page_title: Islam in the Maldives
section_title: Introduction of Islam
hierarchical_section_title: Islam in the Maldives / History / Introduction of Islam
caption_attribution_description: this mosque has had so many pictures on flickr, but oh well. i also gave a try to capture this beautiful mosque. The name of the Mosque is Masjid al Sheikh Qasim bin Al-Thani.
context_page_description: Islam is the state religion of the Maldives and its constitution requires all citizens to be Muslims.
context_section_description: Maghrebi/Berber Theory
  Berber/Maghrebi interest in Maldives also was reflected in the residence there in the 1340s of  Ibn Battutah. The well-known North African/Moroccan traveller wrote how a Berber, one Abu Barakat Yusuf the Berber, was believed to have been responsible for spreading Islam in the islands, reportedly convincing the local king after having subdued Ranna Maari, a demon coming from the sea. Even though this report has been contested in later sources, it does explain some crucial aspects of Maldivian culture. For instance, historically Arabic has been the prime language of administration there, instead of the Persian and Urdu languages used in the nearby Muslim states. Another link to North Africa was the Maliki school of jurisprudence, used throughout most of North Africa, which was the official one in the Maldives until the 17th century.
caption: Mosque in Hulhumalé
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