that Islam first arrived in Malawi through traders from the [[Kilwa Sultanate]].<ref>{{cite book|author1=Arne S. Steinforth|title=Troubled Minds: On the Cultural Construction of Mental Disorder and Normality in Southern Malawi|date=2009|publisher=Peter Lang|isbn=9783631587171|page=78}}</ref> Two Muslim teachers, Shayhks Abdallah Mkwanda and Sabiti Ngaunje, also played an important role in the spread of Islam.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Owen J. M. Kalinga|title=Historical Dictionary of Malawi|date=2012|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=9780810859616|page=200|edition=revised}}</ref> According to [[UNESCO]], the first mosque was built by Swahili-Arab ivory traders.<ref>https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5603/</ref>
+Islam arrived in Malawi with the [[Arab]] and [[Swahili people|Swahili]] traders who traded in ivory, gold and later on slaves beginning from 15th century. It is also argued that Islam first arrived in Malawi through traders from the [[Kilwa Sultanate]].<ref>{{cite book|author1=Arne S. Steinforth|title=Troubled Minds: On the Cultural Construction of Mental Disorder and Normality in Southern Malawi|date=2009|publisher=Peter Lang|isbn=9783631587171|page=78}}</ref> Two Muslim teachers, Shayhks Abdallah Mkwanda and Sabiti Ngaunje, also played an important role in the spread of Islam.<ref name="Historical Dictionary of Malawi">{{cite book|author1=Owen J. M. Kalinga|title=Historical Dictionary of Malawi|date=2012|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=9780810859616|page=200|edition=revised}}</ref> According to [[UNESCO]], the first mosque was built by Swahili-Arab ivory traders.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5603/|title = Malawi Slave Routes and Dr. David Livingstone Trail}}</ref>
-During the [[History of Malawi#British rule|colonial era]], the authorities in the country feared that Islam posed the greatest threat, as an ideology of resistance, to their rule.<ref>{{cite book|author1=John McCracken|title=A History of Malawi, 1859-1966|date=2012|publisher=Boydell & Brewer Ltd|isbn=9781847010506|page=142|edition=illustrated}}</ref> This view was shared by Christian missionaries, who greatly feared that Islam could unite Africans in hostilities and uprisings against colonial rule.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Owen J. M. Kalinga|title=Historical Dictionary of Malawi|date=2012|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=9780810859616|page=201|edition=revised}}</ref>
+During the [[History of Malawi#British rule|colonial era]], the authorities in the country feared that Islam posed the greatest threat, as an ideology of resistance, to their rule.<ref>{{cite book|author1=John McCracken|title=A History of Malawi, 1859-1966|date=2012|publisher=Boydell & Brewer Ltd|isbn=9781847010506|page=142|edition=illustrated}}</ref> This view was shared by Christian missionaries, who greatly feared that Islam could unite Africans in hostilities and uprisings against colonial rule.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite book|author1=Owen J. M. Kalinga|title=Historical Dictionary of Malawi|date=2012|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=9780810859616|page=201|edition=revised}}</ref>
-The [[Yao people (East Africa)|Yao]] converted to Islam in the 19th century, comprising the largest Muslim group in Malawi since.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Brenner|first=Louis|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gwSgv7FFCAgC|title=Muslim Identity and Social Change in Sub-Saharan Africa|date=1993|publisher=Indiana University Press|isbn=978-0-253-31271-6|pages=79|language=en}}</ref>
+The [[Yao people (East Africa)|Yao]] converted to Islam in the 19th century, comprising the largest Muslim group in Malawi since.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Brenner|first=Louis|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gwSgv7FFCAgC|title=Muslim Identity and Social Change in Sub-Saharan Africa|date=1993|publisher=Indiana University Press|isbn=978-0-253-31271-6|pages=79|language=en}}</ref> Some [[Chewa people|Chewa]] also converted to Islam during the same period.<ref name=":1">{{Citation |last=Haron |first=Muhammed |title=Southern Africa's Muslim Communities: Selected Profiles |date=2020 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-45759-4_10 |work=The Palgrave Handbook of Islam in Africa |pages=163–202 |place=Cham |publisher=Springer International Publishing |doi=10.1007/978-3-030-45759-4_10 |isbn=978-3-030-45758-7 |s2cid=226444450 |access-date=2023-02-10}}</ref>
-The 1970s witnessed the start of an Islamic revival among Muslims in Malawi, as well as among Muslims across the globe.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Klaus Fiedler|title=Conflicted Power in Malawian Christianity: Essays Missionary and Evangelical from Malawi|date=2015|publisher=Mzuni Press|isbn=9789990802498|page=202|edition=illustrated}}</ref> Recently, Muslim groups have engaged in [[Dawah|missionary work]] in Malawi. Much of this is performed by the [[African Muslim Agency]], based in [[Kuwait]]. The Kuwait-sponsored AMA has translated the [[Qur'an]] into [[Chichewa language|Chichewa]] (Cinyanja),<ref>[http://www.frontline.org.za/mission%20reports_prayer/macedonian_call_Malawi.htm Proseletysation in Malawi]</ref> one of the official languages of Malawi, and has engaged in other missionary work in the country. There are thought to be about 800 [[jumu'ah]] mosques in the country, with at least one or two to be found in nearly every town.<ref>{{cite book|author1=David Mphande|title=Oral Literature and Moral Education among the Lakeside Tonga of Northern Malawi|date=2014|publisher=Mzuni Press|isbn=9789990802443|page=132|edition=illustrated, reprint}}</ref> There are also several Islamic schools<ref>[http://www.islamicfinder.org/cityPrayer.php?country=Malawi Islamic organisations in Malawi]</ref> and a broadcasting station called Radio Islam.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Harri Englund|title=Christianity and Public Culture in Africa|date=2011|publisher=Ohio University Press|isbn=9780821443668|page=168}}</ref> A major Muslim center of learning exists in Mpemba, outside of [[Blantyre]], funded mainly by money from [[Saudi Arabia]] and Kuwait.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Owen J. M. Kalinga|title=Historical Dictionary of Malawi|date=2012|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=9780810859616|page=201|edition=revised}}</ref>
+The 1970s witnessed the start of an Islamic revival among Muslims in Malawi, as well as among Muslims across the globe.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Klaus Fiedler|title=Conflicted Power in Malawian Christianity: Essays Missionary and Evangelical from Malawi|date=2015|publisher=Mzuni Press|isbn=9789990802498|page=202|edition=illustrated}}</ref> Recently, Muslim groups have engaged in [[Dawah|missionary work]] in Malawi. Much of this is performed by the [[African Muslim Agency]], based in [[Kuwait]]. The Kuwait-sponsored AMA has translated the [[Qur'an]] into [[Chichewa language|Chichewa]] (Cinyanja),<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.frontline.org.za/mission%20reports_prayer/macedonian_call_Malawi.htm |title=Proseletysation in Malawi |access-date=2006-10-03 |archive-date=2017-10-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171004140051/http://www.frontline.org.za/mission%20reports_prayer/macedonian_call_Malawi.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> one of the official languages of Malawi, and has engaged in other missionary work in the country. There are thought to be about 800 [[jumu'ah]] mosques in the country, with at least one or two to be found in nearly every town.<ref>{{cite book|author1=David Mphande|title=Oral Literature and Moral Education among the Lakeside Tonga of Northern Malawi|date=2014|publisher=Mzuni Press|isbn=9789990802443|page=132|edition=illustrated, reprint}}</ref> There are also several Islamic schools<ref>[http://www.islamicfinder.org/cityPrayer.php?country=Malawi Islamic organisations in Malawi]</ref> and a broadcasting station called Radio Islam.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Harri Englund|title=Christianity and Public Culture in Africa|date=2011|publisher=Ohio University Press|isbn=9780821443668|page=168}}</ref> A major Muslim center of learning exists in Mpemba, outside of [[Blantyre]], funded mainly by money from [[Saudi Arabia]] and Kuwait.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
 ==Demography==
-A large number of Muslims in Malawi come from the [[Yao people (East Africa)|Yao people]],<ref>{{cite book|editor1-last=Brenner|editor1-first=Louis|title=Muslim Identity and Social Change in Sub-Saharan Africa|date=1993|publisher=Indiana University Press|isbn=9780253312716|page=79|edition=illustrated}}</ref> who are described as "the most important source of Islam in the country".<ref>{{cite book|author1=Timothy Insoll|title=The Archaeology of Islam in Sub-Saharan Africa|date=2003|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9780521657020|page=393|edition=illustrated}}</ref> Even before their conversion to Islam, many Yao chiefs used Swahili Muslims as scribes and advisers.<ref>{{cite book|author1=I. C. Lamba|title=Contradictions in Post-war Education Policy Formulation and Application in Colonial Malawi 1945-1961: A Historical Study of the Dynamics of Colonial Survival|date=2010|publisher=African Books Collective|isbn=9789990887945|page=154}}</ref> As a result of their strong trading contacts with Swahili-Arabs, many Yao adopted Islam and the two groups often intermarried.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Owen J. M. Kalinga|title=Historical Dictionary of Malawi|date=2012|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=9780810859616|page=155|edition=revised}}</ref> The Yao form the largest majority south and east of [[Lake Malawi]].<ref>{{cite book|editor1-last=Naʻīm|editor1-first=ʻAbd Allāh Aḥmad|title=Islamic Family Law in A Changing World: A Global Resource Book|date=2002|publisher=[[Zed Books]]|isbn=9781842770931|page=189|edition=illustrated}}</ref> Muslims can also be found among other groups, such as the lakeside [[Chewa people]]<ref>{{cite book|author1=Owen J. M. Kalinga|title=Historical Dictionary of Malawi|date=2012|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=9780810859616|page=200|edition=revised}}</ref> and Indian<ref>{{cite book|editor1-last=Naʻīm|editor1-first=ʻAbd Allāh Aḥmad|title=Islamic Family Law in A Changing World: A Global Resource Book|date=2002|publisher=[[Zed Books]]|isbn=9781842770931|page=194|edition=illustrated}}</ref> and other Asian Malawians.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Arne S. Steinforth|title=Troubled Minds: On the Cultural Construction of Mental Disorder and Normality in Southern Malawi|date=2009|publisher=Peter Lang|isbn=9783631587171|page=79}}</ref> Muslims in the country have been described as a "vocal and powerful community."<ref>{{cite book|author1=Owen J. M. Kalinga|title=Historical Dictionary of Malawi|date=2012|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=9780810859616|page=201|edition=revised}}</ref>
+A large number of Muslims in Malawi come from the [[Yao people (East Africa)|Yao people]],<ref>{{cite book|editor1-last=Brenner|editor1-first=Louis|title=Muslim Identity and Social Change in Sub-Saharan Africa|date=1993|publisher=Indiana University Press|isbn=9780253312716|page=79|edition=illustrated}}</ref> who are described as "the most important source of Islam in the country".<ref>{{cite book|author1=Timothy Insoll|title=The Archaeology of Islam in Sub-Saharan Africa|date=2003|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9780521657020|page=393|edition=illustrated}}</ref> Even before their conversion to Islam, many Yao chiefs used Swahili Muslims as scribes and advisers.<ref>{{cite book|author1=I. C. Lamba|title=Contradictions in Post-war Education Policy Formulation and Application in Colonial Malawi 1945-1961: A Historical Study of the Dynamics of Colonial Survival|date=2010|publisher=African Books Collective|isbn=9789990887945|page=154}}</ref> As a result of their strong trading contacts with Swahili-Arabs, many Yao adopted Islam and the two groups had cases of intermarriages in the past.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Owen J. M. Kalinga|title=Historical Dictionary of Malawi|date=2012|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=9780810859616|page=155|edition=revised}}</ref> The Yao form the largest majority south and east of [[Lake Malawi]].<ref>{{cite book|editor1-last=Naʻīm|editor1-first=ʻAbd Allāh Aḥmad|title=Islamic Family Law in A Changing World: A Global Resource Book|date=2002|publisher=[[Zed Books]]|isbn=9781842770931|page=189|edition=illustrated}}</ref> Muslims can also be found among other groups, such as the lakeside [[Chewa people]]<ref name="Historical Dictionary of Malawi"/> and Indian<ref>{{cite book|editor1-last=Naʻīm|editor1-first=ʻAbd Allāh Aḥmad|title=Islamic Family Law in A Changing World: A Global Resource Book|date=2002|publisher=[[Zed Books]]|isbn=9781842770931|page=194|edition=illustrated}}</ref> and other Asian Malawians.<ref name="Peter Lang"/>  Muslims in the country have been described as a "vocal and powerful community."<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
+In general, most Malawian Muslims are [[Sunni Islam|Sunni]]. According to a source, 72 percent of Muslims are ethnic [[Yao people (East Africa)|Yao]] and 16 percent are ethnic [[Chewa people|Chewa]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.refworld.org/docid/5621057c9.html | title=2014 Report on International Religious Freedom - Malawi }}</ref> Most Muslims of African descent in Malawi are Sunni and belong to the [[Shafiʽi school|Shafi'i]] [[madhhab]]. Meanwhile, Muslims of Asian descent in Malawi are also mostly Sunni and belong to the [[Hanafi]] [[madhhab]]. Additionally, there is a small number of [[Shia Islam|Shiites]] among people of [[Lebanese diaspora|Lebanese origin in Malawi]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Malawi|url=https://www.state.gov/reports/2019-report-on-international-religious-freedom/malawi/|access-date=2022-01-30|website=United States Department of State|language=en-US}}</ref>
+According to the 2018 census, over half of Malawian Muslims live in [[Mangochi District|Mangochi]] and [[Machinga District|Machinga district]]. Muslims comprised 72.6% of the population in Mangochi district and 66.9% of the population in Machinga.<ref name=":0" />
+==Distribution==
+{| class="wikitable sortable"
+|+ <ref name=":2" />
+|-
+! '''Area''' !! '''Muslim Population''' !! '''Total Population''' !! '''Muslim Percentage'''
+|-
+| '''Malawi''' || '''2,426,754''' || '''17,563,749'''  || '''13.82%'''
+|-
+| '''Northern''' || '''31,571''' || '''2,289,780''' || '''1.38%'''
+|-
+| Chitipa || 181 || 234,927 || 0.08%
+|-
+| Karonga || 5,035 || 365,028 || 1.38%
+|-
+| Nkhata Bay || 3,079 || 284,681 || 1.08%
+|-
+| Rumphi || 2,957 || 229,161 || 1.29%
+|-
+| Mzimba || 10,996 || 940,184 || 1.17%
+|-
+| Likoma || 329 || 14,527 || 2.26%
+|-
+| Mzuzu City || 8,994 || 221,272 || 4.06%
+|-
+| '''Central''' || '''516,200''' || '''7,523,340''' || '''6.86%'''
+|-
+| Kasungu || 18,769 || 842,953 || 2.23%
+|-
+| Nkhotakota || 94,487 || 393,077 || 24.04%
+|-
+| Ntchisi || 1,556 || 317,069 || 0.49%
+|-
+| Dowa || 7,038 || 772,569 || 0.91%
+|-
+| Salima || 146,605 || 478,346 || 30.65%
+|-
+| Lilongwe || 27,992 || 1,637,583 || 1.71%
+|-
+| Mchinji || 14,200 || 602,305 || 2.36%
+|-
+| Dedza || 78,868 || 830,512 || 9.50%
+|-
+| Ntcheu || 15,987 || 659,608 || 2.42%
+|-
+| Lilongwe City || 110,698 || 989,318 || 11.19%
+|-
+| '''Southern''' || '''1,878,983''' || '''7,750,629''' || '''24.24%'''
+|-
+| Mangochi || 834,644 || 1,148,611 || '''72.67%'''
+|-
+| Machinga || 492,560 || 735,438 || '''66.98%'''
+|-
+| Zomba || 147,123 || 746,724 || 19.70%
+|-
+| Chiradzulu || 40,342 || 356,875 || 11.30%
+|-
+| Blantyre || 35,955 || 451,220 || 7.97%
+|-
+| Mwanza || 1,678 || 130,949 || 1.28%
+|-
+| Thyolo || 15,291 || 721,456 || 2.12%
+|-
+| Mulanje || 38,135 || 684,107 || 5.57%
+|-
+| Phalombe || 7,867 || 429,450 || 1.83%
+|-
+| Chikwawa || 9,451 || 564,684 || 1.67%
+|-
+| Nsanje || 5,825 || 299,168 || 1.95%
+|-
+| Balaka || 152,298 || 438,379 || 34.74%
+|-
+| Neno || 2,029 || 138,291 || 1.47%
+|-
+| Zomba City || 14,877 || 105,013 || 14.17%
+|-
+| Blantyre City || 80,908 || 800,264 || 10.11%
+|}
 ==Notable Muslims==
-An important Malawian Muslim is [[Bakili Muluzi]], the first (and only) freely elected President of Malawi from 1994 to 2004.
+An important Malawian Muslim is [[Bakili Muluzi]], the first (and only) freely elected President of Malawi from 1994 to 2004. Another important Malawian Muslim was the late [[Sidik Mia]], who was a minister in the Tonse Alliance elected in the 2020 Malawi tripatite Elections and died in 2021.
+[[Cassim Chilumpha]] is a prominent politician that has served as Vice-President of Malawi.<ref name=":1" /> [[Atupele Muluzi]], son of Bakili Muluzi, is also a notable politician who is Muslim.<ref name=":1" />
 ==See also==
+{{Portal|Islam|Malawi}}
 *[[Islam in Africa]]
-*[[Demographics of Malawi]]
+*[[Religion in Malawi]]
 ==References==
@@ Line 27: / Line 114: @@
 ==Further reading==
+{{commons category}}
-*{{cite book|author1=David.S.Bone,ed|title=Malawi's Muslims: Historical Perspectives|date=2000|publisher=African Books Collective|isbn=9789990816150|pages=220}}
+*{{cite book|author1=David S. Bone|title=Malawi's Muslims: Historical Perspectives|date=2000|publisher=African Books Collective|isbn=9789990816150|pages=220}}
+*{{cite book|author1=David S. Bone|title=Introduction to Islam for Malawi|date=2021|publisher=African Books Collective|isbn=9789996060908|pages=174}}
 *{{cite book|author1=Ian D. Dicks|title=An African Worldview: The Muslim Amacinga Yawo of Southern Malaŵi|date=2012|publisher=African Books Collective|isbn=9789990887518|pages=510}}

v t e Islam in Africa
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