Islam in Ghana

Na Islam be de first Abrahamic monotheistic religion make e reach Ghana. Today Islam be de second most widespread religion insyd de country after Christianity. Ein presence insyd Ghana dey date back to de tenth century. According to de Ghana Statistics Service Population and Housing Census (2021), de percentage of Muslims insyd Ghana be approximately 20%.

According to 2020 report by de Association of Religion Data Archives, 63.5 percent of Muslims insyd Ghana be Sunni. De Maliki school of jurisprudence be most prevalent, although Yusuf Solih Ajurah ein reformist advocacy insyd de 1960s see rise in de popularity of de Hanbali school. Sufism, once widespread, get greatly diminish ova de years. Howeva, de Tijaniyya den Qadiriyya Sufi orders dey still exist insyd Ghana.

De spread of Islam insyd West Africa dey begin for de ancient Ghana insyd de ninth century na mainly ebe de result of de commercial activities of Muslim insyd North Africa. De empires of Mali den Songhai, wey na e succeed Ghana insyd western Sudan, adopt de religion. Islam enter modern Ghana thru de northern lands around de fifteenth century. De Mande people allow merchants den clerics make dem enter de region. Na influx of Hausa Muslim merchants affect de northeastern sector of de country dey begin insyd de 16th century den second wave of immigrants wey dey flee de jihad of Osman Dan Fodio insyd northern Nigeria during de early 19th century.

Despite de tensions insyd de Middle East, North Africa den Nigeria since de mid-1970s, relations between Muslims den Christians be excellent. De Islamic Parliamentary Authority often dey negotiate make dem enforce religious, social den economic laws wey dey affect Muslims. De council sanso be responsible make dem dey organize de pilgrimage to Mecca for believers wey dey fi afford de journey. Despite dese achievements, na de council no dey succeed make dem dey take initiatives make dem raise de level of Islamic schools beyond providing basic Quranic education. Perhaps dis dey explain de economic den technological gap between Muslims den non-Muslims.

## Population of Muslims insyd Ghana
Ghana ein official statistics agency dey report say about 20% be Muslim. De Alliance of Islamic Organizations assert say de final figures issue insyd de 2002 census contain serious flaws wey as a result dem no fi use am as reliable data make dem dey plan den highlight de country ein development agenda. De call cam as groups from de north petition de government make e withdraw de results, dey express concern say dem underrepresent sam ethnic groups for de population insyd. CIA statistics dey indicate say de Muslim population insyd Ghana be 17.6 percent. Oda accounts put de figure for 25 percent. De Government of Ghana ein allocation of funds for national development be strongly influenced by demographics.

### Geographical distribution
According to de 2017 Census, Muslims dey constitute about 18 percent of de population of Ghana. 

Muslims dey constitute majority insyd Northern Region, de biggest religion insyd Upper East Region den large minority Upper West Region. Dere be slightly less Muslims insyd de southern parts of Ghana.

## Notable Muslims
*Alhaji Aminu Amadu Zohi
*Afa Ajura
*Aliu Mahama
*Sheikh Osman Nuhu Shaributu
*Mahamudu Bawumia
*Samira Bawumia
*Abedi Pele
*Farouk Aliu Mahama
*Mustapha Abdul-Hamid
*Sulley Muntari
*Abdul Salam Mumuni
*Mubarak Wakaso
*André Ayew
*Jordan Ayew
*Baba Rahman
*Kasim Nuhu
*Kasim
*Mubarak Mohammed Muntaka
*Haruna Iddrisu
*Mohammed Kudus
*Ahmed Ramadan
## References


## You fi read further

* Hanson, John H. *The Ahmadiyya in the Gold Coast: Muslim Cosmopolitans in the British Empire* (Indiana University Press, 2017).
* Ryan, Patrick J. "Islam in Ghana: its major influences and the situation today." *Orita: Ibadan Journal of Religious Studies* 28.1-2 (1996): 70–84.
* Skinner, David E. "Conversion to Islam and the promotion of ‘Modern’Islamic Schools in Ghana." *Journal of religion in Africa* 43.4 (2013): 426–450.
* Weiss, Holger. "Variations in the colonial representation of Islam and Muslims in Northern Ghana, Ca. 1900–1930." *Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs* 25.1 (2005): 73–95.
* Wilks, Ivor. "The growth of Islamic learning in Ghana." *Journal of the Historical Society of Nigeria* 2.4 (1963): 409–417. online
* Pontzen, Benedikt. *Islam in a Zongo: Muslim Lifeworlds in Asante, Ghana* (Cambridge University Press, 2021).

## External links
 Wikimedia Commons
* Muslims cry foul over population figures. Amon Salo. Feb 2002
* International Religious Freedom Report Ghana 2006. US Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor