Ramadan 2024: African Countries with Major Muslims Worshippers

The annual Ramadan season is ongoing. From March 11th till April 9th 2024,  Muslims worshippers across the world would be joining faith to mark Ramadan season that lasts for 30 days.  Ramadan is known as the Muslim Holy month. 

What is Ramadan: 

Ramadan is a season of intense fasting from sunset to sunrise. It’s a season that calls all Muslims to a life of abstinence, self denial, almsgiving; sacrifice; praying to Allah; study of the Holy Quran and to embrace other  Islamic virtues. Ramadan  precedes the Eid ul-Fitr which translates to ‘The Feast of Fast Breaking’ it is usually a three day’s holiday. 

Ramadan is the fourth pillar of Islam religion and is believed as a season where the Holy Quran was revealed to Prophet Muhammed. The Ramadan season falls in the ninth month of the Muslim year. The Eid ul- Fitr which happens after the Ramadan season also follows the Islamic Lunar calendar and because of this, it occurs 11 days earlier every year. 

Observing the Ramadan Season 

Fasting in Ramadan season is divided into two; the Iftar and Suhoor or Sehri. The Iftar is the breaking of the fast at dusk and the Suhoor permits Muslim to eat before dawn in order to have stamina to observe the 13-17 hours of fast for the day. During Iftar light meals  such as milk, fruits, nuts and cereals are encouraged while the Suhoor allows for the consumption of  foods rich in  carbohydrates, starch etc. It is basically the important meal of the day. 

Notwithstanding, understanding body needs and strengths is crucial for effective Ramadan fasting. Also, some Muslims need not fast due to health implications. For instance children within a certain age, pregnant women and the elderly are discouraged from fasting, rather they can pray more and engage in good deeds. 

Countries in Africa with Major Muslims Worshippers 

All countries in Africa have a presence of Muslim worshippers. While some countries have them as a major religion, others have them as a minority. We shall be looking at African nations with predominant Muslim worshippers according to Statista 2023.

Mauritania 

Mauritania or the Islamic Republic of Mauritania is strictly a Muslim nation. No other religion is recognised in the country. It is located in the Northwest of Africa. The capital of the country  is Nouakchott and the official language is Arabic  though French speakers can be seen too. The tribes in Mauritania include: Haratin; Beidane; Halpulaar; Fulani; Mande; Wolof. The Mauritanian Ouguiya is the  country’s official currency. 

Tunisia 

Tunisia is another in North Africa with almost a population that is predominantly Muslim. This is because 98 percent of its population are Musilims while the remaining 2 percent is shared among the Jews and Berbers tribe in the country. The capital of Tunisia is Tunis and Arabic is the widely spoken language. The country belongs to the Maghreb of North Africa. 

Somalia

Somalia is an East African country with a majority of  muslim devotees. It’s among the four African  countries  at the Horn of Africa. The word Somalia means ‘Land of the Moon’ due to its abundance of gold. With its capital at Mogadishu, Somalia has the longest coastline in Africa at 3.333 kilometers and the world’s largest camel herds.  

Western Sahara 

The Western Sahara is a muslim country with a meagre population of about 565,000 people. The territory is a contentious sovereign state due to unsettled claims about its independence. The territory still experiences a high magnitude of  control from Morocco. Just like other Islamic nations, the official language of the Western Sahara is Hassaniya Arabic.  Laayoune is its capital city. 

Algeria 

Algeria is the  largest country in Africa by geography and is also a nation with a large population of Muslim worshippers. Algeria is  a rich tourist attraction country having up to seven UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation) world heritage sites. Also the famous Djamaa El Djazair mosque is found in Algeria. The country houses the world’s endangered Saharan cheetah and the big eared Fennec fox. The  swath of the Saharan Desert is also in Algeria; covering about 80 percent of its territory. Statista reveals that 99 percent of the population are Muslims. The country accounts for up to 44 million people. 

Morocco

The Kingdom of Morocco is a muslim nation with diversified cultural influences from the Arabians; Europeans and Berbers (native people of North West Africa). The capital city is Rabat and the official currency is the Moroccan Dirham. Arabic, Berber and French are the recognised languages for communication. The highest ski resort in Africa is situated in Morocco. Indigenously it is called Oukaimeden. The famous Saharan Desert also spreads into Morocco. 

Niger

This largest landlocked country in Africa has an abundance of Muslim faiths. The country’s capital is Niamey. As well,  the Saharan Desert runs through Niger. Niger has many attractive and interesting landmarks and arts. These include the Nigersaurus (Niger’s indigenous dinosaurs) Agadez mosque; world largest known animal carvings; etc 

Comoros

Comoros is a small country surrounded by Mozambique, Tanzania and Madagascar. Comoros  is  made up of three islands: Ngazidja (Grande Comore) Mwali (Moheli) and Nzwani (Anjouan). The capital city is Moroni located on the Ngazidja island.  Sunni- Muslims are more prominent and the national languages are French, Arabic and Shikomoro (Comorian language). Vanilla, coconuts, bananas, cassava, cloves and spices are commonly grown in the country. 

Sudan  

The Republic of Sudan is the last on this list but not definitely not the least. About 97 percent of Sudanese are Muslims leaving Christianity and other religions to make up for the remaining 3 percent. The country is under the Northeast African nations and very reputable in  both the continent’s and  global landscape. Sudan harbours many  famous discoveries such as the confluence of the blue and white Niles, the kingdom of Kush: the kingdom of Meroe etc. The country boasts of rich diverse cultures ranging from tribes, food and language. Khartoum is the capital city. 

There are still other African nations where Muslim worshippers are quite significant but thrive with other types of religion which also have an impactful presence. Countries with a stronger muslim population would  collectively participate and mark the season of  Ramadan as the major religious rite and holiday unlike other counterparts where Muslim adherents are quite a few and observed as an alternative religion