The largest Shia country by population is Iran, with roughly 90-95% of its Muslim population being Shia, followed by Iraq, where Shias form a majority, and Azerbaijan, where they are also a majority. While Iran has the largest overall Shia population due to its large total population, Iraq has a significant majority, and sizable Shia communities also exist in Lebanon, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and the Indian subcontinent (Pakistan, India).
Large numbers of Shia Arab Muslims live in some Arab countries including Lebanon, Yemen, Bahrain, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, the UAE, and Qatar. Shia Muslims are a numerical majority in Iraq. Approximately 35% of the population in Yemen and nearly half of the Muslims in Bahrain and Lebanon are Shia Muslims.
Shia majority
According to The World Factbook of the CIA, between 90-95% of Iran's Muslim are Shia, and another 5-10% are Sunni, the American Iranian Council, citing the Islamic Republic estimates, gives the Sunni percentage at between 7% and 10%. (Almost all of Iran's Shia follow the Twelver branch.)
Religious figures
Most of India's Muslims are Sunni, with Shia making up around 15% of the Muslim population. Islam first spread in southern Indian communities along the Arab coastal trade routes in Gujarat and in Malabar Coast shortly after the religion emerged in the Arabian Peninsula.
The main responsibility of Sunni Caliphs was to maintain law and order in the Muslim realm as well as providing political and religious guidance. On the other hand, the Shia Imams, descendants of the Prophet, also held a God-given spiritual authority and were considered infallible.
And according to a 2012 Pew Research Center survey, within the next four decades, Christians will remain the world's largest religion; if current trends continue, by 2050 the number of Christians will reach 3 billion (or 31.4%).
“The true Shia of Imam Ali ( peace be upon him) are not defined by words alone, but by their actions. They embody his teachings, uphold his values, and reflect his wisdom in every aspect of their lives. These individuals are not only followers, but a true adornment for the Imam—living testaments to his legacy.
Hamas (or the Islamic Resistance Movement) is a Palestinian Sunni Islamist military and sociopolitical movement, and a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization (FTO).
While the founder of all Islam is clearly Muhammad, the founder of Shia Islam is unquestionably his nephew and son-in-law, Ali ibn Abi Talib. Ali would become the founder, Caliph, and first Imam of the Shia Islamic sect.
Shia religious practices, such as prayers, differ only slightly from the Sunnīs. While all Muslims pray five times daily, Shia Muslims have the option of combining Dhuhr with Asr and Maghrib with Isha', as there are three distinct times mentioned in the Quran.
The constitution designates Islam as the official religion, with over 90% of the Emirati population are Sunni Islam, mainly following the Maliki school. The vast majority of the remainder 5–10% are Shia Muslims, who are concentrated in the Emirates of Dubai and Sharjah.
Shias comprise a majority in Iran, Iraq, Azerbaijan, and Bahrain, and a plurality in Lebanon, while Sunnis make up the majority of more than forty countries from Morocco to Indonesia.
Like most Sunni, Shia Islam hold that all Muslims will eventually go to Jannah, and like the Ash'ari school, believe heedless and stubborn unbelievers will go to hell, while those ignorant of the truth of Islam but "truthful to their own religion", will not.
Sect identity is more common among other religious groups in India. For example, the predominant sect among Indian Muslims is Sunni Islam (55%), while 6% of Indian Muslims identify as Shia.
Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Hussein Al-Sistani is the leading cleric and spiritual authority for Twelver (Ithna 'Ashari) Shia Muslims globally, widely respected for his religious scholarship, moral integrity, and role as a quiet but powerful voice in social, political, and humanitarian matters.
He has been regularly listed among The 500 Most Influential Muslims of the world. He also created and hosted the television talk show Satyamev Jayate.
Over the years, Shah Rukh Khan has openly spoken about his Islamic faith and strong belief in Allah, but he has also clarified that he does not perform the five daily prayers (namaz) regularly. In an earlier interview, he stated, "I'm not religious in terms of reading namaz five times, but I am Islamic.
Aga Khan (Persian: آقاخان; Arabic: آغا خان; also transliterated as Aqa Khan and Agha Khan) is the hereditary title of the spiritual leader and Imām of the Nizari Ismāʿīli Shias, a branch of Islam with approximately 12–15 million followers worldwide.
In the year 2030, Ramadan will be observed twice within the Gregorian calendar—starting once in early January and again in late December. This uncommon event occurs because the Islamic lunar calendar is roughly 10 days shorter than the solar year, causing Ramadan to gradually shift across seasons.