Islam in Afghanistan

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/islam-in-afghanistan

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the state religion?Islam is the official state religion of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
2. What is the majority adherence?Approximately 99.7% of the Afghan population identifies as Muslim
3. How did Islam first come to Afghanistan?Islam arrived in Afghanistan during the Arab conquests between the 7th and 10th centuries. The first Arab army captured Herat in 652 CE, and over the next centuries Islam spread through military campaigns, trade, and cultural exchange.
4. Why is Islam the state religion in Afghanistan?The Afghan constitution declares Islam the state religion. Because about 99.7% of people practice Islam, its teachings shape the country’s laws, social norms, and culture.

Hanafi School: A major school of Sunni jurisprudence, influential in Afghanistan's Islamic practice.
Twelver Shia: The largest branch of Shia Islam, adhering to twelve divinely ordained imams.
Ismailism: A branch of Shia Islam with distinct leadership and theological traditions.