Saudi Arabia is a religious theocracy. The official religion is Sunni Islam of the Hanbali School of Jurisprudence in its Salafi version, sometimes called Wahhabism. 85-95% of Saudi citizens are Sunni Muslims, with 10-15% Shia.
Sunni is the largest religious denomination in the world, ahead of Catholicism. It is followed by 87-90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word Sunnah. There are two primary sources of theological teachings for Islam, the Quran and the Sunnah. The Sunnah contains the words, teachings, actions and silent approvals or disapprovals of Muhammad.
2. Iran
Answer: Shia
Iran's state religion is the Twelver Shia Islam, followed by 90-95% of its population. Of the remainder, the majority is Sunni Islam and around 2% belong to religious minorities.
Shia Muslims believe that Muhammad had designated Ali ibn Abi Talib - his cousin and closest male relative, as well as his son-in-law - as his successor and the first of the twelve Imams.
Twelvers are the largest branch of Shia Islam, believing that the Twelve Imams - twelve male descendants of Muhammad - are his spiritual successors.
3. Indonesia
Answer: Sunni
Indonesia is constitutionally a secular society, but is the country with the largest Muslim population. Over 204 million, above 87%, of its population was believed to be Muslim in 2010. The majority of these, around 99%, were Sunnis.
In Sunni tradition, Muhammad didn't specify a successor, and they acted according to what they interpreted as his intentions in making his father-in-law, Abu Bakr, the first caliph, on Muhammad's death in the year 632.
4. Turkey
Answer: Sunni
Islam had been the official religion of the Ottoman Empire, but the new state of Turkey, formed when that empire collapsed, was made officially secular under the leadership of the country's first president, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
Around 99% of Turks have self-identified as Muslim in polls, and about 75% of them as Sunni Muslims.
5. Pakistan
Answer: Sunni
Islam is the state religion of Pakistan, around 97% of whose citizens are Muslims. Somewhere above 75% of these are Sunnis.
Pakistan's existence as a separate independent country in 1947 was based on Islam - Indian Muslims during the British Raj were overwhelmingly in favour of having a separate nation apart from the areas with the Hindu majority.
6. Iraq
Answer: Shia
Islam has been an important part of Iraq since the seventh century AD. There are many cities and monuments in Iraq that are important to both major branches of Islam, and the mix between the two is closer in Iraq than in most other majority Muslim countries. Around 50% of the population are Shia, and about 30% are Sunni.
7. Sudan
Answer: Sunni
Sudan is overwhelmingly Muslim, with around 97% of its people following that faith, the vast majority of which are Sunnis of the Maliki school. The country has been traditionally tolerant of religious differences between branches of Islam and with other religions such as Christianity.
8. Afghanistan
Answer: Sunni
Islam is the state religion of Afghanistan, followed by over 99% of its people, of whom between 80-90% are Sunnis of the Hanafi school of jurisprudence. Islam took root in the country during the Arab conquest of the country, starting in the 7th century AD.
9. Bahrain
Answer: Shia
Although Islam is the state religion of Bahrain, immigration has meant that only about 70% of its population is Muslim. Its monarchy is Sunni, but the majority of its Muslims are Shia.
10. Azerbaijan
Answer: Shia
About 97% of the Azerbaijani population is Muslim, split about 85:15 between Shia and Sunni. Azerbaijan has the second highest Shia population in the world, behind Iran.
This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor looney_tunes before going online.
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