Other sources, including the Federal Government of Somalia, estimate the population to be at least 15.7 million. According to the Federal Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs, more than 99 percent of the population is Sunni Muslim.
Islam was introduced to Somalia in the ninth century (CE). Somalis traditionally practise quite a moderate form of Islam, influenced by Sufism. However, the Salafi movement has gained more political influence in recent decades.
Pre-Islamic period
The Somali people in pre-Islamic times are believed to have adhered to a complex belief System, with a set of deities superseded by a single all-powerful figure called Eebbe/Waaq (God, also known in Oromo as Waaq).
Arabs are a diverse people who live all over the world, including Somalia. Many are from Egypt, the largest Arabic speaking country in the world. Historically, there were Arabs who migrated to Somalia centuries ago.
Kenya has a Christian majority, with Islam being the second largest faith representing 10.9% of the Kenyan population, or approximately 5.2 million people as of 2019 census. The Kenyan coast is mostly populated by Muslims. Nairobi has several mosques and a notable Muslim population.
Estimates on the number of Muslims in Zimbabwe are around 120,000. The Muslim community consists primarily of South Asian immigrants (Indian and Pakistani), a small but growing number of indigenous Zimbabweans, and migrants from other African countries such as the Yao tribe of neighbouring Malawi.
Islam is the second-largest religion in Ethiopia behind Christianity, with 31.3 to 35.9 percent of the total population of around 113.5 million people professing the religion as of 2022.
An alternate theory states that Islam was brought to the coastal settlements of Somalia between the 7th and the 10th century by seafaring Arab and Persian merchants. The Sunni-Shia split within Islam occurred before Islam spread among Somalis, and Sunnis constitute the overwhelming majority of contemporary Somalis.
and shows approximately 60% East African and 40% West Eurasian (25% West Asian and 15% North African) ancestry in the Somali population.
Somali's main lexical borrowings come from Arabic, and are estimated to constitute about 20% of the language's vocabulary. This is a legacy of the Somali people's extensive social, cultural, commercial and religious links and contacts with nearby populations in the Arabian peninsula.
Nigeria is home to Africa's largest Muslim population.
The country with the largest number (about 209 million) is Indonesia, where 87.2% of the population identifies as Muslim. India has the world's second-largest Muslim population in raw numbers (roughly 176 million), though Muslims make up just 14.4% of India's total population.
In the 14th century many Somalis, converted to Islam by Arabs from across the Red Sea, began their expansion southward from the arid steppes to their present borders, which overflow what was traditionally known as Somaliland.
In Oromo and Somali culture, Waaq, Waaqa or Waaqo was the name of God in their pre-Christian and pre-Muslim monotheistic faith believed to have been adhered to by Cushitic groups.
According to Arab oral tradition, Islam first came to Africa with Muslim refugees fleeing persecution in the Arab peninsula. This was followed by a military invasion, some seven years after the death of the prophet Mohammed in 639, under the command of the Muslim Arab General, Amr ibn al-Asi.
Shariah in the constitution
Several African nations, such as Somalia and Mauritania, have embedded Shariah into their constitutions. "No law which is not compliant with the general principles of Shari'ah can be enacted," reads Somalia's constitution, which was adopted in 2012.
The frequency of ABO and D blood groups among the Somalia population was found to be O > A > B > AB which was similar to those reported from most East African populations.
The Somali people are believed to have their origins in the North of Somalia. With the longest coastline on the continent, Somalia holds an important place in the history of global maritime trade with ancient Egypt, Rome, Persia, Greece, Phoenicia, China and other empires.
More than any other country, Somalia is a nation of poets. Their culture revolves around poetry, an art form that remains significant as Somali refugees relocate throughout the world. Poets in Minneapolis and Columbus express the best of this tradition.
Somalia was colonized by European powers in the 19th century. Britain and Italy established the colonies of British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland in 1884 and 1889, respectively.
One of the most notable figures in the region is Yusuf bin Ahmad al-Kawneyn, popularly known as Shaykh Abu Barakat al Barbari ('Blessed Father of Somalia'). He was a 12th Century Islamic Scholar and traveller who was born in the port city of Zeila.
Like elsewhere in the world, Moslems in Somalia are celebrating the holy month of Ramadan. As the sun sets, families gather together to break their fast with generous dinners and special treats.
The census reports Muslims constitute 14 percent of the population. The UMSC states that Muslims (primarily Sunni) are closer to 35 percent of the population. There is also a small number of Shia Muslims, mostly in Kampala and the eastern part of the country, particularly in the Mayuge and Bugiri Districts.
Most experts and media sources state that approximately 90 percent of the population is Sunni Muslim and approximately 10 percent is Christian (estimates range from 5 to 15 percent).
Studies in the 21st century suggest that, in terms of percentage and worldwide spread, Islam is the fastest-growing major religion in the world.