Islam in Lebanon

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Islam in Lebanon
الإسلام في لبنان
Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque during 2019 Lebanese revolution
Total population
2-3.5 million[1]
Religions
Shia Islam, Sunni Islam, Alawite, Ismaili
Sects of Islam in Lebanon (2020)[2]
Muslim denomination percent
Sunni Muslims
 
 31.9%
Twelver Shia Muslims
 
 31.2%
Islam by country
World percentage of Muslims by country
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Islam portal

Islam has a long, continuous history in Lebanon. A substantial portion of the Lebanese population is Muslim, probably representing a majority of the population, although the precise percentage is difficult to ascertain. The Lebanese constitution officially guarantees freedom of religion for government-registered religions, including five denominations of Islam, although a blasphemy law and restrictions on religious groups that "disturb the public order" exist as well.[3] Under the Taif Agreement, Muslims are allocated proportional representation across multiple governmental positions.[3]

The Lebanese Druze community are sometimes counted as a branch of Islam within Lebanon, though most Druze followers do not consider themselves Muslim and do not follow the Five Pillars of Islam.

History

[edit]

Demographics

[edit]
See also: Demographics of Lebanon
Lebanese Muslims][4][5][6][7][8][2]
Year Percent
1932
 
 48%
1985
 
 75%
2010
 
 54%
2012
 
 53.5%
2018
 
 61.1%

It is difficult to obtain precise demographic information within Lebanon, as the country has not had an official census since 1932. In that census, Muslims amounted to 42% of the population (with slightly more Sunni than Shia Muslims), but Christians (primarily Maronites) composed a small majority of the population.[4] Lebanon was a French mandate between World War I and World War II, and was founded in part to serve as a home for Christians within West Asia.[9]

Demographic estimates since the 1932 census have found a significantly higher proportion of Muslims than the census did. This increase is not generally believed to be a result of population changes, but rather due to less biased estimation processes.[9][10]

Current demographic estimates generally agree that Muslims represent the majority of the Lebanese population, though estimates range from 60 to 70% of the Lebanese population. According to the May 2025 edition of the CIA World Factbook, the Muslim population is estimated to be 67.8%,[a] of which approximately 47% are Sunni, 47% are Shia, and the remainder are Alawite or Ismaili.[11] Pew Research estimated the 2020 proportion of Muslims in Lebanon in 2020 at 61.2%.[12] Statistics Lebanon, a non-governmental research firm, estimated that 69.3% of Lebanese people Muslims, with approximately 45% of these Muslims being Shia, 45% being Sunni, and 10% being Alawite or Ismaili.[3] A Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) study in 1985 put the numbers of Muslims at 68% of the population in 1985.[4]

The Druze are sometimes designated as one of the five Lebanese Muslim communities (Sunni, Shia, Druze, Alawi, and Ismaili),[13][14] even though most Druze do not identify as Muslims,[15][16][17][18][19] and they do not accept the five pillars of Islam.[20]

In Lebanon, the different Muslim sects are spread across distinct regions. Sunnis are mainly concentrated in West Beirut, Tripoli in the north, Sidon in the south, and parts of the Bekaa Valley such as Arsal. Shias are largely based in South Lebanon, particularly around Tyre, Nabatieh, and Bint Jbeil, as well as in the Bekaa Valley around Baalbek and Hermel, and in Beirut’s southern suburbs known as Dahieh. Alawites, who make up a very small community, are mostly found in the Jabal Mohsen neighborhood of Tripoli.

Distribution of Lebanese muslims in 2014 [21]
  1. Lebanese Sunni Muslims (49.7%)
  2. Lebanese Shia Muslims (48.9%)
  3. Alawites (1.43%)
Distribution of Lebanese muslims in 2022 [22]
  1. Lebanese Sunni Muslims (49.8%)
  2. Lebanese Shia Muslims (48.7%)
  3. Alawites (1.47%)

In 2014, according to *وقائع إنتخابية عن لبنان، حسب لوائح الناخبين الرسمية الصادرة عن وزارة الداخلية اللبنانية لسنة ٢٠١٤* [23], Muslims made up 56.9% of registered voters aged 21 and above: 28.26% Sunnis, 27.83% Shias, and 0.81% Alawites. In 2022 [24], based on the registered voters aged 21+ for the elections, Muslims represented 57.14%: 28.45% Sunnis, 27.85% Shias, and 0.84% Alawites. The overall proportions remained very stable between 2014 and 2022, with only slight increases in all three groups.

Year Muslims
Total Sunnis Shias Alawites
2014[25]
56.9%
28.26%
27.83%
0.81%
2022[26]
57.14%
28.45%
27.85%
0.84%
Year Muslims
Total Sunnis Shias Alawites
2014 [27] 1 999 770 993 124 978 043 28 603
2022[28] 2 284 922 1 137 565 1 113 801 33 556
Growth +285 152 +144 441 +135 758 +4 953
% growth Increase12.48% Increase12.70% Increase12.20% Increase14.76%
Distribution of Lebanese Muslims by governorates
Governorates of Lebanon 2014[29] 2022[30]
Pop. % Pop. %
Nabatieh Governorate 362 100 85.59% 390 607 79.42%
South Governorate 308 976 78.34% 362 277 78.11%
North Governorate 306 989 54.63% 356 348 56.12%
Beirut Governorate 285 542 61.17% 313 610 59.31%
Baalbek-Hermel Governorate 250 655 85.79% 280 120 84.25%
Akkar Governorate 186 098 72.27% 221 292 73.26%
Beqaa Governorate 155 190 51.59% 178 084 51.8%
Mount Lebanon Governorate 119 248 18.41% 136 794 19.21%
Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate 24 972 14.68% 22 120 12.08%
Total Lebanese Muslim population 1 999 770 56.9% 2 284 922 57.14%
Distribution of Lebanese Sunni Muslims by governorates
Governorates of Lebanon 2014[31] 2022[32]
Pop. % Pop. %
North Governorate 286 292 28.83% 333 184 29.29%
Beirut Governorate 211 862 21.33% 231 695 20.37%
Akkar Governorate 170 566 17.17% 202 146 17.77%
Beqaa Governorate 109 859 11.06% 124 952 10.98%
Mount Lebanon Governorate 70 918 7.14% 78 383 6.89%
South Governorate 68 671 6.93% 79 501 6.99%
Baalbek-Hermel Governorate 41 084 4.14% 48 328 4.25%
Nabatieh Governorate 30 716 3.09% 36 877 3.24%
Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate 3 156 0.32% 2 499 0.22%
Total Lebanese Sunni population 993 124 100% 1 137 565 100%
Distribution of Lebanese Shia Muslims by governorates
Governorates of Lebanon 2014[33] 2022[34]
Pop. % Pop. %
Nabatieh Governorate 346 331 35.41% 377 390 33.88%
South Governorate 240 280 24.57% 282 768 25.39%
Baalbek-Hermel Governorate 209 463 21.42% 231 702 20.8%
Beirut Governorate 73 517 7.52% 81 915 7.35%
Mount Lebanon Governorate 52 701 5.39% 58 411 5.24%
Beqaa Governorate 45 313 4.63% 53 132 4.77%
Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate 17 210 1.76% 19 617 1.76%
North Governorate 5 201 0.53% 5 288 0.47%
Akkar Governorate 3 012 0.31% 3 578 0.32%
Total Lebanese Shia population 978 043 100% 1 113 801 100%
Distribution of Lebanese Alawites by governorates
Governorates of Lebanon 2014[35] 2022[36]
Pop. % Pop. %
North Governorate 15 496 54.18% 17 876 53.27%
Akkar Governorate 12 520 43.77% 15 568 46.39%
Mount Lebanon Governorate 220 0.77% 0 0%
Beirut Governorate 163 0.57% 0 0%
Baalbek-Hermel Governorate 108 0.38% 90 0.27%
Nabatieh Governorate 38 0.13% 10 0.03%
South Governorate 25 0.09% 8 0.02%
Beqaa Governorate 18 0.06% 0 0%
Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate 15 0.05% 4 0.01%
Total Lebanese Alawite population 28 603 100% 33 556 100%

Current political and religious issues

[edit]

Although Lebanon is officially a secular country, religious identity and religious leadership play significant roles for the Lebanese government. Religious groups must register with the Lebanese government, and citizens report their religious identity to the Ministry of Interior’s (MOI’s) Personal Status Directorate. The government considers the Druze a sect of Islam.[3] Religious identities play a critical role in maintaining the balance of power within the Lebanese government; the National Pact of 1943 guarantees that the Prime Minister must be a Sunnite, and the Speaker of Parliament must be a Shiite, and the President must be a Maronite Christian.[37] Under the National Pact, 45% of the governmental and parliamentary positions were reserved for Muslims. Since the Taif Agreement in 1990, this has been revised to a 50-50 split between Muslims and Christians.[10]

Family matters such as marriage, divorce and inheritance are still handled by the religious authorities representing a person's faith. Calls for civil marriage are unanimously rejected by the religious authorities but civil marriages conducted in another country are recognized by Lebanese civil authorities.[3]

Atheism is not recognized by the state. However, the Minister of the Interior Ziad Baroud made it possible in 2009 to have the religious sect removed from one’s Lebanese identity card. This does not, however, deny religious authorities complete control over civil family issues inside the country.[38][39]

Distribution of Lebanon's religious groups according to 2009 municipal election data.
An estimate of the area distribution of Lebanon's main religious groups.

Branches

[edit]

Lebanese Muslims are divided into many branches like Shiites, Sunnis, Alawites, and Ismailis.

The Druze are sometimes considered a fifth branch of Islam for governmental purposes, despite significant religious differences between the faiths most don't identify as Muslims.[40][41][17][18][19]

Shia Islam

[edit]
Main articles: Shia Islam, Twelver Shia, Alawites, Isma'ilism, and Shia Islam in Lebanon

The Lebanese Shia Muslims are around 29%[42][43]-31%[3] of the total population. Twelvers are the predominant Shia group, followed by Alawites and Ismailis. The Speaker of Parliament is always a Shi'a Muslim, as it is the only high post that Shi'as are eligible for.[44][45][46][47] The Shiites are largely concentrated in northern and central Beqaa, Southern Lebanon, in south Beirut (southern parts of Greater Beirut).[48][49]

Sunni Islam

[edit]
Main articles: Sunni Islam and Sunni Islam in Lebanon

The Lebanese Sunni Muslims constitute around 27%[48]–29%[3] of the total population with the Hanafi and Shafiʽi madhhab being the predominant Sunni groups. Sunni notables traditionally held power in the Lebanese state together, and they are still the only ones eligible for the post of Prime Minister[50] Sunnis form the majority in west Beirut, Tripoli, Sidon, Central and Western Beqaa and hasbaya, ikleem al kharroub, Miniyeh, and Danniyeh districts, and Akkar in the north.[48]

Several large Sufi orders are active in the country, including the Naqshbandi and Qadiriyya tariqas.[51]

Druze

[edit]
Main articles: Druze and Lebanese Druze

The Lebanese Druze constitute 5%[3] of the population and can be found primarily in Mount Lebanon and the Shouf District. Under the Lebanese political division (Parliament of Lebanon Seat Allocation) the Druze community is designated as one of the five Lebanese Muslim communities (Sunni, Shia, Druze, Alawi, and Ismaili).[13][14] Most Druze do not identify as Muslims.[40][41][17][18][19]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ the estimate is 72.3% if Druze are included as Muslim

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "2012 Report on International Religious Freedom - Lebanon". United States Department of State. 20 May 2013. Retrieved 15 December 2013.
  2. ^ a b "The World Factbook". Cia.gov. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h "2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Lebanon". U.S. Department of State. 2022. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
  4. ^ a b c "Contemporary distribution of Lebanon's main religious groups". Central Intelligence Agency. 1988. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
  5. ^ "Contemporary distribution of Lebanon's main religious groups". theodora.com. 1998. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  6. ^ Tom Najem (July 1998). "The Collapse and Reconstruction of Lebanon" (PDF). Durham Middle East Papers (59). University of Durham Centre for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies. ISSN 1357-7522. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 March 2012. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  7. ^ "Lebanon: Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor - International Religious Freedom Report 2010". U.S. Department of State. 17 November 2010. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  8. ^ "Lebanon: Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor - 2012 Report on International Religious Freedom". U.S. Department of State. 20 May 2013. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  9. ^ a b Barshad, Amos (17 October 2019). "In Lebanon, a Census Is Too Dangerous to Implement". The Nation. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
  10. ^ a b Maktabi, Rania (1999). "The Lebanese Census of 1932 Revisited. Who Are the Lebanese?". British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies. 26 (2): 219–241. doi:10.1080/13530199908705684. ISSN 1353-0194. JSTOR 195924. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
  11. ^ "Lebanon Factsheet - The World Factbook". The CIA World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. 14 May 2025. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
  12. ^ "Religious Composition by Country, 2010-2050". Pew Research. 21 December 2022. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
  13. ^ a b Lebanon Country Study Guide Volume 1 Strategic Information and Developments. Ibp USA. 2009-06-07. ISBN 9781438774824. Retrieved 2019-04-24.[permanent dead link]
  14. ^ a b Lebanon Country Study Guide Volume 1 Strategic Information and Developments - Google Books. Ibp USA. 2009-06-07. ISBN 9781438774824. Retrieved 2019-04-24.[permanent dead link]
  15. ^ Pintak, Lawrence (2019). America & Islam: Soundbites, Suicide Bombs and the Road to Donald Trump. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 86. ISBN 9781788315593.
  16. ^ Jonas, Margaret (2011). The Templar Spirit: The Esoteric Inspiration, Rituals and Beliefs of the Knights Templar. Temple Lodge Publishing. p. 83. ISBN 9781906999254. [Druze] often they are not regarded as being Muslim at all, nor do all the Druze consider themselves as Muslim
  17. ^ a b c "Are the Druze People Arabs or Muslims? Deciphering Who They Are". Arab America. 8 August 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  18. ^ a b c Stewart, Dona J. (2008). The Middle East Today: Political, Geographical and Cultural Perspectives. Routledge. p. 33. ISBN 9781135980795. Most Druze do not consider themselves Muslim. Historically they faced much persecution and keep their religious beliefs secrets.
  19. ^ a b c Yazbeck Haddad, Yvonne (2014). The Oxford Handbook of American Islam. Oxford University Press. p. 142. ISBN 9780199862634. While they appear parallel to those of normative Islam, in the Druze religion they are different in meaning and interpretation. The religion is considered distinct from the Ismaili as well as from other Muslims belief and practice... Most Druze consider themselves fully assimilated in American society and do not necessarily identify as Muslims..
  20. ^ De McLaurin, Ronald (1979). The Political Role of Minority Groups in the Middle East. Michigan University Press. p. 114. ISBN 9780030525964. Theologically, one would have to conclude that the Druze are not Muslims. They do not accept the five pillars of Islam. In place of these principles the Druze have instituted the seven precepts noted above..
  21. ^ https://lub-anan.com/المحافظات/النبطية/مرجعيون/المذاهب/
  22. ^ https://www.lorientlejour.com/article/1297803/data-and-statistics.html
  23. ^ https://lub-anan.com/المحافظات/النبطية/مرجعيون/المذاهب/
  24. ^ https://www.lorientlejour.com/article/1297803/data-and-statistics.html
  25. ^ https://lub-anan.com/المحافظات/النبطية/مرجعيون/المذاهب/
  26. ^ https://www.lorientlejour.com/article/1297803/data-and-statistics.html
  27. ^ https://lub-anan.com/المحافظات/النبطية/مرجعيون/المذاهب/
  28. ^ https://www.lorientlejour.com/article/1297803/data-and-statistics.html
  29. ^ https://lub-anan.com/المحافظات/النبطية/مرجعيون/المذاهب/
  30. ^ https://www.lorientlejour.com/article/1297803/data-and-statistics.html
  31. ^ https://lub-anan.com/المحافظات/النبطية/مرجعيون/المذاهب/
  32. ^ https://www.lorientlejour.com/article/1297803/data-and-statistics.html
  33. ^ https://lub-anan.com/المحافظات/النبطية/مرجعيون/المذاهب/
  34. ^ https://www.lorientlejour.com/article/1297803/data-and-statistics.html
  35. ^ https://lub-anan.com/المحافظات/النبطية/مرجعيون/المذاهب/
  36. ^ https://www.lorientlejour.com/article/1297803/data-and-statistics.html
  37. ^ "Country Profile: Lebanon". FCO. 3 April 2007. Archived from the original on 31 July 2003. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  38. ^ Piero Gheddo (2009-02-13) LEBANON Religious affiliation to disappear from Lebanese documents – Asia News. Asianews.it. Retrieved on 2013-09-26.
  39. ^ Religious Affiliation Can Be Removed From Lebanese ID Cards Archived 2013-04-11 at the Wayback Machine. Barcode Nation (2009-02-25). Retrieved on 2013-09-26.
  40. ^ a b Pintak, Lawrence (2019). America & Islam: Soundbites, Suicide Bombs and the Road to Donald Trump. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 86. ISBN 9781788315593.
  41. ^ a b Jonas, Margaret (2011). The Templar Spirit: The Esoteric Inspiration, Rituals and Beliefs of the Knights Templar. Temple Lodge Publishing. p. 83. ISBN 9781906999254. [Druze] often they are not regarded as being Muslim at all, nor do all the Druze consider themselves as Muslim
  42. ^ "International Religious Freedom Report 2008 – Lebanon". 2008 Report on International Religious Freedom. US Department of State. September 19, 2008. Retrieved 2009-01-08.
  43. ^ "Countries with more than 100,000 Shia Muslims" (PDF). Pew Research Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 January 2013. Retrieved 21 September 2010.
  44. ^ "Lebanon-Religious Sects". GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved 2010-08-11.
  45. ^ "March for secularism; religious laws are archaic". NOW Lebanon. Archived from the original on 2012-03-12. Retrieved 2010-08-11.
  46. ^ "Fadlallah Charges Every Sect in Lebanon Except his Own Wants to Dominate the Country". Naharnet. Retrieved 2010-08-11.
  47. ^ Hajjar, George J. "Aspects of Christian-Muslim Relations in Contemporary Lebanon". hartsem.edu. Hartford, CT, USA: Hartford Seminary. Archived from the original on August 27, 2012. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
  48. ^ a b c "Minority Rights Group International : Lebanon : Lebanon Overview". Minorityrights.org.
  49. ^ Lebanon Ithna'ashari Shias Overview Archived 2012-12-03 at the Wayback Machine World Directory of Minorities. June 2008. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  50. ^ "Lebanon". state.gov. Washington, DC, USA: United States Department of State. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
  51. ^ Habibis, Daphne (15 December 2020). "Change and continuity: A Sufi order in contemporary Lebanon". Social Analysis (Adelaide). pp. 44–78.