Islam in Iran: history and Muslim population data

History of Islam in Iran

Muslims started conquering the current territory of Iran in 638/17H fromthe West, both along the current border with Iraq, and by sea throughthe Hormuz Straight. The decisive battle for the collapse of the PersianEmpire was the Battle of Nahawand, midway between Bagdad andTehran. The battle occurred in 642/21H and the Muslim troops wereunder the leadership of the Prophet’s companion Ano’mano bnu MoqrinAl-Mozani. They then took the southern coast of the Caspian Sea in 22H.In the same year, and towards the east, the Muslim troops under theleadership of Al-Ahnaf bnu Qais Attamimi, passed current Iran andreached Marw or Mary in southern Turkmenistan, Balakh near Mazar-iSharif in northern Afghanistan, and passed the Amu River, thatseparates Afghanistan from its neighboring countries to the north. By23H or 644AD, Muslims conquered all current Iran, and the western halfof current Pakistan up to the Indus River.

Currently, the Islamic Republic of Iran has an area of 1,648,195 sq kmand its map is presented in Figure 2.1.5. Estimates of the Muslimpopulation increased from 4.3 million or 98.3% in 1868, to 7.6 million or98.8% in 1881, to 8.8 million or 97.8% in 1899, to 9.4 million or 98.4% in1911. The first census was conducted in 1956 and every decade sincethen. Accordingly, as shown in Table 2.1.5, the Muslim populationincreased from 18.7 million or 98.7% in 1956, to 24.8 million or 98.8% in1966, to 33.4 million or 99.1% in 1976, to 49.2 million or 99.6% in 1986, to59.8 million or 99.7% in 1996, to 70.1 million or 99.7% in 2006, to 74.7million or 99.7% in 2011, to 79.8 million or 99.7% in 2016.

Thus, assuming that the percentage of Muslims will increase by 0.02of a percentage point per decade; then the Muslim population isprojected to reach one-hundred million or 99.8% by 2050 but decrease toeighty million or 99.9% by 2100.

Historical Muslim population dataset for Iran

The figures below are from the CoMPS historical dataset. Population values are expressed in thousands; 2100 is a modelled projection, not a present-day count.

For the full time series and visualisation, use the interactive map above.