Islam - Religious Tradition
Islam is the religion founded by the Prophet Muhammad (570-632), who is believed by followers to be the final prophet. The word "Islam" means "submission." Muslims follow the sacred text of the Koran, stress the oneness of God, and practice the Five Pillars: praying, fasting during Ramadan, almsgiving, pilgrimage, and a testimony of faith. The two main branches of Islam are Sunni and Shi'ite. This split occurred in 632 due to different opinions on leadership succession. Following the passage of the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act, which allowed for more immigration from Muslim majority countries, the Islamic population has grown rapidly in the U.S.
Maps: Islam1
Adherence Rate per 1,000 (2020)
Congregations (2020)
Top 5 Islam States (2020)1 [View all States]
| Rank | State | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Illinois | 473,792 | 37.00 |
| 2 | New York | 724,475 | 35.90 |
| 3 | New Jersey | 321,652 | 34.60 |
| 4 | Maryland | 188,914 | 30.60 |
| 5 | Michigan | 241,828 | 24.00 |
Top 5 Islam Counties (2020)1 [View all counties]
| Rank | County | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harding County, New Mexico | 463 | 704.70 |
| 2 | Petersburg city, Virginia | 3,988 | 119.20 |
| 3 | Passaic County, New Jersey | 61,580 | 117.50 |
| 4 | Orleans County, New York | 4,144 | 102.70 |
| 5 | Fairfax city, Virginia | 2,216 | 91.80 |
Top 5 Islam Metro Areas (2020)1 [View all Metro Areas]
| Rank | Metro Area | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI Metro Area | 454,946 | 47.30 |
| 2 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA Metro Area | 906,604 | 45.00 |
| 3 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI Metro Area | 196,878 | 44.80 |
| 4 | Lewiston-Auburn, ME Metro Area | 3,702 | 33.30 |
| 5 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metro Area | 212,671 | 33.30 |
Islam Groups: Adherence Rates (1980 - 2020)1
| Group | Family | Adh. Rate 2020 | Adh. Rate 2010 | Adh. Rate 2000 | Adh. Rate 1990 | Adh. Rate 1980 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muslim Estimate | Islam | 13.44 | 8.42 | 5.54 | ||
Sources
1 The 2020 data were collected by the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies (ASARB) and include data for 372 religious bodies or groups. Of these, the ASARB was able to gather data on congregations and adherents for 217 and on congregations only for 155. [More information on the data sources]
