The Muslim Population Divide: Afghanistan Vs. China

Afghanistan and China are two countries with vastly different populations. Afghanistan has a population of around 43 million as of 2023, while China is home to over 1.4 billion people. In terms of religious demographics, Afghanistan is an Islamic state, with around 99% of its population practising Islam. On the other hand, China does not have an official religion, and its population is diverse, with the majority following atheism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and folk religious sects.

When comparing the number of Muslims in Afghanistan and China, it is clear that Afghanistan has a higher proportion of Muslims. While almost the entire population of Afghanistan identifies as Muslim, the Muslim population in China is much smaller in comparison. Therefore, Afghanistan has a higher number of Muslims than China.

It is worth noting that, while China does not have an official religion, it has a small but significant Muslim population, with estimates ranging from 20 to 30 million Muslims in China. The Muslim population in China is comprised of various ethnic groups, including the Hui, Uyghur, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and other minorities. The practice of Islam in China varies across the country, with some regions having a more prominent Muslim presence than others.

In summary, while China has a much larger overall population than Afghanistan, Afghanistan has a higher proportion of Muslims, making it the country with more Muslim inhabitants between the two.

Afghanistan's population and percentage of Muslims

Afghanistan is an Islamic state, with approximately 99.7% of the population being Muslim. The country's population is growing at a rate of 2.33% per year and is expected to reach 64.68 million by 2050. As of 2023, Afghanistan's population is 43 million, with 25.9% of the population living in urban areas.

Islam in Afghanistan began to be practised after the Arab Islamic conquest of the country from the 7th to the 10th centuries, with the last holdouts to conversion submitting in the late 19th century. It was generally accepted by local communities as a replacement for Zoroastrianism and Buddhism, the primary religions in the region at the time.

Roughly 90% of Muslims in Afghanistan practice Sunni Islam, while around 10% are Shia. Most Shias belong to the Twelver branch, and only a small number follow Ismailism. Sunni Muslims constitute between 84.7% and 89.7% of the population, and Shia Muslims between 10% and 15%.

The religion is central and pervasive throughout Afghan society, with religious observances punctuating the rhythm of each day and season. Smaller community-maintained mosques stand at the centre of villages, towns, and city neighbourhoods, in addition to the central congregational mosque for weekly communal prayers. These mosques serve not only as places of worship but also as places of shelter, meeting, and education. Almost every Afghan has studied at a mosque school at some point during their youth; for many, this is the only formal education they receive.

Islam is a totalitarian way of life and functions as a comprehensive code of social behaviour that regulates all human relationships. Individual and family status depends on the proper observance of the society's value system, which is based on concepts defined in Islam, such as honesty, frugality, generosity, virtuousness, piousness, fairness, truthfulness, tolerance, and respect for others.

China's population and percentage of Muslims

China has a population of over 1.4 billion people, and Muslims make up a small minority of around 2% of the total population, or approximately 25 million people. The largest group of Muslims in China are the Hui Muslims, who are ethnically Chinese and speak the dialect of the majority Han in their localities. The Uyghurs are the second-largest group of Muslims in China and are ethnically Turkic and speak a Turkic language. They are the largest minority ethnic group in China's north-western province of Xinjiang, which has the largest Muslim population in China. About 50% of the people in Xinjiang are Muslim. Other smaller groups include the Dongxiang, Salar, Kyrgyz, Uzbeks, Kazakhs, Bonan, and Tatars.

Muslims are spread across China but are most concentrated in the provinces of Xinjiang, Gansu, Qinghai, and Yunnan. They are recognised as one of the four or five official religions in China, and there are more than 39,000 mosques in the country.

Islam has been practised in China since the 7th century CE and was introduced by the Companions of Muhammad. It spread through two routes: from the southeast following a path to Guangdong and from the northwest through the Silk Road. The first major Muslim settlements in China were Arab and Persian merchants, and Islam penetrated China's interior during the Tang and Song dynasties, mainly along the Silk Road.

Islam in Afghanistan

Islam is the official state religion of Afghanistan, and the country is considered one of the "most Islamic" countries in the world. The religion underpins many customs and tribal codes that condition various aspects of political and social life in the country. It has a profound influence on the identity and social structure of rural Afghans, who make up the majority of the population.

The majority of Muslims in Afghanistan are Sunni, with estimates ranging from 80-90% of the population. The remaining 10-15% are Shia Muslims, most of whom belong to the Twelver branch, with smaller groups practising Ismailism.

Islam was introduced to Afghanistan in 642 CE when Arab Muslims brought the religion to Herat and Zaranj. It gradually spread eastward, with many inhabitants of northern Afghanistan accepting Islam through Umayyad missionary efforts. During the reign of Al-Mu'tasim and his successors, Islam was practised by most inhabitants of the region. By the 9th century, Islam dominated the country's religious landscape, and it has remained the predominant religion ever since.

The first systematic employment of Islam as an instrument of state-building was initiated by King Abdur Rahman Khan in the late 19th century. He decreed that all laws must comply with Islamic law, elevating Sharia above customary laws. While the religious establishment remained non-political, Islam continued to play a central and pervasive role in Afghan society, with religious observances punctuating the rhythm of daily and seasonal life.

For Afghans, Islam represents a potentially unifying force that offsets the divisiveness that can arise from deep-seated tribal loyalties and a strong sense of personal and family honour. It is a totalitarian way of life and functions as a comprehensive code of social behaviour that regulates all human relationships. Individual and family status depends on the proper observance of societal values defined by Islam, such as honesty, frugality, generosity, fairness, and tolerance.

While Afghanistan is predominantly Muslim, there are small minority groups of other religions, including Hindus, Sikhs, and Christians, who together constitute less than 0.3% of the population. However, the number of religious minorities has declined over the years due to security threats and a lack of protection from the government.

Islam in China

Islam has been practised in China since the 7th century CE, and Muslims currently make up a minority group in the country, representing around 2% of the total population (between 17 and 25 million people). The history of Islam in China goes back to the earliest years of the religion, with Muslim missionaries reaching China through an embassy sent by the third rāshidūn caliph, ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān, in 651 CE.

The introduction of Islam to China came about through two routes: from the southeast, following an established path to Guangdong, and from the northwest through the Silk Road. The first mosque in the country, the Huaisheng Mosque, was built in Guangzhou in memory of Muhammad.

Muslims in China are predominantly Sunni, with ten of China's 55 officially recognised minority peoples being predominantly Muslim. The Hui are the most numerous group, but the greatest concentration of Muslims is in Xinjiang, which contains a significant Uyghur population. Other significant populations reside in Ningxia, Gansu, and Qinghai.

Islam is one of the religions that is still officially recognised in China, and Muslims have managed to practise their faith in China, sometimes against great odds, since the 7th century CE. However, there have been periods of persecution, such as during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), when Islam, along with all other religions in the country, was persecuted by the atheist Red Guards.

In recent years, Muslims in Xinjiang, including Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities, have been harshly persecuted. The treatment of Uyghur Muslims has been deemed a genocide by several countries, including the US and Canada, and there have been reports of forced birth control methods being imposed on Uyghur Muslims, as well as forced labour and torture.

In other parts of China, there has been a crackdown on Muslim scholars and writers, with increased state surveillance and restrictions on religious freedoms. There have also been reports of mosques being closed, destroyed, or repurposed, with minarets and domes replaced with Chinese-style elements.

Despite these challenges, Islam remains a central and pervasive influence in Chinese society, with religious observances punctuating the rhythm of daily and seasonal life.

Afghanistan's Islamic history

The Islamic conquest of Persia was followed by the Muslim Arabs' eastward expansion, and in 652 CE, they captured Herat. By the end of the 10th century, the Turkic Ghaznavids had subdued the Kabul Shahi kings. The Arab Muslims brought Islam to Herat and Zaranj in 642 CE, and it began to spread eastward. The inhabitants of northern Afghanistan accepted Islam through the missionary efforts of the Umayyads, particularly under the reigns of Caliph Hisham and Umar ibn AbdulAziz.

The Samanids propagated Sunni Islam deep into Central Asia, and by the 9th century, Islam had dominated the country's religious landscape. The first complete translation of the Quran into Persian was made in the 9th century, and since then, Islam has been central to Afghan society and interactions.

The Ghaznavids rose to power in the 10th century, and by the 11th century, Mahmud of Ghazni defeated the remaining Hindu rulers, effectively Islamizing the wider region. The Ghaznavid dynasty was overthrown by the Ghurids in 1186, and their architectural achievements included the remote Minaret of Jam. The Ghurids controlled Afghanistan for less than a century before being conquered by the Khwarazmian dynasty in 1215.

In 1219 CE, Genghis Khan and his Mongol army invaded the region, causing mass destruction and forcing many locals to return to agrarian society. The Timurids rebuilt the area after the Mongol invasion, once again making it a center of Islamic learning. Shia Islam made its way to southern Afghanistan during the Safavid rule in the 16th century.

The Islamic fundamentalist Taliban controlled most of the country by 1996, imposing their strict interpretation of Sharia law. They established the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, which received little international recognition before its overthrow in the 2001 US invasion. The Taliban returned to power in 2021, re-establishing the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

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