 | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 19.9% of Ghana's population in 2021[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Tamale, Kumasi, Accra (0.35 million and above; 2002) | |
| Languages | |
| English, French, Dagbanli, Hausa, Akan, others |
| Islam by country |
|---|
 |
 Islam portal |
Islam was the first Abrahamic monotheistic religion to arrive in Ghana. Today, it is the second most widely professed religion in the country behind Christianity. Its presence in Ghana dates back to the 10th century. According to the Ghana Statistical Service's Population and Housing census (2021), the percentage of Muslims in Ghana is about 19.9%.[2]
According to a comprehensive report by the Association of Religion Data Archives, 63.2% of Muslims are followers of Sunni Islam, while approximately 36.8% belong to the Ahmadiyya movement.[3][4] Among Sunni Muslims, the Maliki school of jurisprudence is the most common, though Afa Ajura's reformist activities in the 1960s saw a rise in popularity of the Hanbali school, particularly as informed by the Salafi movement.[5] Sufism, once widespread, has waned considerably over the years; the Tijaniyyah and the Qadiriyyah Sufi orders, however, are still represented among Ghana's traditionalist Muslims.
Muslims and Christians in Ghana have had excellent relations. Guided by the authority of the Muslim Representative Council, religious, social, and economic matters affecting Muslims have often been redressed through negotiations. The National Hajj Council observes the responsibility of arranging pilgrimages to Mecca for believers who can afford the journey.[3] The National Chief Imam of Ghana is the highest authority on Muslim affairs in Ghana.
Some metropolitan areas and cities, especially in areas with a significant Muslim population, have Islamic or Arabic schools offering primary, junior secondary, senior secondary and tertiary education.
- ^ "2021 PHC General Report Vol 3C, Background Characteristics" (PDF). Ghana Statistical Service.
- ^ "Ghana". United States Department of State. Retrieved 2023-09-16.
- ^ a b The World's Muslims: Unity and Diversity (PDF) (Report). Pew Research Center, Forum on Religious & Public life. August 9, 2012. pp. 29–31. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 25, 2021. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
- ^ Owusu-Ansah (1994), "Religion and Society".
- ^ Mohammad Saani, Ibrahim (2011). The decline of Sufism in West Africa: Some factor contributing to the political and social ascendancy of Wahhabist Islam in Northern Ghana. Montreal: Institute of Islamic Studies - McGill University. Archived from the original on 2014-12-15. Retrieved 2014-12-12.