The country of Thailand, whose former name is Siam, is located in Southeast Asia and is bordered by Laos to the north, Malaysia to the south, Cambodia to the east, and Myanmar to the west.
The size of this country is 514 thousand square kilometers, and its capital is Bangkok.
According to statistics, the population of Thailand is about 63 million people. 75% of this population is from the Thai race, 14% from the Chinese race and 11% from other races.
The official religion of Thailand is Buddhism.
Islam has the second place in Thailand in terms of the number of followers.
The Thai government also recognizes Muslims as a minority.
According to the official statistics, the population of Muslims is six million people, but Muslims believe that their real population is ten million people.
Most Muslims are concentrated in the southern region of the country, which borders Malaysia, and many live in the country’s capital.
The Muslims of Thailand are from different Thai, Malaysian, Indian, Iranian, Chami and Chinese tribes and races and have lived alongside the followers of different religions and rituals for hundreds of years. In order to better understand the Islamic environment and the situation of Muslims in Thailand, before dealing with the religion of Islam, we will mention other religions and rituals that are active in this country.
Prominent and famous religions in Thailand
1- Religion of Buddhism
In fact, the majority of the population in Thailand believe in this religion and hence it is known as the official religion of the country.
2- Christianity
This religion was introduced to Thailand about 500 years ago and, like elsewhere, it is very active in deprived areas. Christians have converted the deprived minorities of the border region between Thailand and Myanmar to their religion, and of course they have churches all over the country, especially in the capital.
3- Brahmanism and Hinduism
4- Sikh
5- Confucius and Tao
6- Baha’i
The history of the origin of Islam in Thailand
Seven hundred years ago, Islam gained influence in an area in the south of Thailand, in the city of “Patani” or “Fattani”, which had an independent government at that time, and in fact, the arrival of Islam in Thailand should be attributed to the arrival of Islam in the city of Patani.
Patani city was and is one of the famous cities in the Malay Peninsula. In the past, this city was a port and commercial city and had many agricultural products, and for this reason, it was a place of transportation for merchants from different cities and countries. Islam entered this city through traders.
The remarkable point is that during the time that Muslims have lived in this land, they have not had any problems with other religions.
Muslims in Thailand live among themselves with a religious spirit and complete brotherhood, which can be clearly seen in their interaction with their own internal religions.
Islamic religions in Thailand
As we mentioned before, according to their own opinion, the Muslim population is about ten million people, most of whom are Sunnis. Even though the majority of people in this country are not Muslims, Muslims in this country tend to different religions and are currently working to attract Muslims. Now we examine some Islamic religions in Thailand.
In fact, the two religions that are most famous among the Sunni people of Thailand and are affiliated with it are religion; (It is Shafi’i and Hanafi).
Shafi’i religion
This religion definitely has the largest Muslim population in Thailand. Since the beginning when Islam was introduced to Thailand, this religion has been accepted, like the two countries of Malaysia and Indonesia.
Hanafi religion
This religion was brought to Thailand after the 19th century by Indian-Pakistani Muslim immigrants. Most of these immigrants who came to the north and east of Thailand through Myanmar are from Indian and Pashtun ethnic groups. Among them there are Sadats who are respected and live in different parts of the country and sometimes they invite scholars from Pakistan to preach.
Also, Chinese immigrants live in the north of Thailand, especially in the city of Shing Mai, and adhere to the Hanafi religion. However, there are no exact statistics of Hanafians.
Muslims in Thailand adhere to the affairs of their religion with the best spirit and practice, and with each other, as we mentioned before, they continue their lives with Islamic ties without any problems.
However, sometimes they face problems and sufferings that sometimes affect everyone and they solve them with the elixir of unity and empathy.
In Thailand, Muslims have turned to different religious tendencies and by respecting each other, they are moving towards Islamic thinking and placing it as the center.
And this approach has caused the Muslims in this land to live their lives in the best possible way and adhere to the instructions of the religion of Islam.
By admin2
